El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-05
From the Dallas News.

fllSCOTy, tTdultlOn ana the Ola men
who link the present and the past to-
gether. tell us that the fathers of Tex
as were a mighty. liberal. tolerant
hospitable people. They encouraged
enterprise. and they helpe along in
tn. development of the state by giving
bountifully from their rich landed pos
sessions. The latch string hung on
the outside and over the doorway to
Texas the Welcome" motto greeted
brains and capital. There has been a
time when their successors in office
and out of office departed from the pre-
cedents and the examples set by the
pioneers. and when Keep Off the
Grass was substituted for the "Wel-
come" motto: not meant to be I'M
friendly. perhaps: not meant to offend
or scare away the intending guest. but
having that effect. But another change
has come upon the state. There is
manifest a tendency to return to the
hospitable ways of the fathers. The
latch string is on the outside again,
the light is in the window, the wei
come" sign again hangs over the door
way and the welcome to brains and
capital and industry is echoed in the
hearts of the people of Texas. Texas
has been discovered only within the
past two or three years-that is. the
Texas that we know today. What did
we know of the grandeur and resources
of Texas decade ago in comparison
with what we know today? What
wonderful opportunities have been op-
ened unto us. How favored we are.
twenty-five years ago Texas was a
vast area. noted chiefly for it's extent of
territory and long-horned COWS. Its
products were almost entirely gathered
from the surface of the ground.
afcr. Re scratched
Texas became known as cotton-grow-
ing state. In recent years. by expert
and projecting. the farmers
Of Texas have discovered that they can
profitably produce other crops than
cotton.
Very recently. not content with
the ground, Texans have
lire. and the mineral wealth of Texas
is being revealed and developed.
Thus. step by step. have the people
of Texas been getting acquainted with
their own state. Point by point have
they learned what it is good for" by
stages have their opportunities widen
ed, their material wealth increased,
and their confidence in Grand Old I.
Texas" grown.
What has all this to do with the
Welcome" sign? Just this: There
was a time when times were hard"
We had some differences as to the
cause of the depressed condition, and,
perhaps, not becaus eof inhospitality,
but because of mistaken zeal. the sign
was Jared down. Today Texans are
100 busy and too prosperous, too alb
sorbed in laying hold of opportunities
and in gaining material wealth to be
frightened by QuiXotic fantasies. They
ire doing we'll. They are awake to the
If fntI1 L
though the good people and the good
dollars that have come from other
,tates are finding it both pleasant and
profitable to be in Texas. there is no
ealousy. Texas is big enough and rich
.nough in opportunities and resources
o accommodate and afford employment
o millions more of Industrious people
md millions more of nimble dollars.
This is case where the more the
nerrier' applies. The incentive to
ook for trouble is gone.
Nowhere is the change which has
one over the state more Strikingly
than in the legislature. In
he representatives of the people from
very part of the state, progress in the
and industrial develop
lent of the state is reflected. We have
card of business administrations for
D, these many years. but the spirit of
is certainly manifest {
n the present legislature. Not that
ny of the reverence for our ''inStitu-
ions" for our form of government, for
ur glorious history. has been lost. but ]
he spirit of commercialiSm is present {
ecause it enters into the pursuit of 7
appiness" of the people. e
Whether or not there snail be ses-
ions of this legislature like unto !
olitical convention it is now impoS-
bile to say; but up to date the ses- Y
ons have more nearly resembled the c
leetings of an industrial congress or h
Dard of trade than anything else. One d
Iember is pushing along bill meant @
gobble a new railroad for this part G