The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1873-07-31

Inc international may print and clrcuiatt
fifty millions more copies Of the opinion Of
the Supreme Court Of the United States
they viii do no good. A decision by q
court selected, and constituted in the inter
est Of the legal tender question and monop-
oliess decision By judge Of whom it was
charged, at the time Of his appointment,
that he had been selected for this purpose
a judge who was so badly pressed to this
point as to find it necessary to come out in
the public prints, and say that he had sold
out al his interest in railroads; viii hardly
be taken by the people Of Texas, as author
\ ity on this question.
Texas VIII decide for herself whether she
owes that debt, and q threat Of Federal
power viii not drive the people from their
prophecies on this subject
What the courts of Texas will decide
do not undertake TO say. The time has
been when a lawyer could. with a good
deal Of certainty, tell what the decision
would be on any given state of facts. A
/ lawyer may yet tell what he thinks is the
law of case, but none are so bold as ia
even predict what the decision will be in
any case.
The question is asked, if the court of the
last resort decide in favor of the Interna-
tional company, what then should be done.
The court of the last resort is the proper
| tribunal to construe the Constitution and
laws, and if such decision should be made,
it would be the duty of the Legislature ia
provide for the payment of the bonds.
When the Thirteenth Legislature met.
the friends of the money subsidy said. the
Legislature must leave the bond question
where it found it, with the courts. This il
did. 1t is true the House passed a bin. in
trOduced by myself, giving the international
twenty sections of land to the mile for all
the road built, and that it might hereafter
build as before stated. This was the only
bill passed by either House.
In order, as they hoped to do, to iniure
certain Western men, two subsidized papers
assert that the Western members defeated
the Western roads. These are falsehoods.
known to be such when made. 1t is known
to those papers that not one single bill came
before the Legislature to incorporate a
railroad company but what passed the
House, and was voted for by every Western
member present. The two bills for the
Pierce and Morgan roads were introduced
/ by myself. They were, by the terms of
those bills, required to build through Con-
zales, Seguin and LOekhart, if they 60 to
Austin, the Morgan road proposed to do
this anyhow, and therefore it did not COM
plain. That bill passed both Houses and
became a law. In 1868, the company own
ing the charter from Columbus to San An
tonic, sold out to the Columbus and Harris
burg road company. In that sale, the
purchaser, Mr.. Pierce, then being one of
the owners, agreed to build this road by these
towns. / was party to this contract
Mr.. Pierce went to the Twelfth Legisla-
ture, and obtained an act consolidating the
two charters. In that bill Gonzales and Sc
| gum are not mentioned; but it was not in
the power of the Legislature to interfere
with our contract, and when drew the bill,
giving the Pierce road sixteen sections of
land to the mile, l required him, Mr.. Pierce,
to fulfill his agreement with the people of
Gonzales, Guadalupe and Comal counties.
Was / right or not9 That bill passed the
| House and went into Senator Flanagan's
pocket, and there remained.
Now, l have not spoken of the part
took in other legislation, and only allude to
these railroad matters, in consequence of the
INSCRIPTIONS manner in which my course on
the road question has been assailed by in
terested parties.
1t will be seen that most of the railroad
charters, especially those preparing the
way to ask for more than they ought to get,
are preceded by large preambles and where
ases; stump speeches about progress and
civilization, etc. and to listen to some of
the advocates of these measures, one would
suppose that the one road to Heaven and
the Elysian fields, lay over some of these
projects of civilization
Sometimes, in answering these silly out
bursts, we were driven to pretty severe crit
icisms of these large corporations, and
grand monOpolies
No one denies that railroads may be made
useful and beneficial to the public. But
there are many disadvantages attending
their construction. 1t is the disposition of
each and all, without exception, to drag
from the people every dollar and immunity
that they can get. No man, who reads any
thing but his own county papers, will deny
the fact that these large corporations are
controlling the governments of this cent?
nent. Every effort made in the late Legisla-
ture, looking to rightful police over these
corporations, was instantly denounced by
their paid papers, and the authors of such
efforts denounced as COX cart" men. On
several occasions l gave in, brief, my views
on railroads, but they were invariably sent
to the country warped and distorted.
want roads, and after it had been set
tied that the lands should 60, attempted
to get fair divide for the West in aid OF
the roads.
If the State, however, is to build the
roads, let her build, own and operate them.
If the State has lands, the law-making
power, if not restrained may give the
lands to whomsoever, and for whatever she
may think proper This is power, it may
not always be right If she has her Golfers
full of money, and is not restrained, she
may give the money to whom, and for
whatever purpose she thinks proper, though
it may not always be right. In these cases,
there is no way by which citizen can in
terfere, and stop it. But when an agent OF
the people, as a law-maker, undertakes to
make promises, that cannot be fulfilled with
out calling on the people to respond to the
demands of the tax-gatherer, he may say
no; and invoke the laws of the land, and
even-handed justice to stay the robbery.
Give all the charters asked for to build
roads, reserving all necessary control over
the corporations, so as to prevent
them from expressing the people; deal
with them Justly and fairly; but as they
are the creatures of the State, let them
know that they cannot become the masters
of the creator. am met by the remark,
that Texas has not yet suffered any Of the
wrongs at the hands Of these corporations
Of which we spoke These men do not
know what is going ON outside their own
town or city. They do not care to know.
I trust that We viii profit by the experience
Of others, and as these corporations grow
up, we will keep pace with them, and not
allow them to bind us hand and foot, as
they have done those in other States.
trust that the next cQDventins,- 49, -
cnraaI.Ies ~ frame a constitution for Texas
will settle this money donation matter for
ever.
There is being a good deal said as to
what the policy Of the next nominating Con-
Ycntion shall be. As for myself, want no
new organization, wish to see the Demo
cratic party revivifed, consolidated anew,
and pure democratic platform adopted. /
wish to see the people governed less. want
TO see them shoulder the responsibility Of
society, and have them to feel that they are
the government. instead Of mere machines
shall abide the action OF the Convention,
and give a hearty support to its nominees,
and trust We viii have no independent