The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-01-17

promptly to work under the existing
labor contracts. This important mat
ter is more fully brought to your at
tention by Superintendent Goree, and
your favorable consideration is re-
quested.
RAILWAYS.
1t would not be easy to fix any truth
better established or more fully adj
mitted in our State than that you have
the power conferred upon you to regu-
late these corporations; but the power
to regulate does not include the power
to annihilate or destroy them. To ex-
tend the same degree of freedom and
protection to all forms of industry is
but logical deduction from the
genius of our institutions, and in order
| thSt the burden of taxation may fall
eqaal upon all taxes are required to be
unifor N and are levied equitably upon
all taxable values, and the amount is
fixed and certain beyond which State,
county and municipal levies cannot
extend; and there can be urged no
good reason why corporation should
be permitted to exercise powers de-
MED the State Government, and as
their tariff rate is simply tax upon
those who use the roads, special rates,
rebates, drawbacks, or favors to indi-
viduals or localities, or discrimination
in favor of the larger shipper operates
as bounty, and imposes an increased
and unequal tax upon. all others.
The railways revolt against leg
islation that attempts to
say that they shall not receive more
than fixed percentage as recon-
pense upon the actual value of their
property with the fictitious capital
eliminated from their accounts, claim
ing that they have the right to useit in
the manner most to their own advant-
age, and by concert of action, such as
pooling, division of territory and bust
ness, they can maintain excessive rates
out of proportion to the relative cost
of service. 1t is difficult to see why
they should complain at the principle
or practical consequence resulting
from an attempt on the part of the
State to gauge their profits with the
view of giving them liberal returns
for their capital and enterprise, when
they exercise the privilege of gauging
by their rates the margin of the farm
er's, merchants, or stock raiser's
profits at their pleasure and with the
utmost precision and certainty, and
creating by an inequality of rates a
practical prohibition of the effectual
enjoyment of free exchange of the
products and fruits of labor to the best
advantage, in order that they may give
a monopoly to certain forms of indus
try or favored persons and sections.
There is golden rule by which they
should be governed in matters of this
kind. If there be any right in this
country you should protect, it is the
right'of labor. 1t has an incontestible
claim to the fair value of its products,
which depends largely upon cheap
transportation and the greatest facility
and freedom of exchange. These cor
porations have received q princely
dowry in lands and moneyed subsi-
dies from our people, and should give
reasonable rates and fair treatment in
return. The people are in favor of
them having and enjoying all the
rights they are justly entitled to, and
no more. If they become participators
in wrong to the country or individuals
and attempt to cripple any of the pro-
ductive energies of the State, they
should be held amenable to the law;
and, as the State is the arbiter to me-
date by equal laws between inhar-
monious and conflicting interests, it is
hoped that by an equitable adjustment
this standing issue between the rail-
roads and the people may be brought
to fair, honest and final settlement.
| EDIJCATION
In former message my views were
given at length, and could not now
hope to shed new light upon q ques-
ton which has been deliberately dis
cussed, and all its bearings so fully set
forth by the able and comprehensive
report of the honorable superintend-
ent. l deem it unnecessary to do more
than urge your earnest attention
thereto, trusting that it will secure
the adoption ofsuch legislation as may
be necessary to improve the financial
methods of the system.
THE AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANI-
CAL COLLEGE, AND HUNTSVILLE
AND PRAIRIE VIEW NORMAL
SCHOOLS.
have not had access to the reports
of these institutions, but am led to
believe from such information pos
sessed that they are accomplishing all
that could be expected of them, and
that they have developed into that
measure of usefulness expected and
demanded.
MILITIA AND RANGER FORCES.
have found the use of this force at
my commando most important and
indispensable agency for the better
execution Of the laws. They have
proven most excellent conservators of
the peace, and of incalculable value in
preserving human life and property.
Whenever there has been demon
stration, having the semblance of or
ganized resistance to the law, and an
application was made by the local
authority, setting forth the necessity
of their use in support of the civil
power, these gallant men have with
cheerful alacrity responded to every
call made upon them, and by this ex-
hibition of firm purpose to suppress
all unlawful practices, tranquility has
hean maintained without tha affi1oior