Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-09-15

imy,esIble.D Nothing but the dignity Of
the distinguished speaker, who has Just
addressed you, can restrain us
/ from being amused at the manner
ia which he committed himself-at last
10 the railway theory Of legislative nom
action as the remedy for railway monopo-
lly-for he used these words: al believe
that competition is the best remedy after
all.u How different is this from the man
" language of Richard Coke, who, only
the other day, said in the American sem
ate: 'Pooling, which Is now the order
of the day among railroads, is utterly de-
structive Of competition, aud gives 10
railroad corporations power to exact full
dividends upon their fictitious watered
stock"
Ali gentlemen, there are three thou
sand seven hundred millions OF this
fictitious capital which sets like a night
mare on the productive energies OF thu
country, plundering 1t in freight rates tc
force dividends, and constituting burden
on agriculture twice as heavy as the
national debt. These are no times fol
( temporizng with duty; in this crisis mel
must be on the side OF the people OF
against them. We know where one
Texas senator stands, and those who
know him expected nothing less. Again
quote Senator Coke, who declared in
open senate his conviction, that HcoIpor.
ate power as developed and mani
tested in this country, in its corruptipg
power over legislators, judges, govern.
ments and the press, and In Its power TO
plumber and rob the people Is a standing
menace to liberty and free government"
| 1t is believed that Gov. Coke's remedy is
] found in ommlssions-fedeTal and state
Ito adjust rates so as TO stop dividends
on fictitious values; in no other way can
this be done with Justice alike 10 the
roads and the people. The remedy of
Gen. Maxey is "to invite competition, -
when he knows that every road In Texas
is now In traffic pool, to adjust which,
In defiance Of the constitution, their
agents assembled only few weeks ago in
Saratoga His new roads through the Indian
Territory will, II ever constructed, be-
come parties to this pool to flx rates and
divide receipts, Just as the Gulf, Colorado
Santa Fe rood fell into the combination
pool trap as soon as II was purchased by
Eastern capitalists. And what is this
pooling? 1t is system Of combinations
by which several roads practically create
one mighty corporation, which monopo-
Lies all the avenues of trade and en-
trenches itself against the fleets OK COM
petition or the possibility OF reasonable
rates. 1t Is a system which fills the long
purse Of the corporate king with the high
est rates, by establishing monopoly
over the routes Of transportation, from
whose eXtortion no business interest can
escape. 1t is high-handed and criminal
conspiracy against the rights of agricul-
tural labor and commercial enterprise
and which now crystallzes in Texas the
power Of railway monopoly.
And now, gentlemen, under this system
OF railroad combination, while agriculture
no longer yields its rich reward In high
prices OF earth products to the farmer,
we find some of these roads earning an
interest on actual values which, between
private parties, would be declared
usurlous.
Only Saturday last | stated at Weather
ford that the Missouri, Kansas & Texas
railroad, according to its sworn report
IN 1884, earned, above all expenses,
enough money to pay 2S gil per cent.
Interest on valuation of $4,000 a mile.
Ihat money is in the end paid by him who
tolls In the furrow. Why, these roads
nave been endowed by Texas with SO
per acre 1t would yield enough 10 pay $50
TO every man, woman and child in
Texas; and yet we have Texas
senator aspiring TO third term
who, in the face of this wholesale
plundering, says, "the remedy is competl-
ton, and to build more roads.n There are
now three roads from Texas leading to
st. Louis; will the construction of his
fourth road better the situation when its
interest Will be served by combining with
the others instead OF competing with
themY / had hoped In this crisis to hear
something else tall from that senator's
lips except advice to encourage manufac-
lures and build railroads. He told Won
how manufacturers under an average
protection Of 40 per cent. were impover-
ishing their disseminated labor, and being
enriched under partial laws, Was he
sincere? II so, why does he think
that our social condition would be
improved by demonstrating their robbing
enterprises in Texas, and recruiting the
ranks OF discontinued labor here? There
is something higher in craftsmanship than
tempting avarice by showing how the
area OF monopoly may be increased. TO
restore confidence by controlling the per !
nicious methods OF capital Is the mission
OF the hour and the duty of the states. |
man, nor must he shrink from the duty of
denouncing the anarchist as an enemy of
man, no less dangerous than the vampire
OF monopoly. Social order can re- |
pose In safety only on lust laws. |
and while loyalty to order demands
that evil laws shall be endured until they
can be corrected, craftsmanship should
point out remedies, unawed by financial
powers or the Establishments of wealth
The distinguished senator says that the
complaints OF the men OF labor and
farmers alliance "should be respeet- |
fully heard, and II well grounded. the
remedy should be applied" Well, this |
is consoling to the great masses of the
people who look to their political leaders
for light and advice.
The misfortune is that the great masses
OF our thoughtful people are two wears
ahead of their high officials, who they
see only on the eve Of elections.
asked Senator Maxey at Weatherlord
whether he agreed with his colleague that |
this stock and bond watering was ia
crime against the public,n and t'that the |
people OF the state should make war on IL
with earnestness, energy and determine
uon," and then, as now, he has answered