The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-01-08

ana invite litigation. The
gentleman was n istaken in THINKING,
that railroads could hlsck the wheels OF
justice. There was 90 much honor and
| patriotism on the be nch to be intimi-
dated by company's attempt to over
awe congress. IT wouls not command
the respect of law-abi, ting people.
Mr.. PHELPS said has recognized in
the remarks made by the gentleman
rom Texas that intNi NiIeetual de-
feet which had made it inn
possible to prepare bill
which would be operative and therefore
would be useless. When hts (PAolps)
sad what the laws OF trade and nature
would be the gentleman hal failed to
recognize the distinction A,etwaep a
! pfophesy and threat. He made no
threat. lie had no power Ia cawy il
out. whether he was u good prophet a.
not time would show. He had right
to suppose, in view OF the past,
that the prophesy would come
true. When the gentleman from Texas
was giving his nigh char
aoter and ability and support
TO another cause, distinguished
representative from Pennsylvania, who
was giving his influence to the preserva-
ton OF the union, concluded that he
would undertake by legislation to cor
rect the crying evil OF the times,
The great trouble at that time
IN the mind of Thad. Stevens was that
| gold would go mp. The great trouble
with tho gentleman from Texas was
that railroads would charge something
for their freight. IL would be for the
interest of the gentleman's section that
freight should be carried at nominal
rates. 1t was to the interest of Stevens,
section that gold should be held at par.
/ ntf 20.
plish That object by the passage
bill prohibiting the dealing in gold. 1t
was supposed by the gentleman from
Pennsylvania that an act of this august
Legislative body would be sufficient to
accomplish that result. In less than
three days he found his attempt to over
come the laws OF trade and commerce
was utterly futile. The price of gold
rose until the very existence
oi the country was threatened,
and no one was reader
the law. The laws of trade would be
just as powerful against the edict of the
gentleman from Texas as against Thad
| Stevens. lie (Phelps) had the right
to prophesy that in the future the coun-
try would see what it had seen in the
past, and in his prophecy there was
nothing OF II threat. He recognized
with a certain feeling the
inquiry that the gentleman from
Texas had spoken of with a consider
able amount of personal feeling. The
gentleman had referred to him as rich
man. If he must make the confession
he would do it only under this taunt. If
he had once enjoyed the distinction (if
It were a distinction) of being rich that
distinction had been very greatly di-
minished, II not entirely destroyed.
Mr.. Phelps went on to say that he had
sunk 100000 in assisting other capital
lists to build railroad in Texas through
the town Of Palestine, where the gem
tleman from Texas resided. The money
was still there in the railroad, and he
had never received one dollar interest
on his stock. Was IL wrong that having
had this and similar experience,
speaking from practice, not theory,
speaking not arrogantly, to tell the
gentleman from Texas that of which ne
knew nothing of except in theory?
Mr.. REAGAN dis claimed any per-
; sonel feeling in the matter. He called
attention 30 the fact that the railroads in
Texas, to which the gentleman referred,
had been literally aided by the state.
Mr.. PHELPS did not deny this, but
cited the fact that the Legislature of
Texas, after having promised to aid the
fulfill It's promise.
MIR. REAGAN declared that the leg
islatures which made the promise con-
sisted of the representatives of robbers
and thieves. When honest mon came
to the legislature the contract which had
been obtained by fraud and corruption
had been broken.
MIR. HEWITT, OF New York, in a
speech in. opposition to the bill, said
he found the gentleman from
Texas making the only defense
he had ever heard for
reconstructions of the legislatures of
house that the reconstruction legisla-
ton of Texas had secured tho construo-
ton of tho great highway, but that this
was such an Outrage that when honest
men came into power they disregarded
the bargain. All he (llewitt) could say
was that these scalawags builded wiser
than they knew, and that the honest
men who came in afterwards did net
seem to understand legislation as
well as the scalawags did. AS
TO the bill under consideration,
he, for one, was tired of this kind OF
legislation and this Indifference to the
to every man, even to the gentleman
from Texas.
Mr.. REAGAN enquired whether the
gentleman pretended to speak the voice
OF New York. The voire of New York
was better expressed by its legislature,
which demanded Legislation ON the sub
ject
MIR. HEWITT: .For commission; I
favor n commission"
Mr.. REAGAN: al have no doubt that
tho gentleman would take commission
! huf "A La "A Al ~.
pected To do nothing. If the voice of
the people of New York could be heard
here, instead of the voice Of aggregated
capital, u very different voice would be
heard"
Then a passage at arms took place be-
tween Mr.. Keifer and Mr.. Reagan, the
former denying the statement made by
the latter, TO the effect that tie commit
tee on commerce of the forty-seventh
congress was packed against the bill,
and the latter reiterating his statement
Mr.. HOPKINS offered an amend
ment, which was adopted, giving United
States courts power to issue writs of
mandamus, compelling railroad compa-
MES TO forward freight.
Mr.. HAMMOND offered an amend
ment, providing that no case brought
under this act III any state court OF com
petent Jurisdiction shall DO removed to
any United States court. Agreed to
yeas, l2l; nays, 50.
Mr.. HAMMOND, in speaking TO the
verbal amendment, said he believed any
rigid rule with regard to railroad rates,
or rigid rules as to railroad manage
ment, would work only evil to the peo-
pie.
Mr.. PERKINS offered as an amend
ment to all the sections of the bill origi
nally reported from tho committee on
commerce, creating an Interstate com
merce commission and defining its du-
ties.
Mr.. HAMMOND moved to amend by
providing that the commissioners shall
not DO appointed until the 9th of March,
1885.
Pending action the matter went over.
Mr.. GIBSON offered resolution, de-
claring II to be the du-
ty of this congress to enact
a. al. A.