Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-03-28

SENATOR CROCKETTs GREAT SPEECH ON THE
RAILROAD FREIGHT BILL.
The Little Rock (Ark.) Gazette prints In full
the speech delivered in the senate of that state
by Col. bob" Crockett on the bill to regulate
railroad freights. Following is one Of its elo-
Quent paragraphs:
"Sir, for whom are we legislating? For our
selves alone? Alas, sir, heaven will never smile
you, Mr. President, and my venerable friend,
the father of this bill, whose snowy locks are
even now being tossed by the breezes Of another
world, and will have passed away and quietly
sleep beneath the sod. The winter snow will
drape the mounds above us with winding
sheet but the sting Of its bitter cold will be all
their sweetest notes in the swinging branches
above a our h though their music will not
like gentle mother, will fold us to her loving
breast and drape our beds with sweet towering
with the low, sweet music of murmurine winds.
After US will come another generation, who,
shoulder with her sister states in the bat
tie for development and material prosperity
through our wise legislation, will rise UP and
find her dwarfed by unwise and restricted leeis-
lation, they will spit upon the graves of those
whom they should honor. Let us remember
that Arkansas is growing state, and legislate
for her on the plan that my dear old mother, Of
blessed memory, was wont to cut my clothes in
two years ahead, and always grew to them.
and, alas! sometimes got too big for EN- and
When dld-but that was my mothers business.
Sirs let us cut Arkansas breeches-but see I
must drop the illustration or change the sex Of
our state, which would not do for the world
God bless her! We do not carry this selfishness
friend, Uncle Bob Mcconnell, putting out fruit
trees, and were to say to him, Uncle Bob, why
trouble yourself to put out fruit trees? they'll
never benefit you,, the old man would
$50 o1
and grandchildren, who, as they climb these
trees and pluck the ripe fruit long after I'm
trees with his own hand, and they'll bless the
old man, as they eat the fruit, for his kindness
In planting the trees for their benefit. So
t., shat ws baid our glorious %s a state LAWS in
stead of dwarting her by hostile legislation
against railroads, the grandest Of agencies of
modern civilization for developing the resource
abroad, Come and look upon our broad prai.
ries, our fertile valleys, our magnificent forests
our mines and quarries, which are sleeping un.
touched for want OF transportation. Come,
when In response to our urgent pleading they
do come, let US not turn upon them and throt-
tie them with destructive legislation. It is true
ders and welcome capitalists with Bloody hands
to hospitable graves we do stand upon those
borders and welcome them with such obstruct-
i've legislation to disastrous bankruptcy.
stand not here to-day as the special defender of
the railroads, as railroads alone, but do uphold
and would protect, foster and encourage Them
az the means of building up our beloved state
daughters who shall come after us FOR Whom M. =
plead. Sir, in the core of my heart believe
that this bill and all others Of kindred charac
ter are wrong in conception, and II adopted
evttable consequence the ruin OF Arkansas I
cannot support the bill, and earnestly hope that
II Will not pass"