Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-02-24


TIE disposition To treat railroads as pu bic
enemies IL not strong In the Texas legisIa-
iure, those who seem 10 take delight In pos
ing rs enemies OF these great institutions be-
Ing Few IN numbers. Few indeed there are
who do not favor correcting and preventing
railroad abuses but 10 is perfectly safe 10
Sharneiefize the present legislature as
sent The sentiments OF the intelligent people
OF the state. AS each day passes the people
more and more realize the great benefits he.
slowed by the roads, and would rather sui.
mt TO some grievance than ernbarrass their
operations or retard their progress. Where.
eyer s,y grievance exists that can be remedicd
py law, such remedy should be applied,
ana mat that Is about all the rairond leglsln,
ZION needed at this time, appears to be the
press.
The GAZETTE does not understand
that the proposed legislation,
pending in the Texas legisla.
ture, is friendly to the rail-
roads. Unnecessary legislation is
unfrfcadU legislation. Not SO much
in the direct injury it would do the
roads IN Texas not that it would him
der the transportation of single pas
scnger or pound of freight; but that
IL would have the effect of creating I'M
easiness among capitalists who IRE
sought to invest theirnone in thecon-
struction of railroads in the state.
Every one understands the timiditc cf
capital and appreciates the fact that
1t never seeks Investment where there
isan unfrlendly disposition manifested
toward the enterprises in which IL is to
be engaged. The railroad system of
Texas Is not yet complete. Thousands
of miles of road are yet needed before
the great undeveloped area of the state
is made productive-and capital cannot
he obtained 10 perfect the system
and engage in the construction of
the needed lines so long as it is un-
derstood that it Is to be hammered
impeded or endangered by unfriendlv
legislation. There are counties which
enjoy no railway facilities, where
thousands OF people would conie to till
the soil, and add to their taxable
wealth, and share the burdens of gov
ernmcnt, il they had the means of
transporting their. products
to the commercial markets
of the world. Their popula-
ton would double in few years; the
land would ut once advance one hun
dred per cent in value; lands now un-
saieablc because so far from market
for the products of the soil, would be
sought; the area now devoted to agri-
culture would speedily increase several
hundred fold; industries of every class
would be stimulated and profitable en-
ployment would be given to large
number now struggling for existence.
No railroad constructed to those conn
ties could bestow on.its owners n profit
able return for n score ofy years. But its
benefits to thepeoplc of the community
would be marked and immediate.
instead of seeking to encourage the
construction of railroads the shirt
OF demagoguery and prejudice would
stay their progress. In its vision
the giant hand ofmonopoly is about
to seize the state and people and crush
them, leaving nothing but quivering
flesh and mangled bones. They trem.
bile lest the stiffness of the priineval
forests and quietudc of the I'M
peopled prairies should be dis
turbed by the shrill scream
of the locomotive and the rat
tie Of the ear of progress.
The Express is right in the assertion
that where grievance exists that can
be remedied by law, the law should be
invoked and the remedy applied.
Further than this legislation is an an
mixed evil, from which no good, and
only disaster can come.