The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-04-04

ply home consumption, would spring up,
furnishing demand for the products OF the
| farm. the forest. the mine and the quarry,
giving employment to the tin bucket
brigade and keeping vast sums of money
within the State. Texas would become
self sustaining and Texans would live at
home and board at the same place
Consider all these things; then survey
asain the map of Texas note that the
| length and breadth OF her imperial domain
are ,raversed by latitudinal and longitu-
dinal lines of railways which span the
continent and gridiron the great South
| west. whose vast exports and imports Will
soon seek a gateway through our coast
| cities to and from the high seas as surely
as water seeks its level observe how her
coast line unfolds like scroll for hun
dreds Of miles along the Mexico gulf which
| is vet TO be the Mediterranean of this
hemisphere. lathing the land it touches
| with ceaseless tide of wealth, surprising
the dream of the Phoeniciaus and pouring
into the lap of Galveston, Houston, Rock
| port and Port Arthur a commerce exceed
ing that which passes through the hos
| porus or the Suez; then see how the finger
| of the Almighty has traced the courses of
the Sabine the Neches. the Trinity, the
Brazos. the Colorado and the Rio Grand-,
| and say, If you can. that Texas is not des-
| tined to be the seat of a great civilization
that nature has not been prodigal to her
| that all her seacoast and rivers are with
out design or purpose; that they who preach
crusade. Of internal improvements and
home industry chase only ends of rain
bows: and say also, II YOU dare that the
keeneSt business sagaclty does not COM
mand and that the voice of nature does
not WOO us to utilize all these agencies in
working out our emancipation from indus
trial tlrailom.
no innt of, ,n,-iU
| rivers. or any of them. really practicable?
upon reason and authority, j answer, yes.
rake the Trinity river as one instance.
Here We have the channel with permanent
banks During high water, snags, drift
wood and overhangng timber offer the
only impediments TO navigation and in
low water. the problem of water storage
may be solved by locks and dams at sur
prisingly small cost All the authorities.
from the report of the United States en-
gineers down. sustain the proposition and
this view is no longer controverted by we'll
informed men. Besides. Its correctness has
been demonstrated by practical expert
money.
Nor does anyone whose opinion is en-
titled to serious consideration now deny
that the practical. direct and immediate
saving In freight rates would be i'm
measurahly greater than the expense in
CURED. nor that the reduction in rates
would be general, benehtting not only those
who live adjacent to the river, but also
these in remote sections Of the State. The
same is true to a greater or less extent of
the other rivers.
THE question, then. resolves itself into
this form: What plan. to secure nayiga-
ton. shall we adoptT
1.-TWO are suggested First, congress
sional aid: second, State aid.
In, y,,Iry rI,a
easiest way to the iirst is through the
second. AS has been said. the same pub
lie sentiment which will secure State aid.
will in turn. send to congress q delegation
pledged to secure reimbursement to the
State and a unanimous State sentiment
will compel recognition and compliance
where half apologetic request has erst-
while been ignored.
Coming then 10 the immediate ISSUE
presented by the proposed amendment, how
can State aid best be secured?
Issuance of bonds by State and counties
and also direct appropriations by the State
have been suggested. Under proper limita-
tons the plan is good but the chance of
accomplishing the bond feature is some
what remote. If an amendment, allowing
issuance of bonds be submitted, 1t should
probably be a separate amendment, so
that other plans may not be jeopardi2ed,
would change the amendment proposed by
me so as to sneciiieiy include direct APP
propriatons. The legislature could be
trusted not TO spend too much.
my plan for State aid is, for starter,
the employment OF convict labor, In both
felony and misdemeanor cases. as far as
practicable / am not prepared TO say,
from a legal standpoint, whether such con-
Wet labor have heeu on the theory OF rem
constitution as 1t stands ] have not ex-
amlned that question closely. as | wish TO
see an amendment submitted IN any event
Implied constitutional limitations not be-
ing favored in law. and liberal consuuc-
ton having been put upon the constitu-
ton. allowing conyicts TO work on rail-
roads and farms ii may be that the risht
TO so utilize the conyicts exists In tho leEis-
lature oven now: but such uses OF con-
Wet labor have been on the theory Of rem
dering the penitentiaries elf-supporting,
and under article 3. sections As and ~. ana
possibly other provisions, II may he seri-
ously questioned whether the legislature
new has the right 10 expend money IN
equlppirg and supporting convict camps, |
tho convicts being engaged unon work not !
directly productive of revenue.
But even though / felt sure the con-
stitution now contains no adverse limiia-
Ii upon legislative power, would still |
favor the submission of this or similar |
agreement for two reasons: first, because
ae the constitution now stands. some con-
tend that 1t contains such limitations, ana
tiese men would shield themselves hohind |
that assertion while voting against any |
form OF state aid whereas. were the
amendment adopted. they would have TO |
meet the issue on its merits. The status
is analogous to that existing when the rail-
road commission amendment was adopted
Second because the submission OF Inc
amendment to the people would AFFORD us
an invaluable opportunity for agitating me
subject II our case be really strong and
Just. we will gain everything which pro-
yolIes discussion OF its merits. but II II be
one which will not bear investigation, We
rhx,,Id aha ndoa IL 1 consider the sunreme