The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-02-25

10, 1873.
NJ sn1oEey-I am very sorry TO see the
onposition to q settlement Of this bill, and
tie object of q postponement is to make
some compromise that viii settle II. II this
International matter is not settled before
we leave this hall, we will have failed TO
do our duty. At the last session opposed
the bill that passed, and would again, and
yet, freely acknowledge, that after my
opposition, / felt relieved when il did pass
and went home with lighter heart, as
hoped the company would get hearing on
the merits Of their cause, and thereby settle
this much yexed question, and withdraw
this apple Of discord from the politics of
the country. If not settled, it becomes the
worst fre-brand that was ever thrown into
the Democratic ranks. The members who
are in favor of this bill are too strong to be
read out of the Democratic party by their
opponents. But gentlemen can divide, dis
tract and demoralize the Democracy, TIL
the handful of Republicans in the State
may hold the balance of power.
1t is certainly not the amount OF the sub
sidy to the road that gentlemen oppose; 1t
is the policy of money subsidies, question
upon which men of all parties differ
as a proof that it is not the amount,
we viii look to the State aid granted
to other roads, and especially those
which pour the wealth of the State into
the laps of Houston and Galveston. The
Central Railroad got sixteen sections of
| land to the mile, which has been located on
the finest lands in the State, and is worth
not less than $4,000 to the mile, and we're
loaned $4,000 Of the special school fund to the
mile-making $4,000 TO the mile for the
Central and other roads. True they pay
the interest upon the school loan, but it was
after they got to work and had the wealth
of the State paying them tribute in the
| shape of enormous freights. Once again,
gentlemen, the Central runs up divide be-
tween the streams, and was only required
to build few miles a year-a great portion
of the way over a country where scarcely a
road bed was necessary, and but little
Vaudeville the International had to build
double the amount of road, within given
time, across the country-across the streams,
the bridges on which would cost more than
the Central-and to be in all respects first
class road. And, gentlemen, as far as com
pleted, have they not built the best road
in the United States? Will gentlemen from
these favored sections which have received
millions of State aid, prevent the West
from having anythingg
1t is not the fact that the Twelfth LIE gis-
lature is held in disrespect because it passed
the International and Pacific Railroad bills.
No, gentlemen, it was because they passed
the partisan school law, with an army of
salaried offices, with swarm of teachers
who were sworn to instill principles of
lOyalty-not loyalty as Texans understood
it, but according to the definition of Re-
publican New England; the police and
militia laws, the enabling act, and others of
that character, which made Z. ]. Davis
more powerful than King William on his
throne. It was for this the Twelfth Legis-
lature was arraigned at the bar of the peo-
pie, tried, convicted and hurled from
power.
Gentlemen, it is a question of public
policy, and Texas, like other States, has
tried various ways to obtain internal i'm
provements Among them, first, land
grant; second, money loan; third, a
money donation, and at one time 1t was
proposed to lend the State credit. Texas is
different from all the States of the great
West and the Mississippi valley IN this In
those States the title to the land is in the
United States Government 4 and the
States could not grant land, If they
ioOuld. In Texas the title, is in the
State, and hence the State could donate
Texas at this time had lands and not money
hence the donation. In those States where
money was granted, 1t was opposed by those
who wished to avoid the tax. There were
decisions on both sides of the question,
which eliminated in decisions of the SUI
preme Court of the United States, which
became the law of the land; and while
view the law as impohtic, yet as thorough
lY constituted, and while opposed to money
donations as an original proposition, l hon
estly believe that the worst step Texas ever
made was the immense land grant system.
1 regard the giving of these principalities
of public domain, as foreshadoYing, in the
distant future, great danger to the dearest
rights of Texas and its people by putting it
in the power of the corporations, which we
so love to denounce, to build up a system
of tensntry on their own lands of class OF
people whose education renders them peet-
liarly adapted to vote away our liberties.
Had Texas voted these roads money, at the
end of a short time she would have paid
the debt with the taxes on increased values,
and owned her own valuable, vast domain,
and had it free from corporations, Tor taken
the better plan of loaning the States credit. I
And, gentlemen, had had the honor. of q
vote before the precedent was established,
and the best lands taken, / never
would have voted one foot of land 10 q
corporation, with which to damn the indie
pendence and stability of our government.
And venture that had the Twelfth Leg
islature done nothing worse than grant this
charter, you never would have heard such
denunciations against them, for the rea-
son that every Democrat in the House but
one, and all excepting one or two in the
Senate OF that honorable body, voted for the
bill
And here, gentlemen, allow me to say
that the East is proud of Hon. E B.
Pickett, who opposed that charter.
Now, gentlemen, We hear a cry of what
the people say. What did the State con
vention do when there was an attempt to
bring the International into its platforms
Voted it down and inserted clause favor
ing payment of all Just debts, of the
State Who next3 Mclean, who voted
in the Twelfth Legislature for the original
charter, had bean almost unanimously
elected to Congress in year after he LETT
these halls. When we were .balloting far
United States Senator at the last session,
the names of Throckmorton and Reagan
were before us, and their support Of the In
tSIna-tO1ai- o0s.sF,tvraisv " 40 ufsyS eseirsst
tulS, anu We ucleateO them DOtnl 4ney
went home, and their people sent them to
Congress. Culberson and Hancock were in
favor of settling the matter, and they were
sent to Congress. Now, Mr.. Speaker, how
will the people defend themselves for
their votes, if opposed to a fair adjustment
of the matterl
As to the whole nights Of the road,
it is a judicial question for the courts.
AS TO a compromise for a portion,
the courts cannot compromise, but
must execute the law. Therefore, q
compromise is political question
and must be settled by the people, and how
else can they act but through their repre-
sentativesl And we are their representa-
lives, and believe they will be satisfied
with our Judgment.
Take the case of Davis v. Gray az law.