Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-20
HON. R. S. KIMBROUGH.
He Talks State Issues to the People of
Lancaster and Vicinity.
The Road Amendment and the Commission
Amendment Necessary to Texas If
She Wants to Prosper.
Special to the Gazette.

| to section of article of the constitution and
| demonstrated very conclusively that unless this
proposed amendment adopted as part of the
organic law of the land that Texas could
not have a good system of public roads.
He also advocated the adoption of the
| commission amendment. He argued at consid-
| cradle length, with much clearness and vigor OF
| expression, in favor of the establishment of a
! railroad commission the best means of pro-
| tecting the people from the growing power, in
science and injustice of foreign railroad corpo-
rations doing business in the state. he further
| advocated with much earnestness the nomina-
| ton of Attorney General Hogg for governor
| Mr.. Hogg, he continued, was the one man now
| before the people of Texas who was thoroughly
| in harmony with the great masses OF the people
! on this question. Other men who would prob
ably make good justices of the peace were trying
| to get on his platform. but there was not
| room Mr.. Hogg occupied the whole platform
to the satisfaction of all, save George Clark and
the railroads. In regard to the commission
Senator Kimbrough gave strong and convincing
reasons to show that it was the only methed that
would regulate or had ever regulated railroads.
He went into details, illustrating and proving
the many and various ways that commission
would benefit the state. He called attention to
article in the Manufacturers Record written
by railroad manager in Georgia in which the
commission cited as one OF the factors
IN Georgia's great prespearpity' ca IeSas
ldea-one that would do some good and not be
farce, as was the Tennessee commission, which,
in the first place. had no power, and on which
there were two railroad men and only one man
representing the people. The railroads IN that
state started out to make the commission
farce and succeeded in doing so, and the same
game would be tried in Texas. This was why
such cry was going up from the corporation
organs against what they were pleased to term
commission with ''plenary powers. The hght
of the opposition was plainly in opposition to
any sort of regulation at all, and had
been SO all the time, ,, and would be
said the senator, from Judge Clark's first in
terview in the Dallas News in which he advo-
Gated taking the bride off, But the OPPOSE
ton found this plan would not do and went to
work to divide and sdetrack the commission
forces. all sorts of argument and hobgoblins
have been manufactured and held up to the
public gaze. The latest move on the part OF the
Dallas News and the Waco Warwick is to get
up nom pagtisan business mems clubs. Printed
szstate, and usually some railroad
ektFTes them around and gets
the than meeting sh6S The am at sb reliably
and the News printed the proceedings with the
grand flourish peculiar to that paper. Do
you all remember how the News interviewed
people on this railroad question during the sit
ting of the last legislature? When the COM
mission bill was before the house the News and
just like they do now, but when that bill was
defeated and the Lane and Field rate bill was
presented in the senate they threw up their
US from our friendsI This thing will
ruin the country Never, mind about
liberty or. death, but for Gods sake
have commission. The News started out its
interviewer again, and men representing all
sorts of corporations aocked to the capital in
droves. You all know the fate OF the bill; 1t
defeated, but the house ought to have
passed it Just to show to the business world the
utter impossibility of regulating freight tariffs
by direct statute. 1t can't be done. Why, they
had oysters and iron ore in the same class.
Scrap iron and looking glasses were in the same
class; Dressed beef and lumber were classed
together. But they said this was the proper
way to regulate; that is when the commission
bill was pending. And, strange to say,
this same method is again popular-with the
Dallas News, Mr.. Clark and other corporation
attorneys, notwithstanding they first advocated
the bride being taken off. The truth is, my
favor method different from the one proposed
don't want any regulation at all. Their real
purpose is to not only take the bride off, but to
keep it off, This scheme to organize the bust
ness men against the amendment, as Sam Jones
said of Nose Harris, is daisy, 1t reminds me
OF the printed petitions the railroads got the
business men of the country to sign in opposi-
ton to the commission bill during the
last legislature. The business men of the
state helped the railroads defeat every thing
IN the way OF regulation that came before the
legislature the last session, and in less than a
month the roads put their rates up. enough to
cover the campaign expenses, and the business
men got sick about this time and gave themselves
a good kicking. After they got through kicking
themselves and Illuminating over what set of
they all got together at Dallas and got down
on their knees to the railroads and begged for
lower freight rates. I refer to the Dallas
rate convention and that committee
of thirty-one appointed by it. The committee
and the railroad people met; the freight agents
wore smile as broad as saw mill; the mem
bers of the committee looked solid and meant
business, but after wrangle of two or three
days the meeting adjourned without doing
thing. The railroads came out on top just like
they did in the legislature. Now fellow c1ti-
zens, the reason refer to these matters is be-
cause the railroads. aided by the Galveston
Dallas News and perhaps other papers, are nix
nf or
their own interest again just as have shown
you they have done in the past. Can they do it?
If they do the business men are made
to what think they are. The business men,
of Dallas have not yet got together as at
Waco and Sherman, but look out, it's comingI
heard in Dallas TODAY the ''business men7'
would be called together the first of the week to
be organized against this amendment. 1t is
pretended that these organizations organized
for the purpose of discussing all matters per-
tanning to the carrying on of business, but gem
tlemen, the truth is they are nothing more nor
less than political clubs, whose object will be to
fight this amendment and Jim Hogg, and cap
ture the primaries. These people are opposed
20 both Hogg and the amendment,
the amendment, because they know il they can
secure his defeat that the chances are they can
destroy the force and effect of the amendmenti
adopted by the people; These clubs are not
named right; instead of being called business
organizations, - they should be called anti-Hogg
clubs, for that is what they really are, and the
and beware of the trap. Business clubsl Oh,
yes, they are business clubs, they are!
Now suppose a business man refuses
to sign his name to these blanks
sent out thus refusing to become a member Of an
anti Hogg club. Will he be blacklisted by the
railroads? The originators OF this scheme know
whether he will or not. That is the programme
of course but they will all deny it.
''Mr Hogg is the only man that the people
who are really and earnestly in favor of railroad
regulation can support. The issue is sharp and
clearly drawn between him and the celebrated
picnic orator of Paris, my friend Senator Nc
Donald. Mcdonald is the only man in the field
who is really in harmony with George Clark and
his crowd. He don't want any regulation
by commission or otherwise, and they
don't either. But many OF them have
not got the n-rve to say so. They are resortinR
to all sorts of lodges and subtertuges, as have
shown. They ought TO make an honest fight and
quit playing the hypocrite. The tight is regula-
ton or no regulation, and should be made hon.
Hall, the land commissioner, and Lieutenant
Governor Wheeler are half-mast candidates for
governor but they are not in the race, and peo-
Die who favor the commission amendment and 4
Commission that will do the people of Texas
some good cannot afford to take notice OF the
candidacy of either one Of them. Wheeler's and
Halls candidacy reminds me of the way we used
hstes were good to tease the bear and detract his
attention from the big dogs, but we don't want
any of that kind in this race Let the big dogs
at the bear and let's haYe no monkying.
Another thing, fellow citizens, We must not
forget That is the Legislature. Whist good
would it do the people TO carry this amendment
and elect Jim Hogg If the railroads should cap