Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-10-16

Il was made q condition Of the grant,
that they would finish the line and
have II In operation within ninety |
days from the passage OF the ordinance.
Now mark well what follows, aud
doubt, II you can, the motives actuat-
ing such shrewd, calculating business
men as Mayor Smith and Morgan
Jones.
The right OF way obtained by I
the recently organized Lake Park |
CO npany, on the understanding that
Il was bona fide INDEPENDENT line, |
was suddenly transferred 10 Peter /
Smith, ct AL thus giving them posses |
sion OF every street az present open TO |
the Union depot, and placing Il In |
their power TO shut out all competition
in that quarter. IL these parties had |
now gone ahead and constructed both |
these lines, according to the agree
ments made when the rights OF way
were obtained, people would have re-
garded the movement as q shrewd,
far-seeing, business transaction, little
sharp perhaps, but still legitimate, and
In keeping with the general tenden-
Giles of inonopolies. But did
they thus proceed TO keep faith with
the city, and carry out The contract,
on faith of which they had obtained q
valuable grant, and one which had
been eagerly sought for by a rival cor
| poration? Nothing OF the kind, Mr.
| Editor. These shrewd, enterprising
gentlemen seem TO have elastic con-
sciences, and have coolly repudiated
| every obligation they assumed when
the grant was obtained. Ordinary
business men think that the honorable
course to have pursued in this matter
would have been to either build the
Jones street line according TO agree
ment, or else quietly give up the street
60 the city authorities. But no such
old-fashioned ideas of right trouble
the minds OF these eminent iinanciere,
who propose now 10 openly violate
their solemn contract on preteNt too
frivolous for serious consideration.
II will perhaps help you TO arrive at
correct idea OF the 'motivesn actual.
ing these gentlemen when you learn
that the only part OF Jones street they
propose to make use of is that portion
over which the Rosedale company de
sire 10 construct their line, and the
only route 10y which they can possibly
reach the Union depot. lis IL difficult
then, for any intelligent man to in
: terpret the "motiVesh of such conduct
as this? And Is it not al
: insult 60 common sense e
: give the Fort Worth company credit
= for any motives but the most selfish
and sordid. IL il the merest quibblinl
+ for this company TO claim that they
require the use OF part Of Jones street
In order to ObViate the construction o
+ a switch on Calhoun street, IA every
e one knows that Il will cost less Z
3 operate the line on Calhoun street eX
. clusively, and render tho public equal
y ly AS good service. But even " thei
e statement is true, is that good an'
Y, sufficient reason why they should b
" allowed TO violate their contracts, am
y block out from the Union depot II sys
- tenn of street railways as extensive a
q their own? Most emphatically moi
. and the citizens Of Fort Worth, VIII
l. are, after all, the really intereste
D. parties in this dispute, are determine
Is that they shall not ride rough sho
> over the laws OF the city, or the right
u of the people
~ No matter how pure or angelic I'll
re "motivesn of Messrs. Smith, Jones
~ Go. may he, their actions have &c
~ tainly been that of grasping monOp
o lists, and they mag as well understan
u, FIRST as last that the people tho
IT oughly appreciate their cOnduo
e- anH while they viii proteC
them In their Just right
~ they will not allow them, or any OF
u. or set of monopolists, to obtain speCi
us privileges under false pretencea, or I
r. tain forfeited grants by sharp practic
w. The need OF the age is free and "a
us competition in every department
modern development, and the welfa
Of our great and growing city deman
that every man investing capital
our midst should have an assurance
on equal rights, just treatment and 'fa
Nv play" Yours, VERGTAs.