Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-04-13
RAILROAD POOLS.

| H. ASeGClaLlCu anu ZIG oSEANA "a
the pool in procuring testimonials from
merchants to the effect that pools are blesc-
ings to trade, are bringing the subject of
railroad pools prominently before the at
tention of the people of Texas. Supple
mentiug this action of the Attorney-Gen-
eral Is the course pursued by certain
Texas railroads with reference to the
Colorado pool, and the strange spectacle
| is presented of Texas rail
roads clsmoring for the public
benefit that results from q Texas pool
and refusing to give the public that bene.
fE through an adhesion to the Colorado
pool.
Itwould be highest wisdom in the
Texas roads to yield gracefully to the in
evitable and dissolve the Texas pool.
The people OF the state are unslterAbly
opposed to combinations OF this charac-
ter. Public opinion in Texas destroyed
the boycott, as maintained by e combine-
tion Of labor, and public opinion will as
surely destroy the combination Of cap
ital, as maintained In Texas railroad
pool. If there is any doubt in the minds
of railroad managers as to the public
feeling on this subject they have but to
refer to the utierances OF only few Of
the most prominent statesmen Of Texas.
The present state administration will be
re-ins.alled in power practically without
opposition, and Governor Ross, the head
OF this administration, whose Attorney
General is now praying for injunc-
ton against the pool, put himself gquare-
ly on record in his first message delivered
in 1887. In that message to the TWEEN
tieth Legislature Governor Ross said:
"I respectfully suggest to your homer
able bodies the propriety Of enscting that
hereafter pooling, or combinations De-
tween railroads and other common csr-
riers, shall be deemed unlawful; and II
any officer, agent, servant or enploye
thereof shall enter into or execute any
agreement of that character, or shall
operate or assist in operating rail-
road under such agreement, or shall
knowingly aid or assist in the operation
of railroad under such arrangement, he
shall be deemed guilty Of felony and be
imprisoned in the penitentisry for term
OF two years"
ms speech delivered at Weatherford
October 8, 1886, Senator Coke said he
"beiieved the Legislature of this state
ought to create commission and protect
the people against pools, rebates and dis
criminGtions;" and in q speech, delivered
few days later at Fort Worth, Senator
Coke used this language in referring to
pools:
An Inter state commerce bill. I have said
will be passed at the next session OF Congress;
but that does not affect the commerce conlne
to the several states, over which Congress has
no Jurisdiction. 1 cay to you, as citizen of
Texas, that there should be bi passed by the
Legislature Of Texas erecting an authority TO
stand between the people of Texas and the sbso
lutlsm Of railroads as now organized into power
which stIsngl and cefes competition. hope
to zee the LEGISLATURE pass such law. Such
law ought to be passed. Such law is in force
in New York, in Massachusetts, in Mississippi, |
in Georgia; two-thirds Of the states of
this country have Laws creating rail |
road commissions to stand between |
the people and the railroads and zee to 1t that !
exorbltant Charges are not exacted from III IN. |
All these STATES have navi2sble streams, which |
are admitted to be the great regulators of rail- |
road traffic because they give competition that |
cannot be pooled-pooled out OF exi.tence; but |
Texas has no river navigation. l. It has been |
found wise to institute railroad commissions
60,
reasons Texas ought to have railroad con-
mission to protect our people from railroad
combinations. would make no war upon the
railroads, Far from II. We are long way be-
nd the time for OK carts. We could not raise
the animals that would ba necessary to trans.
port our produces. They would eat them all up.
We are comp elled to have railroads. would
invite the investment of railroao capital in this
state; but 1 would ask and do ask III 1t the
conservatism, the Intelligence and the best
Judgment of the men who build our cities, who
own our farms and who till our fields, who
create the commerce Of this country, shsll be
invoked to the settlement Of this great ques-
ton The railroad agitation will continue, and
L tell you It ought to continue until there has
been established tribunal which will stand IS
an sIbitr. tor between the Poop and the COM
mon carriers. 1t takes two to make contract
always did until now when all the railroads
BSSA
sioners as to what proportion of the products
OF the country they will take for moving the
balance Is absolu'e. As long as I am a citizen
of Texas will never cease to cry aloud and
spare not While there is power in this state
above the power Of the government. No, my
fellow citizens, see that your representatives
represent you upon this question; not in an
unreasoning onslaught upon railroads., but in
a Just and judcious and liberal law which
will protect II people, and will invite,thein-i
vestmeato of railroad capital in our state, swAich
cannot do without railroads. 81
The railroads OF Texas should ponder
these utterances and avoid sntagdaism
by not doing those things which areS
violation Of the statutory and organic
laws Of the state. The people and roads
in Texas are closer together at this time
than they have been tor years, and the