Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-29
ATTORNEY-GENERAL HOGG.
Soma of His Opening Campaign Utterances
Critieised-Soms OF the Facts that
We're Left Out.
Fort wORrH, TEX, April Is, 1873

rOHT nOkTHY April Eoi 4osO'
Editor Gazette.
The state of Texas just now seems to
be overrnn with q horde of perspiring
patriots" who are DESTROYS of "saving
the country by immolating themselves
upon the altar OF official position. The
situation is not entirely new or novel. 1t
reours periodically, aud strangely enough
appears in its most virulsnt form in the
years of general elections. That there
can be any connection between the fact
of a general election and this spasmodio
effort to "savs the country is impossi-
BILE. 1t is only coincidence. A few
years ago, it will be remembered, the
state, and in fact the en-
tire nation, was afflicted
with one of these spasms. The country
was told with much emphasis by certain
of the press and many of the "perspir-
ing patriots that the country was going
to the ''demnition bow-wows at break
neck speed, and that its only salvation
was to put in motion the cylinders of all
the mighty printing presses of the nation
and converting the countless resms of
white paper into "fiat money Incl
dentally, OF course, some of these
country saviors were to be elected to
some office or other. Years haYe passed
since this spasm was on and the country
still survives. The "dollar of our
daddies'' is still coined by the minis and
still seems to answer the needs of COM
merce. The country still continues to
prosper. New stars appear upon
the flag, new railroads are con-
structed, new avenues of trade
and commerce are opened, and
the whole country teens with prosperity.
The "perspiring patriots" alone are
forgotten. But in their stead new and
equally patriotic and unselfish saviors
have come to the front. They are even
now educating the people to discharge
of their duty and admonishing them that
unless they arise in their might and
strike the shackles from their limbs they
will soon lie helpless and powerless be-
meath the wheels of the mighty Jugger-
nRut, waiting to be crushed beyond rec
ognition. Then it was the holders of
United States bonds that rode in chariots
over the land, receiving tribute from
every citizen and doing good to none.
Now it is the railroads that are doing the
Juggernaut act. These 'perspiring pa
unselfsh in their motives, but
If, as an incident to the salvation of
the country, they can be elected to some
office, it would greatly expedite the
work in which they are engaged and the
destruction of the commonwealth would
be more certainly and effectuaily
averted.
In this connection it may be
pertinent to remark that when
one sets out to enligten
the benighted minds of the populace,
to point out to them the dangers that
threaten, and the appropriate remedies
to apply to avert the evil, they should
acquaint themselves fully with the facts
and present them fairly. 1t may be
that the case is so desperate and the
danger so great that subterfuges, and
a little harmless deception may
be INDUCED in. in order
that the impending calamity
may be averted. But the suspicion will
be INDUCED in, and the presumption will
thrust itself upon the mind of him who
seeks light upon the all-important ques-
ton, that he who would travel outside of
the record, misquete the facts, and per-
vert the evidence, is an unsafe counsellor
in times of such imminent peril. And
such, il must be regretted, one Of these
would-be savioss has done.
In his initiatory address TO the uucon-
scious victims of railroad oppression in
the state of Texas, the attorney-general,
in making his arguments against rail-
roads, and reeIting some OF the robberies
committed against the people, makes one
or two utterances that are not borne out
by the facts. They are so palpably
wrong that 1t would be an in
suit to his intelligence to assert |
that he made them in ignorance.
It would be unrharitable to say that he |
made them with view of catching votes |
To illustrate, Mr.. Hogg says, with
a seriousness that gives evidence of sim
rerity:
Six years ago the Texas and Pacific bonded |
1ebt in round numbers was SAL 900, 900 and its 1
stock SS2 600, GOO. To-day the former is $50 Co.,
100 and the latter SIS 600 900, or clear increase
IF SIS OO0, 900 in that short period OF time Dur
go, 900. coo from traffic charges. Allowing the /
sxorbitant amount of so per cent. for expenses, !
here was left it sl2 00o, 600. What it did with /
stocks and bonds can only be determined by |
Wild conjecture, or perhaps from the Inter |
Jews, OF interested gentlemen WI remain in
At ali events no extension of the railway was /
made with it.
It Is pure assumption on the part Of
The, learned gentleman that the operating |
expenses of railway IS Of necessity 60 |
per cent. of its gross earnings, whether
the latter be great or small, aud this,
therefore need not be discussed. He
also waters the bonds and stocks
with the paltry sum Of So 900, COO,
brown in presumably for "lagniappe. -
But what became of the S12 600 900 ac-
.ual increase in bonds and stocks as shown
BY the attorney generals figures,
which for the purposes of this article It
will be assumed are correct, although
1is fiipDant manner OF tossing OF mil
ions would lend color &c the belief that
they might be erroneous. Does the at.
torney general affect TO be ignorant OF
The fact that dnrinz the period mentioned
the Texas and Pacific railroad was prac-
.ically reconstructed its entire length7
Does he not know it TO be q fact that
lew ties were PUT In, new steel rails
aid, wooden trestles supplanted by
teeI bridges, the entertainments widened
lnd strengthened, new stations and
buildings erected, and new equipment
For this work the S12 goo 600