Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-02-03
NOT A LOCAL BODY.
Disposition to do the Right Thing by
Western Texas and Panhandle.
Lively Fight Predicted on Libel Bill-Aem-
beers Divided Into Three Classes on
Railway Commission.
speciaI eorrespondence Of the Gazette.


of this legislature, which is said TO be the |
most harmonious that has assembled in |
Texas sine the war. ] would not be |
surprised, however, should il prove the |
calm that proceeds the storm, for II |
seems TO me that / hear the distant |
mutterings of coming thunder, and !
shall be much surprised if there Is not |
some lively fitting in the house before the |
session has run half its course. There !
are many men here of strong indivldu- |
ality. and when leadership begins to !
develop itself, antagonisms will spring |
up and certain men viii always be found
opposing each other. This is natural: II
has been the way with legislative bodies
always, and will be the way with this.
FAIR TO THE WEST.
ssI am glad to see - said West |
Texas member the other day, ''that the
prejudices once so prevalent in legislative
bodies against West Texas and the Pan
handle have died away, and that there
now seems to be a feeling Of sympathy
for that country, and disposition TO ara
il in the way of proper legislation. The
West is represented on all the important
committees in both house and senate,
and seems TO be getting fair deal all
all around. -
That the great West deserves recogni-
ton, none viii deny; that II Is receiving
It, all will be gla TO know.
The West has a fine representation IN
fhe house this year. TOlar, who comes
from the great Panhandle district, en-
bracing siXty-nne counties-an empire
in itself--is q cleaT-headed, practical fell
low. who knows the wants of the people,
and with nerve and ability enough to
meet them with proper ability.
~ Of % raTO
resents the big district bordering on the
Rio Grande. He is not talking
member, but is a good worker, faithful
and honest, and diligent in looking after
the interests of his people.
Albert Stevenson of Parker has already
been mentioned a number of times IN
these columns. He is among the fore
most OF the young members; a good COM
mitteeman, a clear thinker and fine
talkeT.
W. L. McGauhey Of Hood was III the
Twentieth. He Is most useful man,
with plenty of practical sense and sterl-
ing honesty. By the way, he Is being
talked Of for lieutenant governor. Well,
those men ought to make the west re-
spected.
TIL LIBEL BILL.
The subcommittee to which was re-
ferred McCOmb 5 libel bill has not yet
reported There is going to be lively
fight on the bin, if all signs don fail.
There are a good many men in the
legislature who viii fight the measure to
the bitter end, and some of the young
men who have interested themselves in
behalf Of the measure will stay with
them Strange, the indispOSitiOn there
seems to be upon the part OF legislators
10 pass a law defining libel, for that, as
- - all bot M -STNgt-
Ders are asking. Texas owes something
To her newspapers; for they have been
among the most potent factors in build
inc her towns and cities and developing
her natural resources. And there Is no
other class so large a proportion
Of which find their reward
in the consciousness of duty well per-
formed as those who are engaged in the
newspaper business. Your true journal
list is progressive, enterprising fellow,
no has great faith in the resources of
the country in which he lives, and who
keeps his paper all the time some years IN
advance Of the ability of his constituency
to support it. The newspaper men of
Texas make little enough, the Lord
knows. and when you take from their
earnings the money expended in defend
inc suits brought in cases where no dam
Rge has been done aud nothing can ever
be recovered.
THE RAILWAY FIGHT.
The line is being drawn in the matter
of a railway commission and the MEM
berS begin TO show where they stand.
The members are divided into three gen.
eral classes: Those who favor the COM
mission those who oppose it, and those
who have not yet decided where they
stand. OF the first class there are some
who will support il because they belive it
isright, and those who win vote first sim
MY because they know their constituents
want them to do SO Some Of those who
will vote against it viii do so because
they believe a commission having
power to regulate rates cannot be
~ constitutionally created; others will OPP
impose 1t because they think it ineXpedi-
wv ent Those who have not decided how
they shall vote are striving TO obtain all
the knowledge possible on the subject
that they may 90 what is best for their
,,rstItuents and the state ut large. There
III be a battle royal in the house when
Jne of these bills shall finally come up
for consideration. From present APP
pearances Brown Of GTaySon will lead the
forces in favor OF the commission, and
Gresham viii captain the opposition. Each
will be aided by q number of able and
skillful lieuteuants, and the contest
promises TO be a noted one III the annals
of Texas legislation. Brown Is very
strong man, debater Of great ability
sn,. a worker Of tireless energy. He is
one Of the best jury lawyers in the state
and is accustomed TO succeeding
I'm what he undertakes. Gresham
IL. perhaps, the most skillful par
Tiameutary fighter in Texas. He
is not what would be called an orator;
his speeches are convincing rather than
persuasive, and he relies more upon the
strength of logic than the beauty OF
rhetoric.
ABOUT THE CONSTITUTION.
Speaking of MT Gresham one naturally
, thinks Of the proposition TO call a consti-
tutional convention, for he is so
active in support of the measure
that il is inseparabiy linked
with his name Conservatism Is q good
thing, but the conservatism that would
defeat = constitutional convention At this
time is most too much of a good thing
There are at this time pending in the leg
isiature az least dozen joint resolutions
proposing to amend the constitution. II
every amendment needed to make the
,a,,-tfs,,+ior, r.,r, form, 70 tba a