PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOLL WEEVIL CONVENTION. 83 



never believed in asking anything but just what we need. This thing of 

 asking for a larger amount than you want, believing that you will be cut 

 down anyway, never had any favor with me. I hope the Convention will 

 not adopt this amendment. 



Mr. Pugh. In the construction of these resolutions, we called in the 

 Governor, and this idea met with his approval. In view of the fact that 

 the Legislature is going to meet next May, I think that these twenty-five 

 thousand dollars will be sufficient to inaugurate the work, and trust to the 

 next regular session of the Legislature to make any appropriation that may 

 have become necessary. I have confidence in the patriotism of the people 

 of this State, and I do not believe j r ou could represent to our Legislature 

 the gravity of the situation without obtaining all the money that is neces- 

 sary. I do not believe we will need twenty-five thousand dollars, because 

 I believe the moment the Legislature has passed an appropriation, the old 

 man who has spent most of his life on a farm in Iowa, and who has 

 shown conclusively that in the discharge of his official duties he knows no 

 sectional lines, will send an army of experts to us; that when we have 

 shown that we mean to act intelligently and conservatively along these 

 lines, he will send an army out here to help us out. We will have the 

 co-operation of all the people of this government. I appreciate the motive 

 which the gentleman had in making this motion, as I believe he did 

 not remember that we are going to have a session of the Legislature in 

 the next four months. I hope the gentleman will recall his motion, and 

 that the adoption of this section will be unanimous. 



Mr. Polk. Mr. Chairman, I would like to withdraw the motion; but 

 inasmuch as our Congressmen tell us that no measure can ever be counted 

 as passed in the National Congress until it has finally received the signa- 

 ture of the Chief Executive, let us place ourselves in a position to make 

 the fight ourselves, unaided, should the Federal Government not intervene. 

 Let us not stand in the attitude of beggars towards the National Govern- 

 ment. Impress it upon them by resolution, that the national interests are 

 identical with the interests of Louisiana, and that the prosperity of the 

 nation at large is dependent upon the prosperity of the individual States. 

 They will come to the rescue when they know that we are able to take 

 care of ourselves. We do not know what conditions may arise. If the 

 necessity arises for the expropriation of the crops of some of our farmers, 

 let us have the money to meet the cost. Therefore, I cannot now with- 

 draw my motion, but prefer to have it submitted to the convention for 

 rejection or acceptance. 



Mr. Foster. I agree, to some extent, with our friend Judge Pugh, in 

 wanting absolute harmony; but I agree more strongly with the gentleman 

 from Rapides who urges and insists upon a larger appropriation. Now, I 

 may have listened to the reports from Texas to little purpose, but I do not 

 remember ever seeing or hearing where Texas has ever received any large 



