Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-04-06
TERRELL ON COKE.
Hen. 4. ". TerrtH Me- & Caadlda,e for
Eoks's Seat IN The Eena.e, bus
FGV2rs His Reel, G Ion.
A Public Servant Shouts Not be Retired
Because He Ia Qualified to Discharge
his Dulles Well.
AUSTIN, TEX, March ss. 1855.

Hon L. J. Storey, Lockhart, Tex:
My DEAR SIR-Yoar letter Is before
me, asking If W uld be candidate
against the Hon. Richard Coke for the
UHited States Senate.
nominated Senator Coke when he was
last elected, ard lie received the vote OF
every Senator; siTce then I have dis
covered nothing in his public service re-
curing his retirement from the Senate
Opposition to third term is the clap
trap which epoilsmen substitute fol
srgument, ard ought to be discourse ed
l DO not sgree with those who believe
that Iublic servant should be retired
from flee so soon as time snd experier &c
have qualified him to discharge well ite
duties.
In recent letter published IN the Star
indicator OF February Is, 1888, Senator
Coke said that he wss IN favor Of ga thor.
Ough regulation in the interest Of the peo.
pie, CT railroad corporations, and getting
down their profits to q reasonable per-
| cenIsge on the capital sc'ually invested"
This WAS the very central idea of my can
vsss. made two yasrs ago. The piuuder-
ing methods OF railways In Texas, In tx
ing high rates on short hsuls to pay in
terest on watered bonds constitutes the
giant evil of the hour, and ali know that
the Interstate commission is nowerless
to correct this evil; the remedy can only
come by creating state tribunal. For
more than four years combination of
railways in Texas has existed, with its
trs fic agent, created as an ofi1cer Of ell
the roads, in open defiance of the state
constitution, Axipg oppressive freight
rates, ard Exercising q power over the
Industries ard commerce of this state,
never before until now permitted among
American people to be exercised by any
one man.
Senator Coke hiss always exhibited 8
courage equal to his convictions, snd,
believing as do that he will wsge in the
next state CANVASS open and aggressive
warfare on this giant wrong, will sus-
tain him until tipd, If 1 ever should,
that he wavers or qusils before the cor
porate powers he must antsgonize
Whether our constitution Is 8 rope of
sand, will be tested in . suit already
brought by our Attorney General, who is
fearlessly discharging his duty In at
tempting to restrain all the roads now
banded together in that infau GUS pool.
When that suit is criticised, there
will be music all along the
line by those politicians aud
newspaper men who are employed to dis
cuss public affairs on business principles,
and who slwsys drift to the corporate
sgnet. Courts, however, unaided BY
further legislation cannot settle the trans
portstion problem; statute law, subject
ing Texas railways to firm yet just con-
troll by q state commission, is inoispens.-
BILE. Many members OF the House ar
raigned the State Senate In published
card during the last session OF our Legis-
lsture for failing to pass railway COM
mission bill, move Unprecedented, and
only to be excused because of the
extremity of the need for legislation.
Those who see no present danger in the
growth of upcontrol ed corporate power,
will have cause to reflect when they re-
member that this startling srraignment
of the Senate was published in but few
Texas papers, and commented on by
still fewer.
Almost Immediately after this, our peo-
pie seemed to forget everything that in
volved their financial welfare, in the ex-
element over prohibition, whose re-
mains some politicians are now trying to
exhume, in order that they may DO duty
for selfish ends to stock primary meet
ipgs, and through them to stock 8 Legis-
lature. In this new enterprise to
revive the prohibition issue. e1-
tremes co-operste-the prohibition ex-
tremist inspired by desire to make peo
pie good by constitutional law, now CO.
operates In the work Of agitation, with
the local politician, who Is fearful that
his Influence al primary meetings might
otherwise be lost. These extremists
forget that there Is more powerful ele-
ment than either Of them in this state.
The masses OF our people srsBow watch
ing earnestly sae diff OF rtSssl fairs,
and will suff.r neither politidiAaa nor
platforms to stand In the way on HEIR
striking the shackles from agricuIttfnlj
industry, which is now chained to lie
wheels Of corporate power. To sustain
md give direction to this element
should be the high mission ofl
the Democracy. No man aspiring 70 |
Leadership in Texas can afford to be sill
lent now. The time has come when men /
sent by Texas to that house Of lords,
the United States Senate, win remember