The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-06-22
HON.. oLIs wELrBoRn.
A prominent Citizen and Politician Speaks
in Behalf Of Truth and falrness, ana Ex-
,,ains An Important Matter.

prominent Citizen and Politisian Speaks
In Behalf Of Truth and falrness, ana Ex-
ulsins an Important Matter.
70 the Editor of the Herald.
LANCASTER, June 10, 1SS2.-I notice In the
Daily HERALD of the 10th instant a
communication signed Record" which
has the following: "When the legislature
met at Austin in 1876 there arose bitter
contest between the people Of Texas on one
aide and the Texas & Pacific railroad COM
many on the other, as to the extension of
time to said road in order that it would not
forfeit the land grant Of several millions of
acres Of the peoples public domain" etc.
He further charges that the Hon. 0lin
Welborn was in attendance, lobbying with
members of both houses Of the legisla-
ture in support of extending the time for
Inc construction of said railroad, and thus
saving to said corporation said land grant,
which otherwise would have reverted to
the state as part of the educational fund.
II will be remembered that an ordinance
pas,ed by the convention of 1875 extended
der this state, which had commenced work
in good faith, to the close of the legislature
of lS76 for compliance with their charters.
Il will also be remembered that gap
of some twenty miles remained incomplete
near Texarkana, in the Texas Il Pacific.
and that the same could be completed by
the company In consequence of washouts,
etc., in the Iron Mountain road, which pre-
vented them from obtaining iron, etc., be-
fore the legislature would be ready to ad-
iourn. Hence a bill, No. 1903, was intro
duced in the. senate for the relief of said
road. There was bitter contest, it is true,
over the bill, which finally passed the SEN
ate, bat the contest was not between the
company and the people of the state but
between different sections of the state,
north and east Texas, being almost unit
once being arrayed against west Texas;
all the senator's from the north and east
with the exception Of Grace, Of Fannin,
voting for the bill. There were eighteen
tor the bill, nine opposed, and two who
we're opposed to the bill refused to vote.
The bill then went to the house, but in
consequence of different ruling by Speaker
Bonner than that made by Governor Hub
bard, Bonner giving precedence to call of
the house when made before the previous
question was declared seconded, the bill
never reached final vote There was
majority in the house also for the bill, its
friends also hailing from the north and
east, as in the senate, with the exception
Of Coleman, of Marshall, and perhaps
a few others, but the minority kept one
Hunter absent all the time, which, under
q continual call Of the house. prevented
vote on the bill. All, then, that the friends
Of the bill could do, under the circum.
stances, was to prevent an adjournment
until the said gap was completed, which
they did.
desire to remain neutral in the Well
bofh-Crawford race, both gentlemen being
personal friends of mine, but dislike to
see either misrepresented or facts distorted
50 as to iniure either. There was at the time,
perhaps, not a man in Dallas county but
who would have voted for that bill had he
been called on to exercise that right. 1t
was not fight between the said company
and the people, but between the people Of
different portions OF the state. The mi
nority in the senate made strong effort TO
declare the charter Of said road forfeited,
but we're defeated by the same majority,
which held that the question Of forfeiture
was question for the courts and not for
the legislature. CITIZEN.