Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-03-20
GIBBS ON TEXAS.
THE EX-GOVERNOR ADDRESSES
THE SOUTHERN CLUB
OF New York City and Has = Nsmber of
Good Things to Say About the
State OF Texas, Etc.

Special to the Gazette
NEW YoRK, March 1s.-At the dinner
here of the Southern society Ex-Governor
Gibbs said:
GENTLKNES-As Texas is five times as
large as New York, if / were to make
speech IN proportion to the size Of my state
it would be five tines as much as the aver
age New Yorker Gould stand. While we
have not the wealth, the luxuries or the pop
ulation that you have, we have much to be
proud of in the present and much to be proud
of in the historical past, and every reason
to have roseate dreams Of the future.
Texas is long on territory and short on pop
ulation, but we are getting there by all the
known methods When you point with
pride to your magnificent temples of art,
literature, religion and commerce, we can
but invite you to gaze upon our beautiful
prairies dotted with productive farms, and
where the hand of agriculture has not dis
turbed them covered even now with green
grass and beautiful flowers of variegated
hues. Nature has done no more for any
land under the sun than it has for Texas,
and has given US everything, from luxu-
rant grass to gold and precious stones.
Even now your greatest fnarcier Is down
there enjoying its soft and balmy breezes IN
search of health and rest from the turmoil
of Wall street. He will no doubt find both.
Texas does everything on large scale-it
gives the largest maiorities, has the largest
farms, the largest state capitol building and
the largest school fund; in fact, the only
thing small about Texas is its taxes. Mr..
Gould knows good thing financially, and
he is in Texas with both feet Everybody
is welcome in Texas whether they are
broke or flush, whether they cameSa a
Pullman car or on the gravel train. ---Ory-
body that is living there likes it. There is
an old tradition that no man who ever
drank water from the Rio Colorado ever
was satisfied to live OUT of Texas. Judging
from our anti-prohibition majority, our an
cestors were fonder of water than the pres
ent generation of Texas For fear that
some of the members of this club may be
scared off from Texas visit, will say we
have something there besides water. I
might tell you much of Texas that is true
and yet wonderful but since heard Col.
Ingersoll, in his lecture, accuse an Eastern
real estate agent of writing that chapter in
the Bible about the land flowing with milk
and honey, have concluded not to tell you
the half. I will relate to you an historical
fact to illustrate that in Texas we
have both religion and patriotism.
Once during a revival in Texas the minister
called on everybody in the congregation
who wanted to go to heaven to stand up.
Everybody stood up but one man, who oc-
cupied front.bench. The parson eyed him
pretty close, and then told the congregation
to be seated. He then invited everybody
in the congregation who was fool enough to
want to go to hell to stand up, still cycling
TIE stranger on the front seat, who was
immovable. The minister could not stand
this indifference, and asked the man if he
neither wanted to go to heaven or hell. His
reply was, ''Parson, Texas is good enough
for me.'
could tell you lots about Texas, but for
the sake of my reputation l would rather
you would come down yourselves and take
a look at it.
Texans have to travel whole lot before
they get out of their own state, but it won't
be long before you resident members of the
Southern society, will find nonresident
Texas member every time you drop In the
rooms here.
It IS the only state in the Union that can
raise cent cotton and 2 cent beef and live,
but we don't like to do it.
We could live faster and travel more on
10 cent cotton and cent beef, and we be-
lieve we would get these prices if trade
was freer and Wall street could furnish
more money to the South and West to move
crops with New York is great city and
a great financial center, but under present
systems of finance it does not and cannot
respond to the demands of legitimate bust
ness in the great West and South.
DCNSCA 49,
state pride of her people than the fact that
while under the treaty by which Texas be-
came state in the Union we are now en-
titled to become four states, yet we remain
still the Lone Star state one and indivisi-
BILE. Mr.. Tilden and many other great
statesmen never understood why a mere
sentiment should make US forego such a
political advantage. While Texas people
are practical in all things, mere homestead
and kindred legislation and their refusal to
divide the state, and their protection of
married women in community rights, is the
outgrowth of a sentiment that existed at
the birthday of the republic and has grown
ever since. As far as legislation can do so
we have striven to perpetuate independence
and happy homes.
2 Texas is good country and we are
a good people, but some New York bust
ness men are under wrong impression
when they think we desire to Danish the
''root of all evil" The legislative act in
terfering with free money was a mistake, in
fact, and our supreme court decided it was
a mistake in law. Texas is as much for,
free trade IN money as it IS
ior free trade in wooden goods, and this is
saying a good deal. New York business
men should not form their conclusions from
what is said by our press or politicians in
fractional fights for political pie. The gen.
eral average of our people are honest, the
laws fair and the courts just Whether
based on present available assets or certain
future growth, our collaterals are as good
as those of any other state, and our public
and private debts smaller.
Gentlemen, your society is great
especially for non resident
and will grow in popularity. 1
have met here as members, school mates of
twenty years ago some of US having gone
West and having come East from our
Southern homes and universities. In the
rush of commerce it is a wonder to
me that you have found time
or thought to build up such
an institution. The membership and pres
ence of many of your Wall street bankers
and brokers, convinces me that love of
money has not entirely displaced the old
Southern sentiment of sociability and hos
pitality. Here in the heart of our greatest
city Of the North you maintain a social club
peculiarly Southern. Your cook is even an
expert on ''corn dodgers"