The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-02-07
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
FitZ-JOhn POrter-NOrtherD Yersus
Southern Railway GrantsARea-
gan's Interstate Commerce Bill
Flippant Newspaper Remarks
Postal fairs

| w WASHINGTGN, Jan. ~, 1854.
Congress has made Fitz John Por
ter's case the medium of showing the
singular spectacle of Confederate brig
} adiers engaged in championing tht
|. eX-federal general. The opponents o.
Porter on the Republican side of the
House adopt this fact as proof of Por
ter's treason. Their argument would
make it appear that a game begun al
the battle of Warrenton, on August
27, 1882, is now about to end with the
reward of Porter for his failure tC
obey orders to fight on that day. Horr
of Michigan, limited that it was with
an i'll grace that Southern Democrats
were now taking up the fight for Por.
ter. AT about this juncture j. S
Wise, Readjuster, from Virginia, son
of Henry A. Wise, apostrophised the
Conrederacy, for which he said he
fought, alleging that he could not
help from turning to the graves of the
dead in the South to swear never to
so far forget them as to join in the
plea for a Union supplicant for a
rebel certificate of character. The
Porter debate has been full of sec
tionalism, but without disgraceful
rupture as yet.
Some Texas papers have overlooked
the fact that in the land forfeitures
recommended by this Congress unex-
planned favor has been extended to
Northwestern roads as against South
western roads. The discrimination is
clear now; how long it will last, or to
what extent, is not to be determined
ON with present lights before us.
The commerce committee of the
House has been hearing argument
/ against the Interstate regulation bill
of Reagan. Pool Commissioner Fink
spoke on Saturday over three hours.
| His position was that the bill would
bankrupt the roads. Reagan asked
i questions so adroitly as to draw forth
! the admission by Fink that railroads
/ made their tariff rates so as to pay a
profit on their investment. The ques-
tion of consulting the public convent
ence and endurance was not conSid-
Tered, he virtually admitted. He modified
his statements afterward, so as to say
that the roads conducted their busi-
ness so as to save their investment
from being swallowed up for debts.
| He took the ground that any terri
tory is the just payer of tribute to
any road that works for that territory.
The sufferings of people from con-
fiictS between roads for disputed ter
ritory, he said, was an incident OF COM
mercial circumstances. He looked on
the evils of discrimination n freightS
as a necessary matter. --.---=-=-..sz==!
Recent issues of Denison, Waco,
Fort Worth and Georgetown papers
contain needless and fiippant remarks
about one or another member of the
Texas congressional delegation. These
remarks, which have been the subject
of much comment here, seem to be
born of ill-temper. At this distance
they have been construed as under
lying some kind of personal dis
appointment. If the remarks were
in every case founded on fact,
there would be no use to seek for a
construction of them. They would be
excepted as a bona fide criticism of
public men, something always in Or
der, and which no one is more ready
no take in good part, as feature of
public life than the object of the criti-
cism himself. Your reporter has not
seen all the articles referred to. If he
had seen them the way would be clear
in finding motive for them. Reports
circulating here indicate with singular
unanimity that false conclusions, in
justice and personal spleen, to use no
worse term, characterize the offensive
articles. With the fact staring one in
the face one point can here be made
that is necessary as matter of justice
to be made. Briefly, who wrote, or
inspired the articles; are the writers
of the articles here, or were they
here; were they applicant for offices
questions suggests conclusions UNIV ell
come, because they are more firmly
founded IN truth than are the
reported contents of the offensive arti-
cles. Moreover the questions would
not have been asked SO pointedly if
they ad not been forced out under all
po lie parliamentary practice regula-
ting the terms of a fair debate. In
deed the rule of fairness pertains more
to the injured side that contends with
facts than to the reckless aggresSor
who makes thrust under the cover
of a hidden meaning. The saddest
spectacle is that of one newspaper man
venting his splenetic disappointment
over the fortune of another newspa-
per man. If it were not for the old
fable of the fox and the grapes one
could not see the broad and liberal
force OF the able craftsmanship of the
dlscorded newspaper man. Right here
let one Ilote the double injustice OF
the aforesaid newspaper statesman
He not only can not see that he eX-
poses his own defeat by his thin
attack (no one would have known
he applied in vain for office if he had
not shown spiteful Disappointment by
implication, on his fortunate brother
scribbler, but speed on dart at the de
voted member who was guilty of ex'
ercising the choice of freeman. II
the broad, liberal, statesman, news
paper man had not objected to news
paper men getting into Office he would
have been let down more easily. This
stupendous inconsistency is too much
1t is duty and grim pleasure tC
crush out the splenetic newspaper
man by telling him he laid bare his
skin when he charges that congress
men and senators appointed news
paper men so as to take out
gratitude in newspaper booming. This
| Sp1OudUlC udu, GuSu, WOulu nave
gladly been "boomer" if he had got
an office. Of course he would, if hi
had got chance. This idea is sug
,, gested by him in his throes of indis
Greet disappointment. He laid hi:
skin bare, as heretofore remarked
Didn't he lay it bare, too, when he of
fered for an office? The well-know1
character of every one of our delega
tion answers the question. These
gentlemen are not the ones to seel
, prominence through base prostitll
Etion of their little patronage! AS
A Stunning this to be fact, who can dt
ought but wonder at the wisdom O
1.-The Texas congressman and senators
sE Postal occurrences for the past weel
are as follows:
Special service discontinued: Nix
, Lampasas county, from Narunna, from
= February L; to be supplied by rout
= 81, ,639.
Postofice name and site changed
> Spica, Liberty county. to Keno, three
!, fourth mile east on route 81, ,023; Pris
. mold, Montgomery county, changed t,
four miles southeast on route 81 ,294
Postoffices established: Lockett
r Marion county; special from JeffeI
y son, six miles south. Rock Fails
9 Erath county; re-established.
! Railroad service changed: Dallas t.
Kaufman. Texas Trunk r. R. Fror
q February 1, 1884, extended servic
4 from Kaufman to Kemp, increasin
= distance 1887 miles.
: Postmasters commissioned: Wi
| linn Euono Con6,o1~x-