The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-03-14

needing railroads. He knew rail
roads did wrong, and he was will.
ing and anxious to regulate these
wrongs and prohibit them, yet he would
never cast vote that would stop railroad
building in the state, even for one mile
Why have never Roberts. Ireland and
Ross IN their messages advocated a railroad
commission? Yet who will say they do not
love Texas and her people? Roberts has
time and again declared commission bill
unconstitutional. This mighty triumVir-
ate of a commission could accom-
plish nothing except to create con
fusion. And yet they were expected
to run around over the state and on
free paeses. That was not forgotten in
the bill, while it is undoubtedly true the
state has no more right to say a railroad
shall carry her officers free of charge than
she has to demand of q railroad to carry
freight free of charge. He hit Senator
Claiborne on his attacks on members OF
the state democratic, committee, and as to
his admission of taking names from tomb
stones to add to petition for a railroad
he read what he styled the first two stanzas
of Pope's Essay on Claiborne:
clark from the tomb, doleful souRd,
John Claiborne hear the cry,
Whv do you trespass on the ground
Where men sleep when they dieY
"Far better had you ne er been bred,
My dear, my General John,
Than live to fitch names of the dead
To build railroad on
He treated with contempt the threat
that failure to pass the bill would disrupt
the democratic party. The Texas senate
is the hardest body on earth to bulldoze.
1t could not be made by duress to do what
it thinks wrong. At best, commission
would be an expensive luxury. And the
evil results upon the lumber interests
alone would compel its repeal. The prai-
ries of the west would remain for years
tenantless. He hoped and trusted
the legislature would not adjourn
without passing some wholesome
railroad laws, but he would rather
see every statute now on the books gov
erniDg railroads expunged therefrom, and
no other laws be passed, than that this
dangerous bill should become law He
talked earnestly logically and forcibly for
an hour and half, and deliberately Gov
cred every point on his side of the ques-
ton. The senate at O'Clock adjourned
to 10 O'Clock to-day.
From Fridays Daily
The senate was called to order at 10
o'clock. acknowledgement Wheeler in
the chair, and quorum present. Prayer
by Doctor Smoot, the chaplain.
PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS.
One petition for a commission bill, and
five for reduction in freight charges.
Four petitions against commission bill.
REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES.
By Senator Kimbrough, for committee
on claims and accounts-Unfayorably bill
making an appropriation for the pay
ment of costs and officers of Marion
county, in suits instituted in the district
court of Marion county under an act of
the legislature entitled "An act providing
for the condemnation and sale of land for
delinquent taxes" also unfRvorably bill
for the relief of j. W. Norwood; also I'M
fsvorably bill for the relief of the firm of
M ID. Darlington g. Co., for loss on ship
ment of fruit incurred in the quarantine
service.
Senator Burney, for committee on edu-
Internationally bill requiring superin
tendent of public instruction to require
of county judges and superintendents of
county, city and town schools to give re-
ports of the school funds and school af-
fairs.
BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS.
Senator MoDonald-Bill (by request)
amending law regulating the incorpora-
ton of railroad companies.
AT 1925 Senator Burgess began his
speech against the commission bill He
said he very nearly agreed with The
STArEsMAN's editorial on the commission
debate, but as it WIS the fashion for every
senator to speak his views he had no de-
sire to conceal his sentiments, but he
would speak shortly. From the time he
was first honored with a seat in the senate
he had been of the firm conviction that
such bill as this was unconstitutional.
Much had been said about the opinion of
Ex-Governor Roberts, recently published.
He would state that, in the Seventeenth
session of the legislature, while Roberts
was governor, he had told him (Burges)
that he was opposed to commission bill.
He at that time urged the legislature to
regulate railroads, not delegate that
authority to any other power. At
the called session of the Seven
teenth legislature Burgess said that
Governor Ross was one of ten senators
who by refusing to suspend the rules
killed a commission bill. Yet he is the
man the Dallas convention Endorsed unani-
mossly and then refused to sanction the
policy of commission. The bill was an
and neither the democratic
party nor the people demanded it. As to
how the state is being robbed by the rail-
hn fkoN haI
two more such robbiug agencies it would
be the richest state in the union. He
cited instances of how cities and
sections had been built up and
the general public accommodated and
blessed by the railroads. The
bill had come into the senate