Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-02-28
LEGISLATIVE.
Colored People File Protest Against
Working Convicts on Farms.
The Railroad Commission Bill is Again Con-
sidered and Ably Discussed
in the Senate
Twenty-First Legislature.


Special 10 the Gazette
AUSTIN, TEX, Feb. 9.-Lieutenant-
Governor Wheeler called the senate to
order at 10 o'clock. Quorum present
Prayer by DR.. Smoot, the chaplain.
Petitions and memorials: Petitions
against the railroad commission bill by
Mr.. Allen, from 40 citizens of Denton
county.
BY Mr.. Glasscoe ok, from citizens of
INTERPRETATIONS fayorng a commission
bill.
BY Mr. Morris-From seventy three
farmers and others of Cherokee county
By Mr.. Townsend-From citizens of
Colorado county.
Petitions by Mr. Crawford-From citi-
zens of Hunt county
Reports of standing committees-Mr
Frank, minority report for Judiciary
No. 2 on the bill allowing the opening of
places of business on Sunday before and
after 4 O'Clock. The report is signed
Frank, Stephens, Abercombie, Craw-
ford and Scale.
Mr.. Seale-For committee on agricult-
ure, statistics and history, favorably a
bill for the purchase from J. K Holland
of the records of statistical matters on
these subjects.
Bills and resolutions: Mr. Mcdonald
For the payment of fees to district and
county attorneys IN quo warrants and in
junction cases to which the state is a
party.
Mr.. Townsend-A bill for the relief of
John Littleton, citizen of Lavasco
county
A resolution by Mr.. Scale thnt the
senate continue in session; eating only
tamales and drinking water until the
commission bin is finally settled.
Messrs. Stephens and Frank were
added to the free conference committee
on the bill validating the sales of the
land board
The special order, the commission bill,
was taken up and Mr.. Lane resumed his
argument. He read letter from Ten
nessee showing that a commission had
been a failure there. He questioned the
success of the establishment of a COM
mission in any of the states. 1t had been
claimed Iowa was prosperous because
they had prohibition there. He read
statements from the manufactures of
Dallas showing their profits, and
declared the curse of the country
was the protection yielded by
the Federal government to manufac-
tories. The consumer does not pay the
freights on dry goods, though they do on
heavy freight like -four and general gro
ceries, so that the merchants are inter-
ested in this matter as much as the con-
sumers The railroads will control COM
mission. He disputed Mr. Simkin IS
statement as to how railroads were built.
They were built, not on paper, but by
no nd aac OF inlp tn
ways at the mercy of tramps
and such like, who can make
complaints at will against them
and give them constant and grievous
annoyance. Such would be the result
of q commission, being an invitation to
such complaints. He wanted the rail-
roads regulated in some such way as pro-
posed by law in his and Mr.. Field S bill,
and not by a commission.
Mr.. Lane finished his argument at
HIS and Mr.. Field began his speech in
favor of the bill he and Mr. Lane had
introduced. He thought also, in the first
instance, of favOring commission bill.
He began with most elaborate and elo-
quent exordium on the extent, variety of
Interests, topography, resources and
grandeur of Texas, going TO show what
II great part the railroads
must play in developing such
state. He covered the whole ground of
opposition to commission bill, its con-
stitutionality and its necessity, It's policy
and its effects; he could not heed the
stereotyped petitions sent him against
the bill. The speech abounded in ele-
CANT rhetoric and able classical illusions
He spoke for just an hour.
Further consideration of the bill was
6 49,,
Three petitions were offered by Mr.
Frank from 142 merchants and farmers
of Erath county favoring a COMMISSION
bill, and petitions opposing the bill, one
from thirty-six citizens of Bosque county,
the other from 128 citizens of Hood
county.
By. Mr.. Maetz-Three petitions from
Austin county and one from Washington
county favoring a commission
The bill making a person who escaped
from work upon roads or elsewhere, work
out his time of punishment for such es-
cape, and fixing the punishment at time
not exceeding uneXpired term, was
passed to engrossment.
Adjourned at 10 o clock TO 2:30 CLOCK
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The senate was called to order at $3.50
p. m. a quorum being present.
Mr.. Sims at once began an argument
against commission bill. He first dis
cussed the constitutional feature of the
question, declaring that all the best au-
thority was against the creating OF
He covered in this and
the other points made, about the same |
grounds gone over by Mr.. Mcdonald and |
MIR. lane. He thought commission |
would result III restraint Of trade, and |
would discriminate for different sections; |
it would drive out strictly state business; |
it would result IN confiscation of railroad |
without due process of law.
He told a monkey story to the effect that |
it would require about forty commissions |
ers to control one railroad-not three |
to regulate all the roads. |
A commission would result most disas- |
trously to all the vast unsettled western |
section of the state. He made an earnest |
speech, talking rapidly and with force
for just an hour.
The special order at $3.50, with Mr.. |
Tyler entitled to the floor, was suspended
until to-day, and general legislation was
Joint resolution No. was taken
up. The resolution is for a
amendment providing for
the registration OF voters in all cities Of
10 200 voters, and fer all counties Dor
ierinS on the Rio Grande, and for the
of ballots and the detection of |