Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-07
RoW ABOUT THE RECEIYERS7

Attorney General Hogg, tine charge has been
made that the railroad managers Of the state
the purpose of bribing the A. H Belo Sc Co.
corporation to fight cert ain proposed legislation.
Can't you do something?- Fort Worth Mail.
The receivers OF the International and Great
Northern are ordered by the court to repay
$500, which, according to haster-in- Chancery
Campbell. has been improperly expended
This does not mean extravagantly or mad
vertantly expended. which could be condoned
and overlooked as due to lack OF Judgment or
circumsta lces beyond the receivers control.
Improperly expended has specific and
significant meaning in this order of the court
1t says that the receivers, without warrant or
eXtenuatlng circumstances, have expended
they must pay it back out of their own pockets.
This being the c2ss, what will Judge McCord
do about the rsceivership? He mas the right to
V2cate 1t II he sees proper, FOR he appointed the
present receivers. and they hold under his au-
thority as district judge. He created them,
and he can unmake them. 1t looks to disin-
terested spectator as though this recent order
put the receivers in an unenviable attitude, and
that the court cannot fail to perceive the atti-
tude they occupy. II the receivers ought not to
repay this $500, why do they not exercise their
rights and Vindcate themselves as well by re-
sistins, in a legal way, the repayment? The
masters report, standing now as an order OF
the court, is an imputation upon the receivers
which most men would resent with prompt in
dignEtion. It is said they are going to pay the
$500. The sum may not be a large one for the
receiverE-and perhaps they feel as though they
had rather pay it and lose the money than to
have further worry over the matter. But 1t Is
in fact serious imputation, and there are men
who wonld spend twice SdlOG to repel the charge
of expanding $500 OF somebody eise's
money improperly, for it is not contended by
anybody that the receivers were swindled or
duped. They were selected for their reputation
and ability as business men and they contracted
and paid money Cor ordered it paid with their
eyes wide opsn. VIII they submit without
word OF protest to the imputstion? Their stand
ing and reputation precludes the proposition
that they will. Or if they do submit, will
IrIcT Mc(n hN rre1 tod ham der her
the proper men to continue in charge of the
property? They ara in measure an arm OF the
court which cohtrois the property, ana thls re-
port of the master is therefore constructively
an imputation upon the court itself, for the
court created and the court retains in authority
these gentlemen who stand charged with
'improps rIy expsnding'' s6lOO of money not
theirs. Does not the order of the court reflect
as harshly upon the receivers who ordered paid.
as well as the persons who received this i'm
properly expended" money?-IWaco Day.
But suppose the receivers paid out that
$1,000 in compliance with contract
made and entered into by the Iuterna-
tional prior to the receivership? If the
receivers did not make the contract, how
can the order of the court reflect upon
them if, in paying out money on q con-
tract previously made, they considered
that they were doing that which it was
to the interest and welfare of the road 10
do?
Back of the receivership lies the con-
tract and the responsibility for the ''lm-
proper" expenditure of money. And
back of the receivership. and through 1t,
the state of Texas should go, to the end
that the people of Texas may know how
much of their legislation has found in
SEPARATION in the slush funds of railroads.
Out of all this tangle have arisen
these questions: Have the railroads been
paying money TO men and to newspapers
10 influence legislation, and who were
the men and which were the newspapers?
Where there is SO much smoke there
must be some fire, and somewhere in the
state there should be patriotism and
ability sufficient to turn the calcium on
the bribs givers and the bride TAX ers.
Turn on the calcium.