The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-02-22


which these corporations have designs, |
md great deal of which has already |
their control.
We already limit the time In which rail- |
Dads can own lands granted them as q |
ubsidy, and We should prevent by law |
neir transfer to land corporations, com. |
POSED OF the same stockholders or any
,ther.
If we can't do more, let US prevent
hese corporations owning the land and
hereby preserve q check on their power
n the persons OF q conservative class, |
ealous of liberty.
One OF the senators, a few days
since, opposed the leasing OF public lands
and cried out against monopolies, and yet
Is to-day advocating the ownership of
lands by these corporate ms. In England
no corporation Is allowed 10 own land
except by special act of parliament. and
TINS is rarely given, because of the
trouble corporations gave that govern
ment in the past.
Corporations are formed to scape ex-
tended liability and to more easily CON-
bine capital. Both reasons are contrary
to principles of good government.
Why should q corporation be allowed to
exist to accomplish that which individual
enterprise could accomplish
The immense fortunes of to-day are not
the result of individual enterprise, but
rather OF unholy combinations Of capital,
which has crushed out individual pros
perity. For every stakeholder who has
become millionaire, a million individ-
uals have been impoverished.
A law permitting the existence of these
corporations is In the interest of few
aud against the many. Why should cor
porations raise cattle, carry on mercau-
clle business ard usurp as against indi-
viduals all the channels of trade and CON-
merce?
Corporations are satisfied with small
returns for capital invested. while the in
d dIH needs larger return
mands upon his purse to support his
family. Yes, sir; as suggested by the
senator from Cooke. they are building up
the state, but at the same time are sap
ping the foundations of our government
and sowing the seeds OF poverty and revo-
luton. for one don't crave this kind Of
prosperity, but would prefer
Under subdivision % and 10 of this bill
cor orstions can own the state II they
have money enough TO purchase 1t with (.
The necessities of trade and commerce
do not require the existence of corpora
lions to any great extent, and for but
few purposes. We can prevent the evils
threatened by the right legislation
now, AID they may pass beyond our con-
troll IT this opportunity Is allowed to
pass.
The most OF the charters heretofore
granted will expire in twenty or thirty
years, and l am opposed to granting any
more and burdening our pOsterity with
corporate power Let's check their
growth, and let them be shorn of their
power. An ounce of preventive is worth
pound of cure.
This is very important question and
worthy of profound study, and its settle
ment will involve grezt interests now and
hereafter, If corporations are TO be AL
lowed to own by purchase or by foreclos.
ures of mortgages unlimited amounts OF
real estate, they will soon have control OF
the property of this state and of the gov.
ernReRt. You will destroy. or at least
cripple, the power OF the people to remedy
the evil.
AS corporate power grows individual
power and love of liberty decreases until
the people become willing slaves.
The greatest danger to eur institutions
lays in fostering this evil.
When the trainers of our constitution
forbade incorporated banks they made q
feeble effort in the right direct, n but
stopped short of the mark.
When our present law was enacted
allowing unlimited scope to corpor.
ate eXistance and leaving no single
check upon the corporations, they
invited thieves to plumber our, peo'
pie, and the organizers and OPP
orators of marriage aid associations
and other corporations, as well as theiI
victims can tell you how well It has been
done. But the evils now complained of are
but small compared TO those 10 flow
from this source. Cities have had to
ransom themselves from corporate oppres'
sion, and this has happened frequently
Whole communities have abandoned theil
homes and come west that the money
lending, Unsuitable and avaricious corpO
ration might get its pound Of flesh.
Corporations in the United States
to-day control the government
and are becoming holder each
year in their demands. They control the
highest court in the land and even now
revolution is our only remedy. In spite
of this some senators wish us TO give even
greater scope to corporate power.
Texas will yet, in the midst of III
prosperity, have Pittsburg riots II
the brakes are not put on and the
gro With of corporations checked.
/ don't wish 10 detain the senate, but
introduced the bill for which this is 9
substitute because felt that ruin and the
unhappiness Of the people must follow
this corporation prosperity: The cattle
must in their different lines yield to this
greater strength aud limited liability
There will come day In
the history of this country
when the people will demand the aboli.
ton of all corporate franchises and power
and the revelation of that day viii be far
greater than the revolution which was
caused over the demand for the abolition
of slavery. 1t may be productive Of more
hloodshad and will anneaI more STRONGLY
to the reason and the necessities OF the
PEG le.
II you wish to see commun-
ism shorn OF its strength and
avoid its evils, be careful Lot to Cypress
the people or allow them to be oppressed
II you want cheap homes for indus
trious and discontinued poor, don't lei
the corporations own the land.
II you want contented people, leave
every avenue of trade open to individual
industry and enterprise, and don't
choke them up with the
accumulated capital Of corporate power
The contest between wealth and poverty
Is at best an unequal one. and the inc
quality becomes much greater when you
allow wealth to incorporate itself and
limit its liability and reduce Its expenses
below whist an individual can reduce bis
If my views are extreme 1t will be
both in the light of the past and the
threa tenirg promises OF the future.
j don't ask the senate to 90 to the same
extreme that would, but only one STEP
in the right direction, by forbidding =
corporation TO own more than $40 acres
In any one county in the state. don't
wish to see the property OF corporations
confiscated or see them deprived OF
vested rights but 1 want us to quit ere.
ating them, so as to give posterity big.
ger Job OF getting lid OF them
If this general incorporation aet was
repealed, 1omfL believe that any legisla-
ture would ever grant another charter
where the issue was properly made before
the people.
The objects Of a corporation may be
always Injurious. Some OF the most
princely fortunes have been made by
gravey ard corporations, who, by building
up fashionable burial grounds, have SO
appealed to the vanity of the living as to
make them deprive themselves OF neces-
saries to perform what they considered q
debt due the deceased.
Their pl ofessed objects are one thing,
their ZEAL object another and entire ly
differeIit.
Texas can now tighten her part OF the
future burden and save herself some Of
the trouble that is to come. These cor
poratiOns already in existence, knowing
that they have no hope OF renewal, will
wind up their affairs when an opportu-
nifty offers.
How far is this matter OF corporate Gre
alton to extena2 In their early history
corporations were created only
to accomplish some great work;
for instance, the~----deyel0Bfbent
Of East Indis trade, the operation