Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-27
GUSTAVE COOK.
The Anti Commission Champion Makes
Talk.
He Places His Personality Second in Impor'
lance to the Policies He Advocates.
The Points Made.

| Juuse UuslaNe COOh IeIuTHeu W rOIi
Worth yesterday afternoon from
Weatherford. He spent the afternoon
and evening at the Pickwick and on the
| adjacent curb; and when the shades of
night began to get solid grip on the
scene he mounted a dry goods box in the
| vacant lot on the corner of
| Main and Fifth streets, and for about
three-quarters of an hour, in the flick
ering shadows of a gasoline lamp, he
urged upon not over 300 Fort WORTHLESS
the dangerous shoals they would encoun-
ter if they undertook to regulate the
railroads of the state by other process
| than that already established by the
! constitution
| He was introduced to the audience by
| DR.. J. l.. Price. He began by saying
that he was in the race for governor not
from personal ambition, but because he
had been induced to believe he could
serve the people by placing before them
| some of the views he entertained with
regard TO the issues being fought out in
this campaign. He considered his cleo
ton secondary matter as compared
with the maintenance of proper govern
mental principles.
He said he had been in the state from
boyhood, for forty years. He had seen
property valuations rise here from thou
sands to millions; had seen the popular
vote increase from % 900 to 8 900 900.
What had caused these advances?
The railroads, the great facil-
tiles for transportation and exchange
of products. But now it is asserted that
these same railroads that have been SO
influential in our development are bent
upon subverting our liberties, prosperity
and happiness. But where is the danger
from the railroads? They say it lies in
the aggregation of capital in the
hands of the few men who control it.
But no corporation Can do any act except
as allowed by law. They may say the
roads exercise unlimited power in GER
tain directions, but where is the demon
stration of that proposition? 1t is not to
the interest of owners of roads
to break down the progress of
the country, rather to encourage
it. Why this alarm? If the roads
transcend their power they are amend
able to the law which controls you
and me. 1t is said excessive rates have
been established, but the roads have no
authority to do that, for the regular
tribunals Of the country are open to re-
dress grievances of that nature against
the roads.
And 1t is said the roads are not amena-
bic to the criminal law. 1t is true you
cannot bring criminal action against the
shadow known as corporation, but the
corporation is not capable of committing
crime. The individual agents and
employees of the corporation though are
liable for their acts the same as other
citizens.
q tnnu toy ie-
sued watered stock and fictitious bonds
and tax the people to pay interest and
diuideRds on the same. If this is so
have we not already power to reduce
these tariffs to their proper shape? The
legislature can value the road aud ma
chinery and franchise and establish rates
go that only a reasonable income may
be realized from it. But we cannot
reduce the rates and charges below
standard that will allow reasonable re-
Enumeration for investment. And sup
pose we reduce the rates of the roads SO
they will not pay interest on fictitious ln-
debtedness, will the corp rations not
seek to raise such interest by reducing
salaries and buying cheap material, thus
shifting the burden of taxation to other
shouldersp
They will tell you that the amendment
to the constitution on which you will vote
this fall means the establishment of a
commission with three members. 1t
does not mean so necessarily. 1t means
that you give the legislature power to
form commission. 1t may be of onlv
one man. How do you know what kind
of men will be appointed on that COM
mission? Or what kind of a legisla-
ture will appoint it? You
give your individual rights
into the hands of parties you know moth
ing about. And if you take from the
railroads the right to make contracts,
you take from yourselves the right to
contract with the railroads.
Mr.. Cook dwelt at some length upon
the last point, and gave numerous Illus
trations of the condition of things under
such circumstances. He said the COM
mission IN that regard would be a two
edged sword. He spoke of alleged dis
ordinations and overcharges by rail-
roads, arguing that they injured the rail-
roads themselves more than anyone else.
In conclusion Judge Cook urged the
people to think calmly and dispassion-
ately over the issues pending in the cam
paign, and when he concluded he was
given cheer.
He did not mention the name of Attor-
y-General Hogg during the speech.