Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-02-11
EFFECT OF A LOBBY.
Continued from First Page.

for the second paragraph of section 6 the
following: "But nothing in this act
shall be construed to allow sny
common carrier to receive any
freight in the United States to be carried
in sealed cars or in bond by railroad
through q foreign country to any other
place in the United States free Of duty,
and all laws and regulations Hereunder
which have been construed to permit
such practices are hereby repealed"
This, he said, WAS 8 radical measure,
but he hoped to convince the committee
that it WAS called for ana fully justified
by our paramount and permanent national
interests. lie called attention to the fol-
| lowing suggestions:
/. Ever since the present constitution
went into effect it had been the settled,
unbroken policy of the national Congress
to protect our cossting trade and reserve
1t exclusively for the benefit Of ships
carrying American registers, and from
the session Of the first Congress, now
nearly 100 years, no foreign ship
had been permitted to engage
in Guy coasting trade. The object OF
the lsws and regulations, he said,
appears to have been two-fold; to pro-
tect and foster American shipping, and
to increase public revenues. When these
laws and regulations were first made the
railroads were unknown and un-
thought Of, but if they had been
In use along our land borders
as ships were on our sesboard waters,
could 1t be doubted that Congress would
not have taxed, fostered and protected
them within our own limits as against
such as might be located in foreign
territory2 Congress at time laid 6
heavy tax upon carriages, which it after
ward increased and then repealed, and
1t was fair to assume that it would have
taxed railroads had there been any to tax,
and that it would have protected them,
pari passu, from competition by foreign
railroads. Could it be commended that
our commerce up and down the Atlantic
coast or along the gulf, or up and down
the Pacific coast, or along the great lakes
between points exclusively within cur
national jurisdiction, had any better
right to protection than commerce be-
tween other points within our bounda-
ries2 AS Congress had taxed all Ameri-
can railroads and as several states now
derived q very large portion Of their rev.
enues from them and as they were the
property Of our own citizens, it lay
wholly within our own border, bound
various parts of our country together
with bands of steel and were fully able to
handle all our local and interstate com.
merce between cities and sections reached
by them, they were surely entitled to
whatever favor could be given to them By
the general government ss against rail-
roads lying wholly in foreign countries,
and controlled wholly by foreign subjects
and governments.
~. There was not another government
in the world that permitted or had ever
thought of permitting the practice and
the absurdity and Injustice of it were
abundantly manifest when il was remem-
bered that the government Of the very
Dominion which was becoming enriched
by its enjoyment from US refused posi-
lively TO permit American railroads
in the northwes. t. take wheat, out of
Manitobs, haul 1t through the United
States, and re-enter 1t free OF duty for
Canadian points. Only o few days ago
urgent appeals were made by Canadians
to the authorities st O.tsws to rescind
their orders On this subject lest our gov
eminent might retaliste, and thus bring
the Grand Trunk, Canadian Pacific, and
other Dominion railroads to bankruptcy.
8. Il WAS well known that the Domin-
ion government, backed and sided by the
government Of the British Empire, had
built and extended an elaborate system
of railroads from Halifax through Que
bee, Montreal ard other impor-
tant points to Port Moody on the
Pacific ocean, 6 distance of 1929 miles,
at cost Of over S205, 600, 900
and %, 900, 900 acres OF land, when the
Grand Trunk with its 1884 miles costing
over S25S, 900, 900, much of it contributed
by the Dominion government, wss also
consider d, and that the whole of this
vast system was built as much for milf
tary and political purposes as for COM
merce. the folly of our policy in regard to
them would be apparent.
4. Our government had in the exercise
Of its clear legal right to regulate COM
limited the freedom of our own railroad |
corporations to manage their business in
their own way and measureably |
to- protect Themselves against for
eign companies. Their hands were to 8 |
certain extent bound, while the Canadian |
roads were picking their pockets. 1t |
WOulu L06G6lOT6 bScm ~ U6 10 IUOGb tHau |
fair that Congress should cut off all |
which are extended to the |
Canadian railroads. under paragraph |
5000, Revised Statutes, Article so, of the |
treaty of 1871, and the regulation of the |
Treasury Department, which carry them
into effect.
g. But in as much as article 80 had ex-
PRED By limitation and by the Presidents |
it was no longer binding |
upon as as q rule of conduct, and for para
mount political reasons 1t should no longer
be our guide in determining our course |
towards the Dominion Of Canada. And |
Dur Treasury Department should be pro-
nibited from making any regulations TO
carry 1t into effect.
g. Back Of these more obvious copsid-
arations is the great question; Shall we
i've in such relations with the Dominion
Of Canada and the British maritime prov
noes IS to encourage them in
heir allegiance to the British
,rown and their political union
with the British empire, or shall we so
manage our affairs as to force them ulti-
nately to political union with
Is? He would hesitate to declare
hat many Of our best and most
,houghtS1l citz ms were coming to look
Ip6n ste existence of Canada and the
illied British possessions in North Amer.
cs as continuous growing menace