PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOLL WEEVIL CONVENTION. 85 



are who have not had the benefit of that information that they have; 

 and its report is entitled therefore to more consideration than the jumped 

 up opinion of an ordinary man. Any one will concede that. When I read 

 it this morning, and discussed it with Mr. Pugh and the Governor for the 

 very suggestions made by Mr. Foster, there seemed to be an opinion that 

 this should not be done. First they will not need it, there will be no 

 necessity for using the whole of this money before the Legislature meets 

 again. Second, if you ask for more than can reasonably be granted by the 

 Legislature, you are running the risk of being discredited by that Legisla- 

 ture when it refuses to give you what you ask. Again you run the risk 

 of getting a veto message from the Governor, if the Legislature adopts 

 these views, against his judgment. Again you get a black eye. So do 

 not take these risks. I take it for granted that these gentlemen who bring 

 in these resolutions had before them the opinions of the people, and the 

 judgment of the people, in charge of the State finances, and of those who 

 will be in charge of the workings of this Commission. Now, I say it 

 would be unwise for us to adopt any resolution that might, in the course 

 of the next two weeks receive a decided set back by adverse action on the 

 part of the Legislature, who may think, as those in charge of the car- 

 rying out of the suggestions of this convention, that this fund is ample. 



Now, in going on the floor of Congress, or before the Committee on 

 Agriculture, if I could say that here is the State of Louisiana, which has 

 appropriated five hundred thousand dollars for this thing, now won't yon 

 gentlemen, for appearance's sake, appropriate an equal amount, I know 

 just what a spread eagle speech I could make on the floor of Congress. 

 But do you know what answer I would get from Congress, from those 

 Western farmers that understand just exactly the value of every dollar 

 they have got. Why they would say, why, if you have got that amount, 

 you don't need any assistance. On the contrary, when I *go before them 

 and say, "Here is what we have done; it is all we can do, under the cir- 

 cumstances. It is for the benefit of the industries that you are just as 

 much interested in as we are" ; we stand infinitely more chances of getting 

 assistance from them. 



Now, as to the point made by the Chairman. I felt very glad indeed 

 in reading this morning's Picayune, that I made my speech yesterday, in- 

 stead of to-day. You will see that Mr. Wilson has detailed in that report, 

 just what I told you he had outlined to me in my conversation with him. 

 T want to say that this old gentleman is worthy of our most sincere thanks, 

 for the interest he has taken in Southern agriculture and Southern in- 

 terests. When it comes to administer the affairs of his department, he 

 does not know geographical lines. He does whatever is best for the 

 country. 1 feel assured we will be assisted in every way, and for that 

 among other reasons, I believe it would be unwise to ask for a larger 

 appropriation than the report calls for. 



