The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-06-12

stance as my information goes, 1t has de-
generated into the mildest KIND OF pump
on log. shall not go into the details,
but want to ask your attention 10 one Oh
two points.
There are about four or nve States, not
ably Georgia and Mississippi, lnuulglng IN
this mild form OF dlsslpatlon. Are tney OF
Texas building more railroads nowf Are
they or Texas moving forward IN lmprov-
ment and progress fasterr Are the farmers
OF those States moving 10 Iexas or Iexas
farmers moving tnereT Is caplGal golnR
INTO those States or INTO Iexas most rap
ldlyI ana now ask you are tne Tates
Tor frelght or passengers lower IN tnese
States or IN IexasY ASK you II, consluer-
ing tonnage ana capltal invested, tne raVes
OF 1relgnt are hlgher mere or tnere'
n
LET is see what the facts are. From Poor's
Manual and the State comptroiler's report.
hoth If 1890 II annears thatfhe average ton.
nage to the mile On eastern roads Is $3.50
nn0n which the charges are nine mills and
tha Teyas tonnape Is old upon which the
charges chs % are thirteen " mills. So while the
roads of our State haul 9I4 tons ner annum.
s tHe as ct stern T roaSs % hani 751 M or more than
four times as much. and Notwithstanding
the investment of material is the same APP
narentlv the charges are only forty Der
cent, more,
\ The nassenper rate in Texas is three cents
per mile with yery little competition while
in manv other of the states the rate il five.
PASSENGER rates were reduced bv law from
five to three cents and having the power to
reduce IL by legislative control. what more
couId a Commission doP The State not
only has but exercises the mower to regulate
charges throuoh the leeisIature and will
continne to do 90 as sstha ey;oencies of tho
servicen NAV reonire II being known to
ali men that the State has and at its dis
cretion eyercises that mower thron@h the
leeisIatnre what GOOD are we to achieve
hy creatino q commission9
The State has the mower of insnoctino n,
as if is called in the hooks visitation and
NAV at ali times inouire into the manage
meIt and conditio,,s of these cornorat;nns
Rnt to sum m the nnestion in a few words !.
If tho state has creatad and andowed these
institntions and have the mower of vista
tion and tie absolute control of any and
every act which thew can nerform What is
thers IN he desired that q cnmmission conld
accomplish?
Asto their control and in every resnect
civiIlv thew are liable to the same control
which the individnaI citizen 10 snhiact fo
and amenahle tn tbe Same leoisIative ;ndi~
cal and executiye methods Now ist nc
see in what resnect a cornoration differs
from a citizen onlv az to liabilities to Grim.
inal prosecution and this difference Is imae.
inarv rather than real A cornorst;on ;s q
mvtb. an idea. has no substantial being or
existence ami can act onlv thronoh ito Ser.
wants and agents IN whom are entrnsted
the eyercise ofits nowers and fnnctions
II cannot do an ACT hnt in tic name ito
agents and ssrvants do Now II one n}
these shall SO exercise the civil poyer of
the CORPORATION as that he would he IF act
ing for himself. ciyilIv liable. the corpora-
mowers conferred ON II other than civil and
hence any criminal act done bv one of its
servants or agents cannot be the act of the
corporation. but must be the act of the ner.
son himself for which he is acconnteh HE to
the criminal law. for no matter what NAV
be the means emploved in the commission
of such an act, if harm be done to another
sion. such act would he criminal nnder the
law and the perpetrator responsibIe. II 10
no matter how a homicide he commiifed
whether it be by poison. knife. pistol or
railroad machinery. if intentionailv y or neo.
ligentlv done. il is murder. mansIauohter
or negligent homicide. as the facts wouId
class IT Under the law and wnoever shall
do it. or negligentlv permit to be done is
criminallv responsible. Cornorations em'
ploy men to do lawful things, it has no
nower to do or amnlov to he done nnlay,f,,I
things. So it would appear then that the
citizen is protected against cornorations hv
the civil law. and AGAINST the unlawful acts
of its servants and agents bv The criminal
law inst as he is AGAINST the ,,nIawf,Ii acts
of other persons And if there were bnt
there is not. anv want of further leeislative
action in this behalf. the estab ished leoise
latiye department is fully emnowered m
supply It. Then why the necessitv for
changer But there is another side nj this
Question. and that is what will he its effact
npon the material interests of the conntrvS .
Will it Stimulate the building of more lines
of railroad or suppress il? will n on bave
ing the capital to- invest in railroads invest
II here when il is subject 10 the control and
manacement of strangers selected in q
sniriI of hostility to these institTtions or
Will they 90 elsewhere VI
Here stand the neonle of Texas ipv;t;no
Immigration to their State that their WA ste
places NAV he built m and that their for.
file lands NAV be cultivated Tbonsands
nf her cit;zans are land NOR ou,r;Ue ,a,ifi
ions of hroad acres and mnaTs 80 esaII ILL ~
Ieaseit Tayes nnon taxes ond No SCI, ra,,o VI
nne from II II is Iike tho mar aHoat T.,
mid ocean ..Water water eyaruuharo uo"e o,,d III
not a dron to drinki, We see r;s;ne in % ,ha
North in the East and in Enrona q sr;r;t
of enternrise and investmant direot;,,p op; ~
conree tpwards Tayas Day oftar da1,e ,.s
citizens are invitine to o,;r State ny anJ oui oa
cortino throrab IL Tisitors uho tho,, ,iI Soso ,s
to ind1ce to Settle among rs bring & tbair