San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-10-20


shaCkleS and delivering themselves from
the IniquitOus and unjust class legisla-
ton with which Texas was cured.
These alliances and leagues, he said, had
been npCessitated in order to meet the
organizations of greed ard monopoly
with the OrgaH iZatiOns of labor
OF every kind. Ii was fight be-
tween them to the bitter end, and the
democratic party was the representa-
tive of monopoly and class privilege,
while the republican party WAS the party
Of equal rights.
Inviting his hearers to follow him
into an examination Of the question. he
took up the monopoly of railway cOrpO-
rations as an Illustration OF the working
Of the thing and paid his respects to
wATERED STOCK.
Drawing picture OF his railway, and
the differing conditions of the men who
managed 1t and those who worked 1t, he
presented most graphically the process
uy which the railway management cuts
down the wages of labor to starvation
rates. and then meets the demand for
sufficient wages TO keep soul and body
and home and little ones together with
the objection, my good man | know 1t
is hard, but the road is not paying well
enough to afford you any higher wages.
We have just had IA meeting OF our dl-
rectOrs, and the road is only paying us
10 Der cent. interest on our Investment,
and we can take that same money and
get twelve per cent upon 1t by looming
il out, and SO John goes home sorrow
fully, telling his wife and children that
his wages cannot be raised, as the road
Ia not paying well enough, when the
Il . ri
per cent. upon the Investment and the
ten per cent il the interest upon the
watcred stock, which represents moth
ing but the greed Of the mOnOpOlist. SO
the picture was extended: the wages Of
the poor, starving, working man cut
down from time TO time. n the interest
on this watered stock, this fictitious
wealth was decreased until it was only
naying eighteen per cent. when he
wages became SO low that men strike.
Maddened with hunger they engage in
riot and are shot down by the militia
and driven away in their destitntiOn TO
have their places supplied with Others.
The state had made it felony to inter
iere with the rights OF private property,
personal or corporate. The state was
right-prOperty must be protected.
Now let the state make ii n felony TO
water stock. The deafening shouts
with which this declaration was made
had not subsidized before the speaker
broke in with his high pitched voice.
Now | will show another
THE MONOPOLY OF LAW.
Here DR.. Cochran entered into very
interesting and intensely absorbing
plucidatiOn of the unequal operations Of
81. IL tn, l,a ~ lar
creditors; showing how the latter were
barred by the small amounts of their
claims from carrying their cases TO the
courts, in which substantial justice
might be melted out 10 them If denied
in the lower courts. They were met at
every turn by the an swer-O no. my
Christia" friend, you have no redress
here. You have reached the end of
your rope and the possibility of collect
ing your debt has passed away from you
and your heirs, forever. The changes
and illustrations were rung upOn this
iniQuity and its operations I'M
til the people were fairly wild.
Instances were cited in which
The claims of poor men were de-
cided against them in the highest court
of appeal which they could reach; while
cases exactly similar, involving precise
~ the same points of law, only for larger
amounts, were decided in favor of
weather. plaintiffs whose larger claims
entitled them to carry their cases into
the supreme court. To correct this evil
and abuse the speaker demanded tn It
the appellate court be opened to all
clnsse- of criminal cases, and the
supreme court TO all civil cases, no mat
ter by whom instituted or what amounts
we're involved. AS a farther Illustration
Of the unequal bearing of the law. the
5nddling upon the poor plaintiff the
costs in all appealed suits in which the
judgment OF the superior court is one
cent less than the judgment rem
dered in the court below, was
cited and a most pathetlCally hui
murous story told Of the freshman and his
Dig which had been run over and killed by
the cars. The IrishmRn recovered $50
in the lower court. The company APP
pealed the case; the man was awarded
Slj 10 the upper courts and saddled
with the costs, which with his lawyers
fees made his pig worth $50 over and
above the amount given him by the
court.
l. n G. n. Il. II. LAND MONOPOLY.
The history of this land monopoly was
taken up and handled without gloves,
and its iniquity laid down at the door of
the democratic party of the state Of
Texas. 1t was shown that when the re
publican party held possession of the
state government that the policy of the
state then was to hold the land for actual
settlers in lots not to exceed 100 acres
each; and that under this condition of
things the state would naturally have
settled up with thrifty, industrious
class Of emigrants from the northern,
eastern and western states, and from
Europe, who might not vote the demo-
cratic ticket. Under the conditions of
the subsidy granted by the republican
state government, the international and
Great Northern railway was to receive
$4,000 cash for every mile Of completed
road, and under this arrangement the
road was to be built, the money to be
raised by taxation upon the values OF
property. The democratic party came
into power, and moved by their desire TO
relieve the rich people and large proper
ty holders from the payment OF this tax
OF $4,000 mile substituted land grant
Of 1000, 900 acres which they authorized
the company TO locate anywhere along
the line, In solid blocks OF thousands of
acres II desired, and exempted this land
from tax for period of twenty five
years. This shut of from settlement to
any considerable extent the incoming of
immigrants upon at least 1900, 600 OF the
most valuable lands OF the state, and alb
sOlutely released from taxation for the
Improvement from which they received
so great returns in the increase OF the
values OF their properties, the rich men
of the state This OutraUe unOn the