The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-02-16
a GREAT COUNTRY.

turing interests, is capable of anything.
The agricultural products Of America
would almost iced the world. The
granaries and corn-cribs of the west
ern states are fuller than they ever were
before in the history of America.
Thousands and thousands of these cribs
and granaries are seen along railroad
highways, full and overlooking, Syndi-
Gates and individuals are buying up
much of the corn in the west. Com
paratively little of it has been shipped
GU, to the marts, They pay from i2is
20 is cents bushel for this corn de-
livered at the railroad points. l sup
pose if our corn and wheat crops were
utter failures this year we could pull
through very we'll to another crop.
And then look at the furnaces in
blast, the manufactures in motion.
turning out everything from locomo-
tive engines TO matches. We can make
everything we want, and the hand
work of American genius is not OK
celled. The clearing house reports
from New York, Chicago, St. Louis and
ali the centers of trade are marvellous,
showing the extent of business in the
commercial world.
And yet the brakes seem to be on
somewhere, something hinders, some
thing rctards. There is almost paral-
ysis somewhere and somehow OF the
vital organs in trade and traffic in
agriculture and manufacturing.
l have been frequently asked which
section of the country, north, south,
east or west, seems TO be in better
condition, and that is question hard
to answer. And yet | would say, from
my knowledge of so many other states
and sections of this country, that the
south is in as good condition to-day,
il not better, than any section of our
land. And but for the millions the
south has lost in the last six months
in gambling in Wall street and Chicago
in cotton and grain VIC would have
been far better off than any section
of the country. But no country can
prosper when there is such a drain
upon its monied resources as there is
| upon all sections of this country
emptying its treasures into Chicago
and Wall street, New York, fortune
tlls
The country rolls along good deal
like train Sometimes with down.
! grade momentum we reach rapid
speed Then we strike II level piece
of road and run smoothly along. Then
uphill, and the mighty enginery of
forces is strained ut every nerve. Now
and then all along the route we can
feel the brakes applied. and then fric-
ton sets in and the train is slowed up.
As we look back over the 80 years of
varied interest of our country we can
see the downgrade momentum, the
! level stretch when we were rolling nor
mally along, and then the grades we
have pulled, and the brakes we have
felt. We have been pulling a grade
now for three years, with now and then
a level stretch. IL seems to me that
We are almost at the top of the grade.
There are complications still existing.
The great financial centers are dis
turbed all over the civilized world.
Our congress to-day is tinkering with
The silver question and approaching
the great question of the revision of
our tariff Both these questions have
to DO with international relations.
America could live independent of the
world if she we're out of debt But no
man or nation is independent if they
be debt ridden. The debtor is the slave !;
the creditor is the master. We can
never truly sing this is Tho Land of
the Free and the Home of the Brave
until we pay our debts, thereby throw
ing off the shachles which have CALLED
us day and night.
What is it that Americans want that
We cannot make at home? Every
thing that goes upon our table, every
thing that we need in our homes.
everything we can wear, or eat, or
drink or enjoy, can be as truly manu-
featured in America az it can be con
sumed in America. There need be no
complication in our financial quest tons
as they pertain TO other interests if we
were only as independent as we ought
to be independent. The debtor has
never been able 10 dictate terms to the
creditor any more than an OK wearing
the yoke can dictate to his driver sit
ting up on the wagon. The OK can
Law down and refuse to go, but he will
ret his tail twisted and his back wal
loped, and he will pay heavily for his
behavior. We seem TO be in a wind
ing path among hills and mountains;
and sometimes we get into the predica-
ment of the fellow who said he wound
and twisted around with the road until
the first thing he knew he met him
self right in the road. And some of
our farmers are in the predicament OF
West Virginia farmer whose farm
was on steep hillside, He said he was
blowing along in his field one day and
fell out of his field. Many farmer
in America has fallen out of his field
into political meeting or primary
election. Among all classes there is
bard-headed set who produce fric-
ton and trouble. Some white mems
heads are as hard as the negroes. re-
nutsd in the following incident:
gentleman rode up to black
| ~ 20 In In hr,I