HEARINGS BEFORE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE. 37 
of that, a partial destruction of a crop does not bring ruin. Men sur- 
vive partial losses, but when it comes so that every man looks into the 
face of his neighbor and is alarmed at his own condition, and knows 
full well that he can not discharge the obligations which the law has 
created, when the bank is locked like a frozen river, when no man is 
able to discharge the obligation that is incurred to his neighbor, when 
business is suspended, when land values are such that you can not get 
money to make another crop and the moneyed men of the east stand 
in fear to invest a single dollar upon as fine real estate as there is in 
Texas, you begin to realize the gravity of the situation. 
That is the condition of things where this destructive agent is at its 
worst. I was talking but a few days ago to a gentleman from Con- 
necticut, known to members of this committee, who has been accus- 
tomed to loan money in my State, with a view of seeing whether money 
could be had in this section of country, and they fear it like a man 
would fear a house when the yellow flag of the smallpox hospital is 
displayed. No man will invest a dollar even upon real-estate securities 
while this curse has come upon the land, as terrible as the afflictions 
in the days of Pharaoh. 
This is not only the case there, but it is increasing year by year. 
Starting upon the Mexican border, it has extended itself more than 
300 miles, and stands now separated from Louisiana and the great 
Mississippi Valley only by the ‘‘ Father of Waters.” The home of the 
weevil will be in the valley of the Mississippi. Wherever the cotton 
grows rank, there it flourishes, and now is the time, it seems to me, 
for the nation to make a supreme effort to protect the people against 
this threatened injury. We are not Mexicans. The inventive genius 
of this country is not to be thwarted by an insect, with all the science 
turned upon it. My experience is that already great benefit has been 
done by the Government, by object Tessons in cultural methods all 
over the land, by the scientist applying himself to the study of the 
evil, by every man using this means and that, some with partial 
results, some with failure; but the mind of the people is aroused, and 
I firmly believe that they will be able to meet the emergency that has 
arisen. 
Now, what amount should be appropriated? I know not, nor do the 
nembers of this committee, I take it. We do not want to waste the 
money. When the Representatives from our State consulted together, 
in deference to a very great demand in the State of Texas, there was, 
of course, a diversity of opinion as to the character of legislation to 
be agreed upon; but this bill which we present for the consideration 
of the committee was the consensus of the best judgment of the mem- 
bers of the Texas delegation and of the Louisiana delegation, and 
more than that, we went to the Secretary of Agriculture. These were 
the suggestions which he made. This bill is outlined after careful 
consideration with the Secretary of Agriculture and with the heads of 
the different Departments. We went to the President, and he viewed 
and understood the matter just as we did, and suggested that appro- 
priate legislation be granted in this instance. 
Gentlemen of the committee, we do not care, of course, to have an 
amount beyond what may be necessary; but we do think, in view of 
the character of this injury, the danger, and the unknown fields that 
ought to be trodden, that the Department ought not to be hampered 
for the use of means. 
