New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-03
A BRIGHT OUTLOOK FOR TEXAS.

Everybody will rejoice to learn that an era
Of uneXampled prosperity Is getting ready TO
dawn upon the State Of Texas. Forcwarning Of
it comes in a dispatch from San Antonio, where
General Paul VanderwOort.' who is described
as .the well-knOwn POpuliSt leader" Is now en-
gagged in painting the first ruddy streaks Of
il on a wide horizon. General Nanderwoort has
evolved scheme for cOlOnizing thousands Of
POpulistS on unoccupied lands in various parts
Of the State. The movement Is TO be on grand
scale. and will result-if the big landowners will
only throw open their holdings and Join in it
In increasing the population of the state by at
least 200000O more people during the next five
years. And the newcomers will be a class Gf
citizens Of which General NanderwOOrt says the
State will have reason TO be proud. In token
of the earnestness and sincerity Of the move
ment the General announces that Ex-Governor
Waite Of Colorado Of bloody brides fame. is
already on the ground making arrangements
for large number of settlers. whom he will
bring with him. and that Mr. Debs. Of Illinois,
who collded with the general Government a
few years ago and suffered brief but fluent
martyrdom in Jail on that account. is arranging
to start the movement in Chicago. Both these
illustrous persons. IT is hardly necessary to say
are actuated solely by philanthropic motives
OF Debs the dispatch says he will never go
Into another strike, but will work to give peo
pile chance to get out from under the yoke Of
oppression Of debt, which year by year is grow
ling heavier and heavier upon them, by giving
then an opportunity TO make homes for them
SELVES in the glorious coast country" BY which
we understand that the opportunity will be
given to people who are unable to settle up in
Chicago to settle down in Texas. If we may
trust tradition, Texas was originally settled on
that plan
II Is a great scheme. Great for Texas which
is about TO be populated. and no less great for
the other sections Of the country which 1t de-
populates In General VanderwOorts opinion
the feeling in the latter over the threatened
exodus is intense and profound. Since the tide
Of sentiment began to turn toward Texas he
says the West and Northwest have begun to
be alarmed II could name prominent news
papers in those regions" he says. (which have
refused to print a word about Texas during
'rhe present year, fearing to add fuel 10 the
flame which Is already firing the hearts OF
Northwestern farmers He says the North
west Is on fire already. and lin States where
"high taxes interest. big fuel and clothing bills
land high rates Of transportation keep the farm
"er's nose TO the grindstone they are beginning
"to turn their eyes toward Texas where lands
"are cheap, taxes low, where fuel costs prac-
"tically nothing, and clothing little in compar-
"ison, and where the farmer Is close 10 tide
''water, where he can get his surplus product
! "into market without giving all away TO railroad
companies" This Is Utopia, indeed Our only
wonder Is that General Vanderwoort has not in.
vited his 100000 Populists n little further into
the tropics. where they would have no taxes.
need neither fuel nor clothes, and have no bother
about transportation rates. but could lie on their
backs all day. while the nutritious banana
, ripened and fell into their mouths
This lazy life. however. would hardly sntisfy
the active POpullst mind Ex-Governor Waite
and Debs would not be fulfilling their mission
II they were not keeping their intellectual proc
esses in constant operation for the uplifting OF
the downtrOdden and oppressed. and the gen
eral benefit Of mankind. That is what they are
here for. And Texas is probably as good
place az any for the exercise of their peculiar
talents. II they can hive 2,OOO.OOO Populists in
that large and fruitful State, keeping them con-
tented. near tidewater without taxes. and freed
from the cost Of clothing and excessive freight
rates. SO that they can keep their minds con-
stantly at work. improving each other and work