Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-21


association; located in Texas, intending To
operate IN disguise to regulate the traffic Of tho
| country Each of these succeeded in dissoIv-
ing Dy the power and effect OF the decree en-
| tered in the first instance. By this work many
men were deprived of profitable situations and
| employment that they held and received in yio-
1 latlon OF law. OF course some OF them are
not friends 10 me, and ready to SAY that
my election will ruin railroads. drive capital out
OF the state, and retard progress and prosperity
\ in all respects.
| Since the dissolution of those associations.
| instead of the railroads being operated under
one central power, they have acted, so far as the
| law applied to them, independent carriers
! under separate control and management. Com
merce has not fully rallied from the evil effects
! o. them; but a general healthful stimulus TO
/ trade and attendant benefits have been the re-
4 suit. This no one will deny.
IN addition to this Texas Traffic association,
| there are TIVE great railway systems with their
headquarters out of the state, that controlled
the stock and received the earnings Of nearly
every railway company in the state. One known
as the Missouri Pacific system with headuuar-
tiers at st. Louis, operated the Texas and Pacific,
the International and Great Northern, the
Missouri, Kansas and Texas and their
directories, appointed their officers controlled
their traffic arrangements, received their earn
-lnsS Sao dlSouTsed Inelr expenses aI4IS oLuce IA
81 Louis through the directors elected Dy
thst foreign company, it increased the bonds
and stocks Of each of said roads at will ip de-
hance OF the laws Of our state. Such was the
case also with what was known as the Southern
Pacific Railway company, with headquarters IN
San Francisco and New Orleans that operated
and controlled the Galveston, Harrisburg and
San Antonio, the Texas and New Orleans, the
Sabine and East Texas and other lines.
Nearly all of the SIS, 900, 600 expended annually
by the people Of Texas in freight and passenger
charges were disburSed at the headquarters OF
the state drained OF its proportion OF the CIR
culating medium, and TO that extent contrib ted
to the prosperity and wealth o. other sections.
IneSe two great railway systems, as they are
called, do not boldly operate in Texas now
Why? Look at the records of your courts. The
first case that tested their strength and legal
by m n y
Travis county, and is known as the State vs.
the International and Great Northern railway
company. For the construction OF this
road the state donated to it 1850
acres. of land to the mile, and exempted
from taxation for period Of twenty-five years
from 1875. At first it was excellent road and
rendered good service to the commerce OF Texas
1t had its headquarters at Palestine, at which
place it made the deposits OF its earnings and
PAID the expenses of its operation. SO long as
1t was thus managed it added life and prosperity
to every section through which it Alb
sorbed, however, by the Missouri Pacific sys-
tenn its Offices officers and headquarters were
removed out of the state, and a result its
roadbed, rolling stock, general equipments and
depots became dilapidated and so out OF repair
greeaple, tardy and hazardous. The action
brought against IL had the effect OF dlssolv1ng
its relations with the Missouri Pacific system,
removing its general offices and headquarters
back to Palestine and having its roadbed and
rolling stock placed in such condition as TO
make 1t equal to any road IN the state.
While failed to recover forfeiture OF its tax
exemption on the ground that 1t wssca part OF
the property and could not be severed from it,
vet. aside from that. the beneficial results OF
that action can never be questioned Sy any fair
minded man. At many points along the line OF
that road decent depots have been constructed,
the roadbed put in good repair and all expenses
incurred by 1t are now paid out along its route
in the state. Pending the trial and IN answer 70
the states petition, the Missouri Pacific rail-
way company, through its president. Mr.. Gould,
filed its written release Of all claims TO and con
troll over said road and property This cut the
link that gave the Missouri Pacific system its
strength in Texas, and 1T Immediately aban.
action the Southern Pacific system soon fol-
lowed that example.
Another action that had good effect was the
one against the Texas and New Orleans railway
company, which resulted in compelling it TO
remove its headquarters and general Offices from
New Orleans back to Houston.
Following up these precedents and the law
that was passed subsequent to their establish
ment, have compelled the removal OF the
headquarters, general Offices and shops OF every
railroad in this state which were located in for
eign cities and states, back upon the line OF
their respective roads. They have been COM
PEELED to remove to San Antonio, to Houston, 20
Galveston, to Dallas; to Fort Worth, to FL
Paso, to Denison, to Texarkans, to Tyler, and
TO other places where they belonged under terms
of their charters.
For the delinquencies non-users and abuses
of it's charter franchises 1 brought suit against
the East Line and Red River railroad company
and succeeded in FORGETTING its charter and hav-
ing receiver appointed to take charge Of its
affairs. This is the first case in the history OF
this country where areceiver has been appointed
over railr6ad at the instance of the state, and
it is the first one in which the charter has been
forfeited in this state. The precedent Is just
and wholesome one, which in time, will result
in great good to the railroads and the public.
Without entering, my fellow-citizens, into
further details of the services have performed
aS:attorney- general, which this occasion will
not permit, wish to state that by suits and Off
cial action duly taken, have compelled most
of the railroads in Texas, so far as the law
would warrant, to decently repair, equip and
operate their roads, to cease discrimination IN
construct and keep in proper order
suitable depot buildings and to
the same way I have compelled the dissolution
of many unlawful combinations within the state
that have heen for long time operating in def
ance Of law. Included within these was the
express association, the insurance underwrit-
ers, the coffin combine, tobacco trust and others
have represented the state IN Numbers OF cases
in the supreme and district courts against de-
faulting sheriffs and tax collectors, delinquent
land lessees and others who were due the state,
or sought to recover from it, sums Of money. I
have stirred up, through the efficient district
and county attornevs deIinuuent tag PAYERS
and many others who refused to perform their
legal obligations to the government.
have sued for and recovered of several rail-
is any meaning 70 plain language
in the law, that they are not, and
are yet pending in the courts, and therefore VIII
not be here discussed. I have enjoined the Mis-
souri,, Kansas and Texas railroad company in
the ownership and use OF $40 900, 600 of stock OF
the International and Great orthern railroad,
which it claims to own. If the records are true,
that stock was not oAly Illegally held but is hc-
titious under our constitution and laws, for il
was issued without the payment OF money or
any consideration whatever.
have intsrVened in behalf Of the state in the
action brought by, the bondholders 70 recover
SIS, COO, 900 against the International aud Great
Northern. contend and viii prove that SIS per
cent OF these bonds were also issued without
any money or other consideration whatever.
Since my. taduction into the Office Of attorney
general of all the suits have brought have
never lost but two; have 1 ever
taken or applied for continuance in q single
one that have appeared in. In all this work
have had to aid only two Office assistants
and one clerk; and aside from the salaries paid
them and myself, the state has not been put TO
$500 cost since took charge of the office.
Before accepted the positions have held,
fully understood that my actions should be
controlled by the law. now defy any critic to
truthfully point to a single instance within
my whole life wherein have
not strictly performed my official duties.
II assaults on my official acts are honestly made
they can, if true be substantiated by the records
and proofs adduced. By that am willing TO
stand or fall. To it refer as evidence OF what
shall always do so long as I hold ONCE.
Turning from the past and looking 70 the
future, wish to tell you what my policy win be
il the people Of this state elect me their gov
ernor. Since was twenty-one years old I have
cast ballot at each election for with