Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-11-21

Attorney-eencrai Hart'a Views in n
Report.

sacrnmento. Cal. Nov 2o.-The
Evening Bee publishes the 10 Owing;
The report Of Attorney-Ge eral w. II.
II Hart, nled with tbs g2vern1r tbs
afternoon, finds FAULT with the Aus
trhllhn ballot system ana SAYS that II
is un-American In that II lnstalls the
voter IN n booth 1t also says that the
time allowed the voter In which 10
prepare his ballot should be LENGTH
tned. Iic number OF piScincis In
creased and law passed 10 punish
dishonest officials who purpoe.ly Rad
on the wrong name from the ballot.
Attention Is called 10 the fact that
the adoption Of the Australian system
has wired out chapter u OF the Pcllt-
loal Code. There Is now no penalty
attached to Illegal voting at prlmnri IS,
a statement Of the amount ndtnneei
by the government to the railroad COM
pany, together with interest ~ then
made, and attention Is called TO the
fact that some OF the counties were
gubacribcrs 10 the capital stock OF tue
Central Pacinc. He then says IL IRE
bonds nro foreclosed and the roads
bid IN by the government ana It PAYS
on the frat mortsase, II Yc~s are
that the counties would be relieved
from liability.
IF the mortgages on these roads are
forecloscd and The government pur-
chasea them ana takes charge and con-
trolls the roads would the rates ana
fares be then SO fixed as 10 pay the
government the interest on the Invest
mcnt2 II so would II not have the ef-
feet of placing n mortgage upon the
products OF the state and every pqr-
lion OF the territory adjacent 10 the
railroad lines for such period of time
as may be required to liquidate the IN
debtedness by the payment OF such "a
rate OF interest as the government may
charge for the use OF the money In
vcsted2 II not, would The whole people
OF the United states consent to be tax
ed to provide q cheap rate for pas
geugrr and freight traffic on the COM
phrativoly local lines between san
Franclsoo and Omaha and not fnd
fault because they could not all enjoy
such advantagcs|'
The report then alleges that the
government aid to the railroad IN ques-
lion was a war measure, anu says TINT
Tor this reason the whole people should
contribute toward It's payment The
report goes on TO state: In case the
Indebtedness OF these roads he refund
ed by congress for a period Of nfty or
1000 years, viii moi such indebtedness
become Il direct charge against the
people Of this state and upon those Nv
ing ndjncent to the lines Of these roads
and upon tho producta and Industries
Of the peoplcY
Mr.. Hart then SAYS that any OF the
following acts on the part Of the gov
crnment would ralieye the counties
from liability. a refunding Of the debt,
foreclosure of the mortgage and bid
ding IN OF the roads for the amount Of
tho indebtedness, congress declaration
Of n forfeiture under the act granting
the aid and assumption OF the irst
MORTGAGE and operation OF the roads,
In case the government should fore
close the mortgage and the road be
sold for an amount sufficient 10 pay
the Indebtedness and claims be made
agnlnat the counties for h ir share ~
the deficiency. Mr., Hart gives II as
his opinion That the counties would
nevertheless not be liable, as It WINS
not within their power to make such
debt az the time they subscribed to
the stock,
Continuing. he says; without go
ing turthcr into details or cung uu-
thoriucs. | win say that. IN my opinion,
tho counties which gave aid as afort-
said IN the construction OF the Central
Pacific mud the W. Drn Pacific rail-
roads viii not be iudicially hold liable
for amy part OF the mortgage debt duo
the government from said companles.'
The report concludes as follows: "It
should he remembered also that II
the government becomes the owner of
these roads. the amoCut for which the
companies now owning and operating
thcm are assessed and upon which they
pay taxes In California would hnye 10
be deducted from the amount or gfoss
yame Of nssessabie property In the
stats"