Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-03-12
GOING FOR CLARK.
Tom Brown Comes Down Like
a 4o-Ton Trip Hammer.
THE COMMISSION CHAMPION
Replies TO the Charges and Arguments Of
the Waco Candidate.
A Closely Packed Room OF Attentive
Listeners-An ArgumentstTve Speech
Which Carried Conviction with
1.-THE Tilden Club

CraySOn county, arrived IN town yesterday
| from Sherman, in response to a request
that had been made for him to come here
| and reply to Judge Clark. He is known as
1.-THE father of the railroad commission, -
and has been prominent figure in Texas
politics for many years. He was met at
the train by a number of friends,
by whom he was escorted up town, and
during the day he received and entertained
a great many friends and admirers at his
rooms in the Pickwick
At about eight o'clock he proceeded to
the court house, where crowd had gath
cred in the district court room that filed it
to uncomfortable fullness. His entrance
was greeted with applause, upon the sub
siding of which
James Davis. president of the Tilden
club, took the stand and announced that
this was the regular meeting night of the
Til1en club, but as the Hon. Tom Brown of
Sherman was to speak the club would not
transact any business until after the speak
ing.
In few minutes the speaker, Hon. Tom
Brown, was escorted to the stand by Hon.
James W. Swayne and James H. Davis in
PRODUCED Mr.. Swayne, who would introduce
the speaker
Mr.. Swsyne said:
GENTLEMEN AND FELLow-CITIzENs-
Since the last election we have had q panic
over this country; and not only this coun-
try. but all countries have felt it. and to-
day Texas has been held responsible for it.
and now introduce to you the father of
the law which is to place US on our feet
again, and he is here to defend not only
Texas interests, but all our interests"
HON. T. J. BROWN.
Mr.. Brown took the stand and said:
LADIES, AND GENTLEMEN AND FELLOW
CITIzENs:-I affords me pleasure to speak to
YOU tonight upon question, or questions,
OF iccn in no OF of FTaxaG Tho ctata Of
Texas is greatly interested in her campaign,
and not only is one portion interested, but
all the state, not only one city, but all
cities, and none more than Fort Worth;
but gentlemen, you should consider well
the questions, not of one, bnt all. They
are vital. 1 want to say to you, my fellow
citizens, tonight the questions are Of more
consequence than rany one man OF set of
men. Men may come and men may go, but
the questions now before the people are
here to stay-for while at least. l tell
you, in my judgment, il the commission
bill is wrong in its provision, let it go; if it
is right, let it stand.
Now, my fellow citizens, propose to give
you plain talk-factS on the issues. l
come before you to uncover a campaign Of
false issues. shall deal in no harsh Ian
guage towards those who oppose my opin-
ions, but shall say l assure you, in unmis-
taxable words what 1 think and then back
it up by proof l shall not attack Judge
Clark personally, but the ideas he advo-
Gates. This is a free country. have
high regard for man who asserts his opin-
ions, and if his opinions are not in accord
with mine Eli argue the point / have utter
contempt for man who is afraid to ex-
press his opinion. Before 1 tackle the
issues desire to clear away the rubbish
that has been thrown in the path.
In the last campaign Governor Hogg was
nd nd hn
power behind The throne to oppose him.
The people elected Mr.. Hogg to the guber
natorlal chair of Texas and announced in
sahunder tones that they demanded rail
road commission to regulate the question Of
rates of hauling the products Of our state.
Now, my fellow-citizens, the contest did
not end here When Governor Hogg took
his seat at Austin he obligated himself to
regulate these things.
Judge Clark hied himself to Austin and
assumed control of the third house for the
purpose of defeating the will of the people.
In order to defeat the legislation demanded
the opponents of the commission got their
heads together and excited the animosity Of
the people against the appointive feature of
the commission.
OJudge Clark said yesterday that he re-
manned at Austin during the sitting of the
legislature for only four days, and left. II
zhe was away four days during the sitting
of the legislature l did not miss him, and
was there all the lime. l know his power.
You don't know his power unless you come
in contact with i'll have.
Judge Clark appealed to his followers to
defeat the legislature, but Judge Clark and
his third house went down the first time
in fourteen years. Now he has appealed,
in band wagon procession style, to you, my
friends, to defeat it in this campaign-in
the coming election. He stood in the road
hr,sn
put him IN charge. He says he IS not
man of promises. He said yesterday at
Whitesboro: Effect me governor, and I'll
settle the question now before the people in
sUfe hour" My friends, there's only one
way to settle this question in one hour, and
that is to turn the state over to him-that
will settle it. Elect him-he'n kill It'll
propose now to discuss the charges he
(Mr. Clark has made against Hogg'S ad-
mInistration. do not wish to defend Hogg
IN particular. 1 am simply defending the
work he has done and its results. l tell
you Governor HOgg is as honest and sim
ueere as any man who treadS the soil OF Texas.
Others are as good and as honest, but I'm
talking about him now He represents the
commission idea. The success of that meas
uIe, the best measure in Texas, is the one
prayer OF my heart, and that prayer IS to
place him there as the target Of assault. l
have heard men say, II don't like Hogg,
but am q commission man"
When man says he is commission man
but don't like Hogg, 1 ask him what he has
done that has in the slightest deviated from
the San Antonio platform; wherein has he
failed9 Has he done one thing that is
against the interests of the people of
Texas2 Tell me, ask them, but they do
rot. They say Governor Hogg made mis-
take. presume they refer to him signing
certain documents that had been passed
hurriedly. Except that he has disturbed
some railway land titles, and that while he
was Encouragement, no charges are pre-
ferred.
Ny friends, take the platform, take his
message, take his legislative record, and
tell you it is the first administration Texas
has ever had where the pledges have been
redeemed, pledges similar to those of forty
six years ago-that's long time, but refer
to them.
One objection IS that he appointed Horace
Chiffon senator and refused to appoint
Roger Q. Mills--trying, my friends, to
swing onto Mills coattails TO get dragged
into position. Now l shall not vote for
Chiffon; there are other men l prefer. l
have known Horace Chiffon for twenty
years, and his record in private and public
is an honor 10 any man.
Another alleged objection IS that Gov
eruor Hogg has made no appointments
from North Texas. My friends, does 1t
matter from where an appointee comes, so
long as the man is capablel The trouble
is, there were not Offices TO go around
they don't charge his choice was not good