Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-28

stock, important bridges, etc., are val.
ued separately.
1t goes without saying that state
| commission could do this much more sat
isfactorily and Justly to all concerned
than great number OF county boards OF
commissioners can, each acting inde-
pendently OF the others. Railroads
themselves prefer it after they have once
tried it. whereas under thes old sytem
they have to go before q grearer number
of county boards each year, under the
new they should have to go before but
| one, q state board.
In the matter of freight determinations
| and maximum freight rates, however,
| the state commission law has proved OF
| the greatest usefulness. The board is
vested with plenary powers to see to ii
that the laws are fully complied with
| On complaint of any shipper or other
person, the board is required to make
! special and thorough investigation; to
take all necessary testimony, and to in
stitute proceedings through the proper
! law Offices for the violation of the law
and the protection of the public. So,
also, are ''stock watering and "pool-
ing' prevented.
In word, the railroad laws of state,
in the hands of commission, are wisely
and faithfully enforced; the rights of the
people are protected, and the best inter-
ests of the roads themselves are not in
terferred with or jeopardized. On the
other hand, as it now is, these laws are
dead letters on the statute books-they
are q failure and farce. as every intelli-
gent citizen of the state knows.
Now, tor the objections to the COM
mission:
l. 1t is urged that the Legislature can
regulate the railroads.
In answer to this it is only necessary to
say that the legislature can enact laws,
but cannot enforce them; there has to
be some man or set of men properly
authorized to enforce the laws. Be-
sides, the legislature is in session only
ninety days in every two years, or three
in every thirty-sx mouths.
2. 1t is objected tnat we are not yet
ready for q state railroad commission;
that it would discourage and retard rail-
road building; and that, therefore, we
would better wait until we get more
roads.
Kansas and Nebraska furnish an an
swer to this. Both are newer states than
Texas, both have had railroad commits
their railroad mileage much faster than
we have. So will Colorado and several
other new Western statss.
But railroad commissions have nothing
in the world to do with Gripping or re-
tarding railroads. They simply see to it
that the law governing railroads is en-
forced. If there is anything in Texas
that is hurtful to railroads-which there
is not now nor is likely to belt is the
law; and the legislature, not the COM
mission, makes the law. AS well oppose
q judge on the bench as to oppose COM
mission. Both are equally and
simply officers of the law, sworn
to see that it is faithfully OBJ
served. If it is thought that the
law is not just, blame the legislature
and repeal the law, but do not condemn
the judge on the bench or the commits
sion for enforcing it. Verify, however,
no one will accuse the legislatures of
Texas with having been ungenerous or
unjust to ilroads, seeing that they
have given them an empire of the peo-
ple's domain. No, railroad commits
sion would have no more effect on rail-
way building IN Texas than would the
discovery of a satellite of the moon.
Then let US all unite for q commission,
thus putting Texas in line with the other
great, prosperous states of the Union,
of the great reforms that are now
sweeping over the country. Why adver-
tise our own want of progressiveness to
the world by rejecting il now, aud ac-
cepting it two or four years later? Re-
spectfully, W. w. GATEwooD.