Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-06
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The Fort Worth GAZETTE intimates that GER
tain man in Texas given SIS. 900 by the rail-
roads TO defeat railroad legislation in the last
legislature. We think FHR GAZETTE simply lies
wiltully and knowingly when it makes such an
assertion. Such ma lcious charges as this is
what prevents the Correction OF the libel law
Kaufman sun.
Hard words are not arguments. All
over this state men are glibly talking of
the slush fund TO defeat railroad legisla-
ton that went into the pockets of lobby
lists, legislators and newspapers; Master
Campbell made report directly charg-
ing the railroads with using money TO de-
feat railroad legislation. This report
was legal document, and answer to it
could only have been effectually made in
a court room. A protest was filed to
this report, but before the case could
come to trial the protest qcas agithdra'on,
thus clearly indicating that Master
Cam pbell's charges could not be denied.
1t IS very easy for the organs of the
roads to deGounce as "a lle'' that which
Is founded in an official report made to
law court. But if it is "a lie" iChy
lraS the protest agHfdralrn before it could
be subjected to legal test? If it Is "a
lie, =" why do the railroads not go into
court and submit their denial to legal in
curry? If it is "a lie,' why did not
those who are charged in Master Camp
is well as those who are charged with
bribe-giving, 60 into the courtroom and
face the report before it became q YER
dict?
If there had been no bribery, would
men charged with bribe-giving and
bribe- taking rest quiet without legal
protest under such infamous charge as
that embodied in Master Campbell's re-
port? If it is ga lie'' it would have been
easy to prove 1t so. That no legal effort
was made to disprove the masters
charges is evidence that his charges were
not lies but truths. Discussing this
scandalous matter, the Fort Worth
Evening Mail of the 4th inst we'll says:
"The disclosure of bribe-taker implies
the presence OF q bribe- giver. And his
crime is no less than that of the guilty
wretch who touches his palm in the reach
for gold" And then the Mail adds:
We have in mind several whose records are
not out OF harmony with such mission, men
whose avowed business it has been for years to
hover about and debnuch legislatures, whose en-
trance in legislative halls is always the signal
for sly chances and covert jests, who have minis
tered to the vi e passions OF public servants aud
served as presiding geniuses Of secret ale and
gambling houses, that they might IN the end
dive hard bargains for men's sous.
or it may have been one of those thrifty
patriots who went to the Texas legislature twelve
or fifteen years ago and gamoied with such re-
msrkable success, especially when thu subjects
of railway tax exemptions md donations were
up, that thGy came into speedy possession OF
princely fortunes, and now figure as capitalists,
whose chief concern at this moment is fear
that the state will be captured by the commune.
Or it may have been some of the smaller satel-
ties of those early legislatures. who assisted in
petty thieveries on the percentage plan, forging
drafts against state funds, and converting the
state house into Den OF prostitution, where
So.ne one of these othciated at that bargain
and paid that money. Which one?
The report of Master Campbell touches
the honor of Texas, the honor of the
states representatives and of the states
newspapers. The report of Master
Campbell affects the states interest and
its rights. If Texas law has found its
inspiration in railroad slush funds the
people of Texas have right to know all
the truth OF the shameful story. and
somewhere there should arise a man
with honor and honesty and courage and
ability to disclose the infamy in all its
details.