Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-03-06
On Capt. F. w. Balls Logical,
Forcible and Eloquent
DEFENSE OF GOVERNOR HOGG
And His Administration, and Of the State
Railroad Commission.
Synopsis of the Speech and the Analysis
and Final Deductions-A Grand
Invitation to Capitalize
Come to Texas.

state railway commission and of Governor
-Hogg's administration, which sounded the
key note of the campaign in their behalf, to
be made throughout the state" as reported
with the foregoing preliminary in the Fort
Worth GAZETTE of Saturday, February q,
1892
will quote Mr.. Balls propositions or as
sertions separately and follow with an an
aiysis of each proposition or assertion
quoted, thus practically covering the entire
argument, combining myself verbatim to
the GAZETTE's report of his remarks:
Mir. Ball-No one questions for moment
that it is to the interest of the people OF
Texas that manufactures should be devel-
oped among US. 1t is also true that North
ern and Eastern manufactures do not de-
sire that manufactures should exist In
Texas.
Synopsis-The railroads and Mr.. Ball
agree on these propositions. 1t has never
been advanced that Northern and Eastern
manufacturers desire competition in Texas
or anywhere else, etc. The laws of trade
do not admit of such proposition. Ger
tainly neither the railroads nor the North
ern or Eastern manufacturers are response
bic for Inherent conditions. To presume
otherwise would be contrary TO the laws OF
self-preserVation.
Mr. Ball-Another proposition is clear:
That those railroads which have their in1-
itial points in the North and East do not
want manufactures esta blished in Texas,
because it is to their interest to secure the
long rather than the short haul. They adj
vertise widely the agricultural resources
OF the state, but you hear them saying
nothing about the opportunities for manu-
featuring here.
1t became evident long ago that unless
these trunk lines of railway were brought
within the control of the state they would
strangle the infant industries struggling to
obtain a foothold here.
Analysis-Mr. Ball makes an assertion
here based on a presumption of circum-
stances which history disproves in one
feature, and existing conditions in another,
thereby producing evidences in refutatlon
of bare assertions offered without any cor
roborating proof to support them. Previous
to the passage of the interstate commerce
act, we had mammoth jooblng houses In
Fort Worth and other cities within the
state, to assist which, as Is well known, the
interstate and state lines rendered every as
sistance, and until the action Of the roads in
assisting and promoting these home enter
prises was decla red Illegal, and heavy line
encountered with Imprisonment was en-
acted in the passage of the interstate COM
merce act, these home enterprises were sue
cessfully conducted, and Texas cities were
on the road to great magnitude and pros
perity. The passage Of that act was the
death blow to these enterprises, and Mr..
Ball does not have to 90 out of his own city
tribute these unhappy conditions to the
railroads would be insulting one of the
three gentlemen whom Mr.. Ball ranks as
the peer of any in the United States. 1t IS
well known to all gentlemen connected with
manufactures now existing in the state
that all possible inducement was offered
them by the various railways to locate their
works on the different respective lines, and
that promises were held out and fulfilled by
the roads that they would go to large ex-
pense to insure them every facility with
which to handle their business Mr.. Ball
does not have to go out of his own city to
find these manufactures largely located on
railways under the conditions l have de-
scribed, having their initial points IN the
North and East. The officers and travelling
men of these concerns are also the recipients
of voluntary acts of great courtesy on the
part of the railroads, which save them
many thousands of dollars per annum in
their business, and necessarily helps largely
to insure their success. Do these acts lndi-
cate conditions such as Mr.. Ball states
exist, or the reverse2 MIR. Ball
certainly has not Inspected any OF
the exhibit cars sent out OF the state to ad-
vertise its resources, or the advertising
matter distributed by the roads to the
value of thousands of dollars per aunum
if he.belieVes the mineral resources OF the
state have been neglected, or that any
means have been withheld to represent the
resources WlIQl0 SJdU6 LOT uOLu6 IuGuu-
factories. 1t is a well-known fact that In
terstate lines within the state have in sew
eral instances added considerably to their
mileage in order to reach and promote Ia
vorable locations for home manufactures,
and that Mr.. Huntington contemplateS
move in this direction as soon as conditions |
governing state legislation will justify it. |
Do all these conditions, well known to ex- |
ist prior to the passage of the Texas rail- |
way commission law, indicate stranghng |
policy of home enterprise on the part OF |
the railways, or the reversed
Mr.. Ball-The speaker referred to the |
salt industry as one which the roads had |
Disseminated against and in favor OF Mich |
igan.
Analysis-In previous letter l stated |
that in meeting before the commission at |
which the Texas salt producers were rep
resented, and before the PRONUNCIATION OF |
the commissions rates on salt, it was |
shown that the differential then existing |
between the Kansas salt rates and Texas
salt rates was almost, if not fully sufficient, |
to practically pay the entire cost OF labor |
and production by Texas saltworks, thus
insuring to them every reasonable competl-
tive protection" This statement appeared
in the press of February 5, and up to date |
has never been contradicted.
Mr.. Ball-The manager of the Texas
salt works, whose stockis all owned in Fort
Worth. told kim that the commission had
made the salt works. Without the comInls-
sion they could not exist
AnalySis-Mr. W. S. Marshall answers
this statement himself in a card published
in the Fort Worth GAZETTE February .,
1892, as follows:
CARD.
AS manager of the Texas salt works,
wish to say that MIR. Ball must have meant |
someone else when he made the statement
in his speech Friday evening about on |
works and the railway commission. have
never had any conversation whatever re-
garding these matters with Mr.. Ball.
W. S. MARSHALL
Mr.. 'Ball-On-Houston street there is
cracker and candy factory, q prosperous
and growing concern. a number of sam
pies of its products were here exhibited.
Before the commission was organized II
languished. Now go to A 2. Luckett,
president of the concern and president OF
the Merchants national bank, and ask him
If he wants the commission law repealed.
He will tell you that he would rather sac
rifce one-half his stock in the enterprise
than have it repealed.
The brewery, he said. was established
here because Of the existence of the COM
mission. It is shipping its product all over
Texas and into other 81 ates and Mexico.
They say that without the commission and
the protection it gives, it would come to a
standstin.
Connected with the brewery is the malt
cry. to cost 500, 900, which has be en- estab-