The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-04-15

toeks or watered Donus or lihaS mary
"1nes should be allowed, for every cent
.hns bestowed is unjustly taken from the
roducing classes, whose products must
,ov for it. Squeeze the water out OF
iRhsir stocks and bonds; to permit toll to
he collected on them any longer Is 10 con
.:',e robbery. Let charges be sufficient
20 enable them to pay proper compensa-
.;oo for the dangerous employment in
dent TO their operation, and nothing
nnnd No dollar which labor has not
ea;rly earned, or which.is unjustly de-
landed through intimidation, for all such
nrnenses are saddled upon the farmer,
vbo. in the end, must pay the fiddler, and
This he now understands.
This reform, so long delayed, which
session after ses sion as your humble rep
resentative 1 attempted to secure, is
already being guarded against. Do you
not remember some two weeks ago, dur
inc the strike, long article published in
New York paper was te)egraphed and
,,ublished all over Texas on the same day,
reasoning against the policy of state
railway commission? The demand
for that commission was anticipated
az one result of the STRIKE and
canital was taking care of itself in trying
to educate the public mind by telegraph
AGAINST state control.
MR.. GoULD's LETTER.
Mr., Gould in his letter of March 90, to
the merchants exchange of Dallas, said:
n "Will not the public soon learn that it is
II they who pay the railway pay rolls? The
railway is their clearing house To receive
4 and distribute this fund, which is fully
sixty per cent. of the gross earnings of a
Aln,- 10 +ba,yx h
ablv find some method to regulate and
control the labor engaged in railway
transportation, and then prevent such
strikes as the present" Yes, the public
understand, and will soon understand still
better. that clearing house business, and
know who pay, not only the gross, but the
net earnings. That very payment by the
public of the gross earnings from which
labor is paid, implies some right in us to
measure the net earnings which we also
nav and which go to New York owners
and managers.
RAILWAY COMMISSIONS.
A state commission properly consti
tinted could solve all labor troubles o1
transportation lines The debates in con
gress last week showed how utterly at Sc;
many were regarding the labor troubles
Mr.. O'Neil, chairman of the labor com
IS mittee, proposed the milk and-cider rem
edy of national arbitration committees
to which the employer snd employed OF
transportation lines might refer disputes
if they desired. That being only permits
sive with labor unrepresented, means
nothing. Mr. Kelley thought the remed,
was in the spread of the Christian rellg
ion. which would make capitalists suc
H. how 1,l1 fol h n
of labor Now that can only come when tn
world is converted and that is too long
credit for the demands of social order
Mr.. Weaver saw a remedy in making an
issuing much money. Well, labor, pre-
sumo, would get its share, but most of tina
money, after whizzing few times aroun
cross road saloon, like all the res
would find its way to New York, only t
increase the strength of monopoly an
enlarge the power to Cypress. Reagan
always watchful and jealous Of corporal
power, suggested its state control throug
the ballot box, but then formulated n
Ian beyond this.
And now, gentlemen, did it never occr
n TO YOU, that until the state shall take cor
troll of these public highways, subsidize
M with the peoples land and money, an
regulates their earnings it can nevt
know how much they can justly afford
pay labor? rule for railway earning
based on knowledge of the railway
value, and fixing and changing 1t as n
cessity may demand, must precede a
intelligent legislation to protect Its Wag
workers, or the people, from oppresslo
We fix the value of every clerks service
in our state departments; why! becau
II the work is for the public. We alreae
- say to railway companies, you shall n
charge beyond a maximum rate; VIII.
because the enterprise is quasi publ
WHY not then go one step further to S
cure harmonious work on this publ
highway, and say: We the state, will
" fix. through a commission, from tins
III time your earnings on actual values
vested in your road, that you shah alw?
be able to pay fair wages to labor! WI
not place. by law, on that commission,
representative nominated by wage-wor
ers from their own ranks, to act with
only on questions affecting wages and
81 like? This would inspire contiden
with those who fear the power of veal
in official action, and when wages are tn
fixed, let any man quit work who war
to. but let the law arrest and punish WI
swift and sudden punishment, and w
the whole power of the state If needs
any man or set of men who Will dare
impede transportation on these hlghwf
when others work. Let the law be j
when it strikes, and labor will recogn
its Justice and obey. | want no tede
arm to arbitrate about the value o.
months labor between citizens of Tex
dread the machinery of all fede
courts as they move with muffied 10
step on the rights of states, as much a.
the aggression came with the clash
arms. Should the remedy have crud
outlined as proper for state seem
80 ternal, let it be remembered that II
shows paternal care by the state for
Nwage-worker, that paternal care has b
far transcribed by the paternal gifts
ingly bestowed by government on IN
tx already too rich to need them.
NJ You will never see government
n ~ tration board from which labor repres'
alton is excluded that will settle la
troubles until the government ceases
foster monopolies, for such board u