Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-13
JUDGE COOK AT KYLE.
How He Failed to Show There is No Need of q
OmmIsslon-Fallacy of His
Argument
VERNON, TEX. June 10, 1890.


| To the Gazette.
Judge Gustave Cook, the gentleman nomi-
mated by the secret conclave OF rail-
road attorneys at Dallas to lead the hosts of
| monopoly, has made deliverance at Kyle and
| the anti-commission people are overjoyed. At
least they affect considerable ecstacy: but if is
not feigned, then must say they are easily
pleased.
Believing, as they pretend to DO. that not only
the existence of the Democratic party, but of
Republican government itself hinges on the de-
feat OF Gen. Hogg and the commission, is it not
passing strange that in this great agony of ma
ton,s and party's peril, their
have not been trusted with their
banner in this crusade against the interests of
the people? Why did not George Clark, the ag-
greRation of all the pure, unadulterated and un-
dehled Democracy lin his own mind that the
mantle OF Jefferson once covered, take the
lance in hand, and at the head of the
squadrons of monopoly. shiver it against
the breast of the gallant Hogg as he
leads forth tho legions of Democracy and
of the people? Why did not the great War
wick'' step to the front, seize the banner, as
Napoleon did at Lodi, and rush forward to vic
tory? Just for the reason that this self-consti-
tated Democratlc autocTat knew that the San An
tonic convention would furnish an anti-commis-
sion corpse, and Warwick coveted not the glory of
heading the funeral procession in that capacity.
There must be vicarious offering on the altar
of monopoly, and Judge Gustave Cook, an old
man, who had retired from the perils of political
contests, is resurrected to lead the movements
pie and above the law. Personally, 1 do not
know Judge Cook, and doubtless he is an
mated by the best of motives, but he is badly
deluded when he takes the voice of half-dozen
railroad attorneys at Dallas to be the voice of
the sovereign Democracy of the state.
But I have been led off from what I
intended to say. Judge Cook in his
speech at Kyle, labors to show that
there is need for a, comm ssion,
but that everything neeGful has been done to
repress and control railroad rapactty and ag-
grandizement at the expense of the people. This
is the same stale argument that has been offered
time and again in the state legislature in oppo-
sision to a demand of the people for efficient
railroad regulation. They say when a commits
sion is up: It is unconstitutional; if it was not,
are with you; give us regulation by law
and we promise you that the monopolistic knee
shall bow to the DEGREES of statute law. The
commission defeated, they are offered the alter
native of regulation by law, and then they say
that you are ''paternal'' in your legislation.
and must not interfere with ''private businessp'
Such has been the history OF attempted railway
Judge Cook, like his boss, the great War
wick, thinks that a railroad commission, with a
power to make it effective, would undermine all
the bulwarks of democracy and republican gov
eminent; and in endeayoring to impress upon
his hearers the power and the ''sancity,'' if we
may be pardoned the expression, of the teach
ings of the revolutionary fathers, he puts words
into their mouths and in the Federal constitution
which were never written aud are not there!
Pitiable subterfuge, indeed, for a man to be
guilty of who is candidate for the high Office of
governor of the great state of Texas. Having
not words of his own to convince the people that
he is right. in order to influence them by means
of the wisdom of sages dead and gone, he dis
honors their memories by attributing to them
words never written.
In the speech of Judge Cook last Saturday at
Kyle occurs the following: 1.-THE fathers who
founded this form and substance of free gov
eminent under which so. 0OO, 600 of free men in
their forty or more state governments have
arisen from scant 3, 900, 900 within century
d eclared as a fundamental principle that it
should be divided into three departments, viz:
The legislative, executive and judicial And
from these three sources have been drawn
every single power necessary to the maintenance
of free Democratic government. And recogniz-
ing the fact that too much power might be exer-
cised over the people. even under these three |
grants they wisely and as il by inspiration |
added 'tThat no person of either body of these |
magistrates should exercise any (even the least)
powers of another department"
Now l undertake to say that there is no such |
language as the last quoted sentence in the Fed
eral constitution, and defy Judge Cook or any |
one else to find it there. There is something |
similar in the Texas constitution of 1876 but |
Judge Cook palms it of as put in the Federal |
principle is the same, for IS the sntis are SO /
fond OF quoting from Jefferson and the fathers. |
he endesvors to create the impression |
that the language is theirs. I do |
not object to the doctrine; it is good: |
but I do object to his attempted deception |
by crediting it in a document where it never |
existed, and where it does not belong. Such |
is at par with good many other |
arguments, emsnRting from /
and about the camp Of Mr.. Clark and his fol-
lowers. E. Pr.