Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-17
FARMERS CONVENTION.
A Small But Representative Gathering
to Discuss Questions of the Day.
An Address to the People of Texas Adopted
Railway Commission Demanded-The
Farmer Asserts Himself.
THE GAZETTE BUREAU,
S2T MAIN STREE T,
nRTTao Trv Anil ~ 1901

Pursuant to a cali, made and published, be-
tween fifty and one hundred farmers, repre-
senting Dallas and fifteen other counties in
various parts of the state, assembled this morn
ing in the Oak Cliff park pavilion for the pur-
pose of discussing the dirtroad question and
such other questions affect the interests and
general welfare of the farmers of the state.
The meeting was called to order about II
O'Clock by Mr.. w. H. Harris, the lecturer O.
the state Grange for this district. He NOM
mated Mr.. E. A Daniel for chairman, who
was unanimously chosen to preside over the
meeting. Mr.. James NJ. Baird of Lamar was
appointed secretary. At the request of the
the meeting. He said that some weeks ago
there appeared in the Dallas News a call for
convention of county judges and county commits
sioners set for April s, for the purpose of inaug
urating sT stem of public roads, and fixing up
on some plan whereby such roads might be built.
1.-The idea struck me- said the speaker, THAT
the county judges and county commissioners
were not good road builders, that county court
would not be a good court to pass upon the
question as to what roads should be built or how
to build them; that the farmers, who needed
tho2e roads and would them knew more
about what they wanted than did the county
Judges. With these ideas foremost in my mind,
and in the minds of others representing the
farmers, call for this meeting was issued. 1t
looks, however. from the few who are here
present. if the farm feel very little interest
in this matter 1t is to this very fact, which has
often been thrown in your faces, that you
can to-day in large measure attribute your
condition. For twenty five years you have been
doing the same thing. You came home, many
of you, at the close of the to till your fields
to make bread and meat for yourself and your
families. you let others run the government,
and they have been running it ever since.
You claim you are oppressed. but many of you
can't tell why. You only know that it is
This meeting called to give the farmers of
the state who are here an opportunity to ex-
press themselves on this great question. The
farmers need roads, and we are interested in
having full discussion of the to be
ployed and methods to be pursued to secure
them We have also tackled on the railroad
question, because that question is one of vital
Importance to the people of the state. We don't
want TO enter into partisan politics, but we do
want to enter into the discussion of poli-ic
questions that affect our interests as
farmers. We not the antagonists
of railroads, but we do not want them to over
ride and Cypress u.s.
At the close of Mr.. Daniels talk committee
of five was, on motion, appointed by the chair
man, on topics national, state and county of
consisted OF William Harris of Dallas; G. W.
White of Freestone: j. S. Shaw, editor Texas
Farmer, Dallas; n. L. Cowan, DentOn I. H.
Henderson, Lamar.
Col. w. w. Lang, who was down on the pro-
gramme for speech, was then introduced, and
spoke for nearly an hour. Col. Lang's speech
will appear in full in to- morrow s GAZETTE
At the conclusion of Col. Lang's speech re-
cess was taken until l:30 O'Clock. Upon
assembling, and the committee on resolutions
not being ready to report, the chair announced
that Hon. T. j. Brown would address the meet
ing. A synopsis of Judge Browns speech Will
appear in to-morrow's GAZETTE. At the close
of Judge Brown S address the committee made
the following report:
ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE OF TEXAS.
This meeting, representing the farmers. wage
workers, and other conservative classes, submit
for the thoughtful Consideration of the people of
Texas the following facts, together with, some
recommendations and demands which we think
now an opportune time to make, inasmuch as
are upon the threshold of political campaign
of more vital import to the classes named than
any through which the state has previously
a decisive Struggle between the " PEG.
represented by trusts, syndicates, monopolies,
railroad lobbyists, subsidized workers and sub
sidized newspapers.
Every honest citizen-whether farmer lawyer
doctor, wagewoTker, merchant, or of whatever
class-should, therefore, put himself in a posi-
ton of self-defense against our common foe.
Every honest citizen should labor, not only to
post himself upon the issues of the day, but to
direct the minds of Others into channels of in
vestigation and education, leading to well
grounded convictions ana conclusions upon
which to base intelligent and conscientious en-
deavors, for the people are, OF all times, now
most willing TO open the fountains of their. own
thoughts and Investigations to admit
and and Fight. The necessity " for I t6i5
is doubly emphasized at this time, because
the darkest and deepest schemes by shrewdest
and most SUBSCRIPTIONS schemers are being laid
to entrap the votes of farmers, wage workers
and other burdened classes, and all in the name
of liberty, under cover OF whose mantle so many
great crimes have been perpetrated.
Capital, drawn from its legitimate channels
and massed in monopolies, syndicates and
trusts and then aided by the ablest legal, bust
ness and newspaper talent, which, shame to
say prostitutes itself to bribery, is1ayiDg plans
not only to perpetuate the unequal and unjust
burdens expressing the people, but to graft yet
other and greater evils upon them; all in the
TO do this it will be attempted to
place plant tools in our state offices.
state departments, and legislature, many of
with vigorous and learned minds, which they
use in the service of bribe- giyers. To this end
they viii use every fraud, deception and false
hood which cunning can invent or corruption
sus gest, and all in the name of liberty.
Our political history will prove that there has
been few political conventions in Texas, and
few, If any, legislature sessions, in which the
power of monopoly has not been of sufficient
force to either direct obstruct its proceedings.
In this monopoly has had the help of the lead
ing daily papers, with few honorable excep-
tions, those being paid, directly or indirectly,
for their unpatriotic and corrupt work. And all
in the name of liberty.
bars of nominating conventions which it will
require the combined wisdom, patriotism and
overthrow, for the efforts of these selfish and
merciless powers have in the past been puerile |
to the Herculean work they will put
forth during this campaign, And all in the
name of liberty.
Then. shall any honest, patriotic citizen, or
any honest, patriotic newspaper, hesitate to
help lay bare the rotteuness and corruption. of
every plot and plotter-every man and measure
every plan and paper-by which monopoly
and its bribed allies will attempt to |
the people. Should not each |
thrive to spread light, arguments and facts. un-
by bribe-givers; and this aids in
the darkness, sophistries and |
falsehoods on the part of bribe-p payers and |
bribe-t takers.
Recognizing the force of these facts. and, by
the further fact that the greatest evils
affecting the farmer. the wage worker and other |
burdened classes are political evils, we make |
the following recommendations and demands:
We recommend that the people of Texas vote |
power upon the legislature to create |
railroad commission, to the end |
that local rates may be so regulated |
and controlled to protect and foster the agri-
cultural and manufacturing interests OF the |
state.
1t is false to charge that farmers and other |
burthened classes are inimical to railways. On /
The contrary recognize their great value and /
utility But il permitted to exercise their mon |
0polistic powers without check, they control the
prices OF both our products and our lands. /
Therefore they should be restricted and limited /
n the exercise of their powers by such legisla- |
ion as will secure justice to the citizens without
injustice to the railroads. We think this can /
best be accomplished through commission.
We make no recommendation as to the /
amendment to the constitution permitting /
counties to levy an additional tax of |
fifteen cents on the sIU0 for road purposes, ex-
sept TO caution voters to inVesti /
re oh