The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-06-19
8sw1g ~ Ss, GEN. HOGG
SPEAKS TO A LARGE AUDIENCE ON
THE BURNING QUESTION OF
THE DAY.
He Discusses with Great Force the
Necessity for Railway Com
mission.

The opera house was filled last night
with an eXpectart audience assembled to
hear Gen. Hogg discuss State affairs. He
was introduced by DR.. Swearingen in few
earnest and graceful sentences. Gen. Hogg
said he would not touch the land question,
the school question: the Confederate Home
or such other questions as were it was true of
great Importance but would devote himself
exclusively to the discussion of the pivotal
point of the whole canvass, the proper con-
trol of the railroads of the State; and would
discuss the question froms he standpoint of
fundamental principles. He went back into
early history and noted that the first roads
were dirt affairs and public highways.
Later these roads were macadamized and
private parties who had built these public
highways collected toll from the pub
lie for their user But even
this was improved upon-planks
or wooden rails were laid along public
highways, and vehicles with wheels ad-
justed to such rails and pulled by horse
were used. But in England it was found
that steam could be made to supply an
engine to take the place ofa horse. Wooden
rails had already been superseded by iron
and steel, and thus by easy stages and by
four moves railways were brought into
existence. But the same fundamental
principle held throughout all these changes.
The railroad was a new thing but the
theory of public highways was born centu-
ries ago, the railroad of today is but cor
porate existence collecting tolls for the use
of public highway. Having established
this fundamental truth Gen. Hogg natural.
ly advances to the question has not the
State the right and power to control the
creature, the corporation, it has created :?
This certainly must be admitted.
He then proceeded to show how the rail-
roads had run rough shod over the people
in their desire to get rich He pointed out
how inflated bonds and watered stock
naturally called for greater earnings to pay
additional tax on the people. He at length
disputed the statement OF the railroads that
in all Texas their net earnings were only
w, 900 600 in round numbers, pointing out a
miscellaneous" item in their account that
called for $l4,000.00O.
Gen. Hogg INDUCED in deal of figures
which he seemed to have well at command
and stated in detail, citing names and au.
thorities, which if fairly stated, show
startling railroad Determinations. They
were such facts as have been presented be-
fore in the discussion of the railway COM
mission in the legislature, but were
strengthened by arguments and observa-
tions of his own; coming up in his official
experience and investigations. HIS quoted
local and outsiCe rates, showing such dis
ordinations in a great variety of staple
articles, as had driven men out of business
and frustrated them in many local enter
prises. The railroads, he argued, were de-
termined that the raw material and man
ufactures should not come together because
they wanted the hauling both ways.
He cited cases where men had contested
in suits against railroads until the rail-
roads resorted to the expedient of trying to
enjoin them in the federal courts, thus
evoking federal against State authority, and
had even gone to the extremity of having.
such suitors threatened with indictment for
lunacy. Mr.. Dwyer of Brennan had been
so completely side trac led by them that
he wouldn't order gooos in his own name
1t would not do, Gen, Hogg argued, to put
corporate rights on the same footing as
private rights. The people were sovereign
and corporations were but the creatures of
the State subject to itsscontrol.
AS to laws fixing rates and regulating
railroads they had been failure. Some Of
the rates we're too cheap and some too
high, and the legislature could not fix rates
suitable at I'LL times for all products IN all
parts of the State. His remedy was COM
to control classification and rates
as stated in his speech at Rusk, from which
he read. Take that speech he said and
don't say don't define myself. | am in
favor of an effective commission to estab-
lish reasonable maximum rates.
a We want commission to do in detail
what the legislature has failed to do
and what the Traffic association is doing
fix rates. Only the commission would fix
them fairly for all interests and not merely
in the interest of the railroads. l want
the said commission appointed by the
governor, with the governor responsible,
and the commission to be governed by the
law and not court higher than the law,
fhe railroads would have the power to
enjoin the commission, and would be the
plaintiffs instead of the people.
The result would be that we would see
their watered stock evaporated and the
wings of their bonds clipped, and we
should hear less of stock jobbers and bond
inf1ators.
He referred to the projected Austin dam
and the fruitlessness OF its advantages in
manufactures if the railroads
Disseminated against us so we could not
get our goods to market in fair competition
with goods from outside factories, and
closed with glowing picture of the pros
perity of the State under proper laws and
regulations of its great interests.
The speaker was at times facetious as
well as eloquent, elicitins frequent laughter
at his humor as well as applause at his
earnest and DatriOtic uttaraIces