Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-03-24

II was: ''Slr-NOne OF these men were
known as i-Prohibitionists during the
four years of abuse have endured, for
honest opinions expressed in the senate on
this subject. The meeting, it seems, is to
be composed mainly of railway lobbyists
and attorneys, and its object is to divert the
public mind from railway regulation, a tub
to the popular whale. The conspiracy may
perhaps succeed, for the people are plant
ing, and the press will help, the war cry
will be 'paternalism, and these same rail-
way men will crystalline hereafter the Sa-
loon influence and use the same cry of
'paternalism' to defeat commission. My
voice will not be heard" Ask your assist
ant encouragement if this was not my
answer, and ask yourselves if it was not
true prophecy, and il that early canvass
did not obscure every other issue and post
pone railway legislation two years.
We again hear the cry of ''paternalism''
against your railway commission. These
same men who now cry ''paternalism"
when the state protects its citizens against
robbery, might as well arraign it as paternal
when it jails horse thief or hangs a muir
derer.
The same quick hunt for the early worm
has again begun, with the assistance of the
daily press, to capture the cities, now mad
and mourning over collapsed booms. This
time it win not succeed. An unbought
people will not select for governor one
whose mind for years has been
TRAINED IN THE CORPORATION HARNESS,
no matter how honest or intelligent. Men
do not gather grapes of thorns, or figs of
thistles."
OPINION OF GOVERNOR HoGG.
The staple of Judge Clark's harangue is
abuse o. 4 governor now confined at
Austin with the legislature on executive
duties. He needs no defender, as his an
tagouist will find to his cost hereafter. My
mission here is not for Hogg, but to put
Texas on her guard against a dangerous
place-huuter who assails him. 1 owe the
the governor nothing, nor is he my debtor;
but, living at the capital and with better
means than most men OF observing him, l
assert that he has stood for the enforce
ment of law and with eyes wide open to
the fact that he had provoked the resent
meut of the lawlesS element of Texas. For
this he deserves our confidence, and be-
cause he has a courage equal to his con-
victions, and a patriotism which lifts him
above cliques and factions, he will get my
support for reelection.
Had this man pleased the corporations in
his appointments he would not now be as
sailed. Had he consulted their emiSarieS
and jockeyed with principle he would have
served you four years without their abuse,
and then, perhaps, retired to some literary
office conferred by his own appointees. He
is not the product of the old regime, but
represents the young blood Iof Texas, and
because he appointed young man to the
senate, on whom he placed higher es-
innate than many of US, he is abused, No
matter what you think of his choice, he fol-
lowed his convictions of duty.
Let US not be deceived. The object of
this crusade is not alone to defeat Hogg.
The object to be destroyed is the railway
commission, and Hogg is the obstacle in
front.
THE RAILWAY COMMISSION.
Your railway commission was demanded
by the people. For the first time in the his
tory of our country an American senator,
full Of years and honor, resigned his high
Office to help his people, and accepted a
lower salary as commissioner knowing
that the enyenomed shafts of the money
power would seek, as they have done for
years, every joint in his harness Judge
Mclean, who was taken from the district
bench and Mr.. Foster, a non-professional
man, were both appointed to aid him. Their
work was to regulate the tolls and check
exactions on nearly 5000 miles of railway.
The legislature should have told the people,
when they went home, to practice the vir-.
tue of patience, for that more than year
must elapse before these men could master
the details of the great problem before
them. We are witnesses to the fact that
they have worked night and day,
and just when they are reach
ing time when they may safely determine
how much reduction in tolls the roads
should stand, without injury to honest in
vestments, this canvass opens against
them. Though more than two millions of
money have been saved the people in the
cost of transporting cotton, lumber and
grain already, no one but simpleton could
expect that ample relief could be safely
given in less than two years The sluice
gates of abuse and SANDER have been
opened against this commission, but they
work on and answer nothing, for they have
faith that free people will not turn them
over to the servants of those very corpora
tons they were appointed to control. No,
even though George Clark has solemnly
pledged himself to ''relieve Texas in one
hour' if he is made governor. This is
the broadcast promise ever made in the
hunt for power except once, when dis
tinguished aspirant, who did not own an
acre of land, proposed to give the Savior
of men the whole world to be recognized as
its governor. The capacity of each aspir-
ant to make good his promise was about
equal. We read that this pledge was
Solemnly made in his late speech and was
applaudcd by the whole tribe of real estate
and belt-line spectators. What does this
nean2 1t can mean but one thing-G
change of railway commissioners. Just
think OF that changed Waldo, always gen.
tlemanly land said to be accommodating as
a lobbyist would take the place OF Reagan,
and his brother lobbyist, Faulkner, return
ing in his palace car from the Pacific slope,
sit by his sidel What pair to draw TO!
For these men are the familiar geni of
TRANSFORMATION.
MAGNIT UDE OF TIE COMMISSION WORK.
Our people should realize the great
work before this commission The
stocks and bonds of the railways
Of Texas they estimate as amounting to
over $500, 000, 000-a sum greater than the
value of all the land and all the farms of all
he people of the state. On this great sum
hey seek TO collect interest IN freight rates
from the people. Now, they are instru-
nents of our convenience, and Texas and
ler commission will not leopard1Ze any
honest dollar which has entered into their
construction. We will move slow until we
have mastered all the details of their
and found out real values. To do
this the commission required the roads TO
answer many questions. The answers came
ilow-yery slow. Let me read you some of
hose questions and the answers:
Question 5-What amount of money would
{ require to reconstruct the road bed of said
'oad at this timer
Answer-s'I do not know''
=