Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-07-10

4
sufficient appropriations to open such
| ports.
Resolved, that this convention pledges
| its moral support to members of the leg
| islature who endeayor to pass proper
| laws for the regulation of railway COM
| panies and TO the officers of the law who
enforce the same.
The last three resolutions were not OPP
! posed By the minority.
Mr.. ] NJ. Perdue of Upshur, on be-
half of a minority of the committee on
| resolutions, reported for the section of
the committee which he represented the
| following:
On behalf Of the minority of the COM
mittee on resolutions, beg leave to offer
the following:
To the Hon. II. Brown, Chairman of the conven-
ton.
Whereas, there is widespread dissatis-
| faction and Generalization in productive
and business interests throughout the
state arising from unreasonable and
burdensome freight rates exacted by the
railway companies operating in this
state, and
Whereas, the power is vested in the
people by the constitution of this state
to regulate and control the railways in
the interest of the public, through their
legislative bodies, and
Whereas, no other power is given the
people as sovereigns to enforce a sched-
ule of freight tariffs that will be reas-
enable and just to both railway eompa-
MES and the people, therefore be it
Resolved by this convention, that we
ask Governor Ross to convene the legis-
lature in extra session and that we
demand of that body immediate legisla-
stion that shall be corrective and effective
in restraining the railway and transpor-
tation companies of this state in their
unreasonable and unwarrantable exac-
tons off the people.
Resolved, that the people of the state
be called upon by this convention to hold
county mass meetings and pass resolu-
tions expressing their sense upon this
momentous question and forward them
to Governor Ross, and also to both bod
les of the state legislature.
j. M. PERDUE,
S. D. O'BRIEN,
w. M. MATTHEW'S,
THOMAS I EDWARDS,
Committee.
Hon. J W. Finley of Grayson pre-
sented the report of the minority, No.
2, and moved its adoption. 1t is as fol-
lows:
To the Hon. T. j. Brown, Chairman.
The undersigned beg leave to amend
the majority report by striking out all
that part which relates to calling a special
session of the Twenty first legislature for
the following reasons:
We are opposed to such call an to los
ing time and spending the great amount
of money that will be necessary to pay
expenses of an extra session, unless
there is some probability that it will
result in the passage of the desired
legislation. We do not believe that it
will do this, as not one OF the senator's
who opposed railroad legislation is here
in attendance on this convention, show
ing that they have undergone no change
in their views on this subject, and
without such change no good can be ac-
complished.
We further believe that the same
senators who opposed railroad leg
islation on the ground that it
would be unconstitutional can not
consistently and conscientiously say now
that it is constitutional, especially when
they are backed up by Ex-Governor Rob-
erts and other eminent jurists, and that
they will vote now as they voted then.
We believe further that the railroads
will accede to the demand of this conven-
ton and reduce rates, but in order to de-
feat the proposed amendment to the con-
stitution and that after such defeat they
will again raise their rates and meet pro-
posed legislation with the declaration
that the people have spoken at the polls
and said they wished and needed no rail-
road legislation.
We believe whether the roads refuse to
reduce rates or not the convention and
the people should use their last efforts to
secure the adoption of the amendment so
as to take away the last excuse for oppos-
ing legislation.
We therefore recommend that the
amendment be adopted.
J. W. FINLEY.
Mr.. Todd of Jefferson obtained the
floor and delivered powerful argument
in support of the majority resolutions.
Mr.. Perdue recited the reasons which
actuated that part of the committee
which he represented and appealed to the
convention to adopt his report.
Col. James B Simpson followed in an
eloquent address, which was plea for
the majority report.
Mr.. James Moroney succeeded as the
next speaker, and when fairly launched
upon his subject. was shut off peremp-
torily on point of order.
Senator Kimbrough moved that the
two minority reports be laid on the table.
The motion was ruled out of order.
Motions innumerable were made about
this stage of the proceedings. Event
ually Finlay IS report was offered as an
amendment to the majority report and
in this form was finally disposed of by
being ruled out of order by the chair.
Question then occurred on the adop-
ton of the report by Mr.. Perdue. A
delegate moved to lay on the table. The
vote was by senatorial districts, and Mr..
Perdue IS report was slaughtered. The
vote stood: Yeas, BIG; nays, so.
A delegate thereupon moved the adOp-
ton of the majority report.
Judge John T. Harcourt Of Weather
ford proceeded to make a speech in oppo-
sition He was silenced by the gentle
man from Freestone with his inevitable
Doint of order