The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-08
Report of the Railroad Bill.
ISan Antonio Times.


We have received a copy of the
railroad bill now pending before our
legislature, with the testimony taken
under resolution of the house. The
bill and printed testimony presents a
voluminous record. We have not
had time to fully examine the printed
testimony, but we have examined
enough of it to satisfy us that the
testimony is not german to the ques-
ton at issue. 1t was evidently con-
templated by the mover of the reso-
luton under which the testimony was
taken, that intelligent experts should
be examined with view to the
acquisition of correct information re-
garding the operations of rail-
ways in Texas, in order that
the legislature might be able
to fix reasonable rate of
freight and passenger tariff. The tes-
timOny in the record falls far short Of
said result, indeed much of the teSti-
mony is unintelligible, and the wit
nesses in some instances seem to have
been unfriendly to railways, and their
testimony bears every mark of bias
and prejudice, while either witnesses
seem to have been controlled in what
they said by local jealousies and COM
petition in trade, while the record
contains the testimony of few wit
nesses whose testimony is presented
in an ineligible form, yet taking the
entire record it presents mass of
confused and conglomerated facts
which the house will hardly take the
trouble to digest. 1t does not furnish
such predicate as would au-
thoriZe any definite action on the
part of the legislature. The views of
the Times are well understood upon
the subject of railway legislation. We
favor liberal and just laws, which
will protect the people of the state
and at the same time operate justly
toward railroads, and such motives
evidently inspired the author of the
bill now before the legislature, but in
several respects it falls far short of
the attainment of such an object. We
do not believe the bill can pass in it's
present shape. The interest to be af-
fected by railroad legislation in Texas
is vast and the subject of regulating
their operations is Il complicated one
and full of difficulties, and to fully
meet the requirements of a law, such
as should be enacted, both time and
intelligent calculation will be requir-
ed. Webelieve that it is unfortunate
for the state that such legislation was
attempted at the present session of the
legislature, not because we believe
that the bill now before the legisla-
ture will pass, but rather because no
intelligent and just measure will pass
at this session, and the question re-
manning unsettled, it will again be-
come an issue in state politics which
may result to the injury Of the state,
besides an effort made to pass a law
which proves unsuccessful rarely
ever results in any good, either to the
friends or foes of such measure. We
do not question the right of the legis-
lature under our constitution to enact
laws for the regulation of railways in
this state, but when an effort is made
to do so it should be done with due
regard to the interest of both the state
and railroads. The work which has
been done on the bill in question will
cost the state several thousand dollars
to no purpose that we can see.