The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-01-24
A VOICE PROM AeRoAp.

whenever the supJect ol ralifOau itSisid-
ton has been question before our psop'e
or legislature the HERALD has always ad-
ylsed extreme caution and liberality CT
thought in handling the matter, and has,
from time to time, pointed out not only the
absurdity and injustice of attempting TO
make one arbitrarily. chosen rule fit all
cases, but the possible injurious effects that
might result to the state in case of adverse
legislation in the premises, just as we were
entering upon an unprecedented era OF de-
yelopment, mainly through the instrument
tally of the railways and railroad build.
ing. Still adverse legislation was had, and
there seems still to be disposition manifest
to continue 1t or add thereto. Under such
circumstances it may not be amiss and pos
sibly may BIO productive of some good to
call attention to the opinion of thought
full and unbiased outsider upon the SUBJ ect.
In the din of popular clamor at home legis-
lators often are carried away, as fby storm,
and forget TO look at matter from disinter-
ested standpoint, refuse in fact, to believe
that the vox populi at home does not ex-
press the real vox populi of calm and I'M
prejudiced populaoe. They forget that GER
tain kinds of legislation must be predicated
alone upon certain conditions, and that the
conditions oil society and trade are widely
different in different sections. In our
present state We cannot handle rail-
roads and other corporations as the
condition of affairs in New York or Massa-
chusetts would permit or probably demand.
To ignore this fact, however, is to make Sc
rious mistakes. In an editorial comment
on railway building in 1889, the New York
Mail and Express has the following to say
with reference to the great work in that di'
rection in Texas during the past two years,
and the action OF the seventeenth legisla-
ture in the passage of the Three Cent
Bill :" ain the mileage for 1882, Texas was
far and away ahead of all competitors, over
/ 900 miles having been completed during
the past two years in that state, The
activity has now diminished very mate
rally, in consequence of what is known as
the Three Cent Bill, passed by the legis-
lature. In their laudable efforts to serve
the interest of the people, the law
givers passed this bill, which forbids any
railway to charge over three cents n mil,
for each passenger carried. In doing this
| they seem to have overreached themselves
and the result is likely TO be that the rail
ways will entirely suspend further opera
| tons in that state until this law is modified
Travel in new country where vast distan
ces must be passed over between the scat
tered settlements, is not sufficient TO war
rant anything like as low rates as prevail in
more thickly settled parts of the country
The New York Central may make profit
from carrying passengers at two cents \
money at tour cents mile. In
passing this bill the legislature has
killed the goose that laid the golden egg
The construction companies have paid out
over $25 900 900 in Texas in two years. The
inducement to laborers and to permanent
settlers also which the expenditure Of such
sum offered cannot be ignored with inn
punity. The Texas Legislature, if II is wise
will at its next session repeal or greatly
modify the three-cent bill" Our exchange
takes an exceedingly rational view Of the
situation, and now that bill after bill is to be
introduced looking towards further iegula-
ton OF the management of the roads by the
state, it would be wise on the part of the
legislature to act with more comprehen.
siyeness and libera,ity of view than they
have manifested heretofore. To persistent
" disregard facts and figures aud act upon
popular clamor, and against the iancied
heartessness and power of great corpora
tons is the height OF absuIdity. While
protecting the people, II is also the
duty of those in authority to guard zeal
ously the rights and investments of those
to whom these millions worth of property
belong. The present and future prosperity
of the state at large cannot be ignored, aud
ii is but proper that investigation should
be sufficiently thorough to establish the tact
that not only are we not driving capital and
immigration from the state by such legisla-
ton, but that we are in no wise infringing
upon the legitimate right of these corpora
tons TO make what they can in the chan
nels of commerce and trade from their out.
lay. This privilege is accorded to all others
in the business walks Of life, and partial or
class legislation, whether pro or con, is
alike Objectionable and antagonistic to the
genius of free government. We commend
the above quoted remarks to the careful
consideration of those who are most enthu.
siastically attempting to place the railroad
system Of the state in other hands than
those to which 1t rightlully belongs.