DEMONSTRATION WORK IN INCIDENT, STORY AND SONG 



for the Indian and Oklahoma territories, but these gentle- 

 men are not entitled to the honor of the statehood of Oklahoma 

 as much as is the boll weevil in the Brazos and Trinity River 

 valleys of Texas. These little beetles drove thousands and 

 thousands of farmers from Texas into Oklahoma and increased 

 the population of the two territories until Oklahoma had the 

 required population which gave her statehood. This may 

 better be credited to the boll weevils than to the leadership 

 of any congressman. The boll weevil it may be said, was 

 really a blessing in disguise to the farmers of Texas, for the 

 farmers were compelled to produce a living at home after 

 the advent of the boll weevil, and then it may be said with 

 great truth that after the advent of the boll weevil in Texas 

 the farmers were more resourceful than ever before. 



When the Mexican boll weevil advanced across the Rio 

 Grande River and approached the land of the Alamo and the 

 San Jacinto, we, like Bowie, Fannin and Sam Houston of 

 other days, organized our forces and met them face to face. 

 We were forced backward step by step, but we left men on 

 guard in every county while our state and district agents, as 

 a skirmish line, kept fighting the advanced guard. With our 

 breasts to the enemy we were forced down through the Brazos 

 bottoms, across the great black, w'axy belt of Central Texas, 

 the wooded hills and valleys of east Texas and Louisiana, 

 until we came with our backs to the Mississippi River, our 

 faces to the enemies, and we had boll weevils in our hair. ' 



The speech brought down the house. Dr. Knapp went to 

 him afterwards and said, ''Orms, I am proud of you; you 

 expanded their horizon and you had the martial spirit. That 

 is the way to lead a fight. ' ' 



[213] 



