Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-01-29
GOV. JOHN c. BROWN.
His Speech Before the House Committee
on Internal Improvements.
The Grounds Upon Which He Opposes the Es-
tablishing of a Railway Commission
Set Forth in Detail
correspondenee OF dc Gazette.

Correspondence Of the Gazette.
AUSTIN, TEX, Jan. % Following is
a synopsis of the speech delivered by Gov
ernor John c Brown of the Texas and Pa
cific road. before the house committee on
internal improvements, on the prop
osition to establish railway commission
for the state of Texas. The speech IN its
entirety would cover two pages of The
GAZETTE, and is therefore, too long for
publication in full This much is sent
that the readers of TIE GAZETTE may
know upon what grounds the establish
ment Of the commission is being opposed.
Governor Brown said:
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen:
The interest l have the honor 10 repre-
sent is the only one OF magnitude and
usefulness in your state that is not di
TectIy represented on the floor of the two
houses of your legislature. The agri-
cultural, mechanical and commercial III
terests III their various forms and
phrases, as well as the leading profess
sions, are largely and ably represented
on the floor of both houses. This is
deemed eminently proper by each ana
every other class, and is Of itself free of
criticism, yet none OF these interests,
nor ali of them combined, are so bitterly
assaulted as the inland carrier lines OF your
state, involving an Investment Of nearly
half Of your aggregate wealth. This
investment, too. has come from abroad
] might say entirely from abroad-at your
invitation and upon your solemn prom
ises, repeated through all the channels
of intelligence and by every department
of the state government, OF absolute pro-
lection from unfriendliness or hostility.
Notwithstanding this fact, scores Of bills
have been Introduced, and are now being
considered, looking directly to impairing
both the value and usefulness of these
enterprises. Yet when its representa-
tives appear before you in your assem-
bled or in your individual capacity, to
demonstrate against ill-advised and ILL
considered legislation, a hue and cry goes
up that the RAILROAD lobby is here - en-
deayOring to influence the legislature.
We have no means of being heard within
the bar Of the house or within the closed
precincts of the senate chamber, and our
only method of communication with the
legislature is by the court esy
of committees. The railroad
companies of Texas, notwith-
standing the immense interests involved,
are asking absolutely nothing at the
alone by the potential power you WELD.
We are already crippled i'll revenue by
legislation which impairs our legitimate
net revenue, applicable to interest
charges, TO say nothing of dividends,
never contemplated by those who granted
the franchises to the older roads, author
lied prior to the cons 5itution of 1876. Our
passenger rates have been cut down from
charter rates of and cents per capita
per mile to 3 cents per capita per mile
and q limit has been fixed TO freight
charges which was not contemplated III
the earlier charges granted to the first
roads built in the state, and which
are in themselves, to many of
the new properties, wholly unremuner-
alive; but we have preferred to submit
uncomplainingly to these unjust restric-
tions placed upon what might be consid-
cred our charter rights, hoping that no
further encroachments would be urged
upon the privileges originally guaranteed
TO us. We are here as representatives of
the railroad interests of Texas. We are
taxpayers; we pay, outside of the taxes
upon real estate, lands and town lots,
more than one-fifth of the taxes paid
into the treasury of Texas; we are citizens
of your commonwealth; we have a right
10 be heard before the representatives of
the people because they are our repre-
tentativeS, and we shall ask or demand of
the legislature nothing more and nothing
less than what are our rights as taxpayers
and citizens. That much we do ask-we
shall continue to demand--for the point
has now been reached where our self-eX-
iStence is ut stake. The properties | have
the honor To represent comprise 1900
miles of railway in your state which have
never earned money enough from the
carrying business and from all other
sources to pay 81 dividend 10 the stock
holders, and during the five years last
past Gas shown by the sworn statements
of its officers, who / undertake to say are
rs honorable as the officers of the state
government, as truthful as you or any
body else) the earnings have fallen short
of paying interest upon the Investment
many millions of dollars In the face of
this, gentlemen of both houses introduce
bills and earnestly advocate their pas
sage, the direct result of which would be
10 still surther reduce the income of these
Among the list Of railroad
lines TO be affected will be found some
which have had long and doubtful strug-
giles with poverty and financial disas-
tiers, until now their final success seems |
assured unless overtalIeu- by I
calamities undeserved and uneXpe, ted
VIII il be charged by anyone that the
reports of railroads are false? If so, let |
the charge be officially made, boldly, and /
have committee of investigation and /
send for the officers who have III their
keeping the hourly and daily transactions /
of these lines of railway, and learn for /
yourselves whether the reports are true
or false. Their truth is questioned on
grounds wholly insufficient
l maintain that the legislature of Texas /
by any restrictive legislation, /
diminish the income Of railroads in Texas, !
and especially those organized prior to |
the act Of February {, 1858, or even after /
that up to the adoption of your constitu- |
ton of 1876, except in conformity to the |
terms of the act of February Z, 1858; III |
other words, [ maintain that the act Of !
February :, 1858, entitled IAN Act TO |
Regulate Railroads, - became, so TO |
speak, part of the charter of all the |
railroads in Texas in existence prior TO |
the adoption of the present constitution, |
which have brought themselves within
the PLAN and obvious conditions
IF the first section of the act
Let us briefly consider the
act of February Z 1858. Can the legis-
ature pass any law which is in conflict