The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-04-21
FORCIBLE STATEMENTS.
MR. R. H. KINGsBURY INTERVIEWED
ON THE ADMINISTRATION
He Gives His Opinion of the Plan to Loan
School Money to the Railroads-The
Convict Question and the Enforce
ment Of the Sunday Law.

Mr.. R. H. Kingsbury Of Waco last
night, who has been familiar figure
in Austin and state political circles for
the past ten yeaIs, and having heard
him denounce the recommendation OF
the administration with reference to
the devotion of the school fund to the
building of railroads within the state,
inquired his reasons for his opposition
in this particular. The gentleman
very frankly said in substance as fol-
lows;
"Mr. Hogg made canvass OF
the state, spoke at nearly
every prominent city and town
and never once mentioned the fact
that he entertained such an idea, or,
in the event of his election, purposed
any such recommendation. 1t is i'm
possible to conjecture that in this i'm
portant feature his recommendation
was the result of impulse. 1t must
have been preconceived and matur-
ed plan. If such was the case, if not
bona fide deception, it was a de-
liberate concealment of his purposes
with reference to a consummaCe issue,
from the people, which affected vitality
their interests and the whole body
polite. Posing as a tribune OF the
people silence on such an issue was,
to say the least, reprehensib 9. Poll
ticians do not perpetrate such things
motiveless.
"You ask what the motive was. l
will state the facts and you and the
public can draw your conclusions.
"After the message and anterior to
the introduction in both houses of the
bill carrying out the recommends
tions, Austin was inflicted with a
lobby GALL friends and supporters of
the administrator, who were in their
dispositions inclined to be specu-
lative and had invested their
money in railways to be
begun and ended in Texas. The pro-
motors and investors in these enter
prises in East, North and, South Tex
as, having precipitated these embryo
railways in such times, by reason OF
the hard times and scarcity of money
were at stand still. In the language
permitted to poetic license "they had
dropped their wads." Foreign and
Eastern capital, on account of as
saults on our land titles and other Sc
curities had become frightened and
not a dollar of money could these en-
terprising friends of the administra-
ton command from any source for the
advancement or perpetuation of these
railways. On questions of state
they were closeted with the admins
tration. Incidentally perhaps their
dangerous and critical positions
with reference to their properties
is a subject of discussion
and the result is the stimuli
taneous introduction, if my memory
serves me right, of bills in both houses
carrying out the message recon-
mendations.
A senator interested by consanguin-
ity, affinity, or participation in the
scheme, writes and introduces the
bill. Through the untiring efforts of
member of the House at one time
fearfully commission, and
always looked upon by the granger
element with suspicion on account of
his affinity for railroads and his pre-
disposition for pie, a bill was passed
consolidating the Galveston and
Western and the Galveston Air Line.
This statesman had the cont rolling
interest in one of these lines. presto
changev AS sudden as Paul's con-
version he becomes an administration
leader, and a wheelhorse for COM
mission. The bill authorizinga the
loan of the school fund to railways is
committed to his charge;-and after a
noble fight he is defeated, and the
bill dies the death that it's promoters
would have died if they had advocated
such a measure in the campaign of
two years ago. These two projected
lines needed money; it could not be
secured. In pursuance of the sagacity
displayed in fighting for the bill, this
same statesman, after the scheme fell
through, hied him to Galveston and
got rid of his aforesaid controlling
interest. These railway enterprises
are now in statu quo, but how about
the spectators and jobbers if the bill
had become law and the handling of
the children's money been devoted to
their tender and patriotic care? 1t is
unnecessary to mention any names.
"What is your idea when you say
that the administration has made a
mistake in the management
of the convicts?
~ mean to say this: That the last
uperintendent reported that those
convicts employed by the railways
were not remuuerative, and that
those employed on the farms were a
source of revenue to the state. 1t is
well known fact that the employment
of convicts on railways is their utiliz-
alton in direct conflict with white
labor. 1t dispenses with section
hands, track men, section bosses, etc.,
and this class of men are universally |
Democrats. In the black belt on the
farms there is no competition with |
white labor. The administration in
the leasing nc the cOnvicts, either
made no change in the contracts to
railways or lowered them and raised
the rate of hire to the farmers and
planters who are using this labor.
TO such an extent was this true that
one planter, resident in Austin, was
forced to pay $4,000 more under this
than the former administration.
at occurs to me, that for an adj
;e,k, N,z,A l.