The Waco evening news. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 1891-1894, 1892-05-31
GOVERNOR Hocc'S coNroRriOWS,

stick to his first speech and not allow
the opposition to drag him out on any
question not stated in the Wills Point
speech, he would have Jared better
but this would not have made bis
campaign very smoOthe even then.
The governor has not only been COM
PEELED to discuss issues not spoken Of
in his opening speech, but has been
drawn from one position after another,
until his speeches often contradict,
and make him ridiculous. His con-
tortiois in the "sidings and switches"
matter is positively amusing. He
first claimed to have recovered l,254,.
6S7 acres from the railroads. That
was in his Wills Point speech. When
Judge Clark proved that most of these
lands were still In the hands Of pri.
vate owners purchased by them years
ago from the railroads, the governor
comes down to $1,000 acres and says
if he is elected governor he will get
the balance Then comes the start
ling discovery that the governors
claim that all these lands are involved
destroys their value to the owners
and millions of property earned by
honest toll is worthless, made so by
Gov. Hogg's determined effort TO
punish the railroads. The governor
next concludes that he will permit
the innocent purchaser to remain on
his property provided he will agree
to pay for it again. He claims how
ever, that most of the lands are still
in the hands of the railroads and has
actually, by abusing them, so worked
up prejudice that some have signi6ed
perfect willingness to give up their
land just so the railroads were made to
disgorge. But, there are thousands
of Texas citizens whose homes, whose
all, are in the land they have bought
and improved and they have begun to
clamor for protection. Judge Clark
promises that their homes shall be
theirs and the cloud on their titles
removed. Gov. Hogg first tells them
they must disgorge, then tells them
they will be allowed to purchase again
ant finally lands right where Judge
Clark was at first, in favor of law
protecting the innocent purchaser.
In his written statement a
few days ago he alleged that
the state had won and had now pos.
session of $1,000 ON these suits and
''if the case is adhered to as a pre-
cedent the railways will have to dis
gorge to the state 1,254,0O0 acres"
As this is the whole amount issued
for sidings and switches, we see Gov.
Hogg standing where he stood at first,
slightly disfgured but still after the
railroads. The governor in this
Statement" argues the constitutional
question raised in the supplemental
petition to the lower court, which was
entirely ignored by the supreme court
in deciding the Val Verde case. In
this he whacks the railroads some
more and tickles the corporation hater,
but he has put his foot in it worse
than ever now. The recent suit by
Attorney General Culberson to recover
lands granted to the Houston and
Texas Central was based upon the
same grounds as urged by Hogg in
the Val Verde suit, and it turns out
that thousands of acres in northwest
Texas are now in the possession of
honest citizens who hold certificates
bearing the stamp Of approval
Of ]. S. HoGG ATTORNEY GEN.
ERAL OF TEXAS. 1t is
positive fact that Hogg while attor-
ney general passed upon the validity
of the certificates issued for land that
have since been sued for on the iden-