San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1890-06-26
Hogg's Speech.
Granville Banner.

Attorney General ] S. Hogg spok
10 Greenville last Saturday TO abou
1900 people. The address was de
livered at Poole's park. The GROVE
marched to the park to music furnish
ed by the Fifth Regiment Band. 4
Hopkins county delegation, abou
one hundred strong, marched in tn
procession under banner inscribed
Hopkins County for Jim Hogg ono
a Commission
When Gen. Hogg rose TO speal
he cooked calm and majestic. He il
about forty FIVE years old, has kind
Ily face and q massive head, ano
weighs about $50 pounds. Hi
speech was a peculiar one. Those
who expected to hear him rant and
rave against railroads were disap'
pointed, agreeably SO we hope. II
was one Of the coolest and most dis
passionate addresses ever delivered
in this city. There was no effort al
display; no posing for effect; no ap,
peals to prejudice; no impassioned
oratory, such as constitutes the stock
in trade OF most political orators.
But the entire address was one Of
reason. 1t was 80 plain that any.
body but an idiot could understand
it, yet it's effect was deep and far
reaching. Gen. Hogg reviewed his
course as encouragement, He
showed where he had succeeded and
where he had failed. He went into
details of his suit against traffic asso.
Citations, insurance companies, rail
way componies and other organiza.
tions which he thought were violating
the laws. He showed the purpose
and effect of the suit in way that
convinced his audience that he has
been faithful to his oath of Office.
Proceeding to discuss the railway
regulation question, he contended
that the railways were public high.
ways with only such charter rights
as the state had granted them. They
wero creatures of the state and sub
ject to state control. He would moi
Cypress them nor would he permit
them to Cypress the people. The
rates of freight were too high in
many instances, as compared with
rates in other states and also as com
pared with rates between points il
Texas and points outside of the state
Facts and figures were given in sup
port of this assertion that were con,
elusive in their nature. In reply to
the excuse that Texas railroads were
not earning fair profit on the CAPT.
tai invested. he said the railroads Of
Texas, about 5000 miles, had not cost
exceeding an average of $4,000
mile. or a total of $12O,00O,000. Yet
they had issued stocks and bonds to
the amount of more that 100000
900. He did not think the traffic in
Texas should be taxed to pay interest
on the watered stocks of these cor
porations. In the name of the peo-
pie he only wanted to demand justice.
1t was question of great impor-
lance, and one difficult to deal with.
He did not believe the legislature
could in the limited time allowed it
-ouly ninety days every two years
successfully deal with this problem.
The average legislator did not pos,
sess the intricate knowledge OF rail
way details to enable him to act in
diligently in the premises. Besides,
the interests of the people of Texas
were so great and varied in their
nature that Legislators from different
sections could not agree upon
measures. An attempt to regulate
by direct legislative enactment would
result in confusion and failure. 1t
had done SO always in Texas, al
though for fifteen years the constitu-
ton had clearly commanded the le-
gislature to pass laws regulating
railway traffic in the state. The only
clear way out of this wilderness of
confusion was by the commission
route. Moro than half the states Of
the Union had commissions and they
were found useful. They protected
the railways and the people from
confusion and injustice on both
sides. The commission would re-
present the public, and "the public
included the railway companies. He
favored commission of three men,
able and true, to be appointed by
the governor and to be confirmed by
the state senate, who would devote
their whole time to the great ques-
ton. But he wanted all laws and
regulations on this subject enforced
through the regular courts of the
country. The charge that he favor
cd a commission with legislative,
executive and judicial powers all COM
bined was not true. But he deemed
q commission useful as an aid to the
other branches of the government.
He wanted the commission amend
ment adopted. It would take the
railway question out Of politics. 1t