Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-04-25

7 I
serving an OF the legislation OF the
recent past without change except "a
/ experience may demonstrate the neces-
! aity for modification. / took part IN
| framing these laws, and my opinion
! thon formed and expressed in respect
/ 10 their wisdom has undergone no
| change, Reforms and revolutions do
/ not turn backward In political life
the order is progress We must adj
/ vance. and not retreat. Not an inch
4 OF ground once gained from monopoly
1 Tor the people must ever be abandoned
The railroad commission law must be
| preserved and enforced IA Its fun vigor.
| II breaches are made In II by the
supreme court OF the United States,
they must be repaired and strength
encd, and the agitation must not
stop until these common carriers, which
owe their existence 90 the favor OF the
law, are brought into subsection 10
the law, ana required TO conduct their
business IN view OF the public as well
J as private purposes, for which they
We're created. ! believe. however, thnt
thore IS no necessity for nntagonlsm
between the public and private inter-
csts involved. aud that Observance Of
the law by these carriers will greatly
expand the resources Of this state. In
crease the output Of her farms. fields,
factories and forests and multiply eX-
changea and rebound to the common
good OF all.
Some odious MonOpolics.
II viii also be well to consider
whether the principles OF regulation
cannot be advanta6cously extended so
as 10 embrace the charges OF express,
telegraph, telephone and sleeping car
companies. I believe II can and should
be extended so ~ 20 include az least the
three great mOnupoliea which control
the express, telegraph and siecping-car
facilities IN this state. The last espec-
ially Is an Odious monopoly. which not
only prpys upon the people, but upon
the railways. The expiration Of the
telephone patents may result In the es-
tablghmeut OF competing telephone
companies and n healthy competition in
that Hold, which Will dispense with the
Necessity OF state regulation, at least
until the business assumes larger pro-
portions but the right Of regulation
should be preserved and never sur
rendered or abridged, and should be
promptly exercised as TO this and every
other business invested with a public
use aud exercising n public franchise
when the occasion requires.
one OF the wisest laws on the statute
books Of this state ia the act OF April
/ 49, 1898, regulating the Issuance OF
bonds by railroad companies. ylgor-
ously opposed by she daily press and
many OF the brightest lights OF the
II would yiudicate the statesmanship
OF Governor HogE, who proposed Il
and carried II through, II keeps the
wind and water out of the bonds
IN the first place | only regret that
the act does not apply to all corpora
tons hope TO see It 30 extended.
on another occasion | Will enter upon
discussion Of this question more at
length. which the variety OF questions
! " IL now necessary TO present ut this
| time Will not permit.
The relations OF capital and labor
are growing In delicncy and import
unce, Capital claims the right 10 COM
hne and consolidate and the right Is
recognized by liberal laws authorizing
I the formation OF corporations for al
| most every conceivable purpose. Labor
{ claims the same right Of combination
and consolidation, and the privilege OF
] enforcing It's rights or demands by "a
! simultaneous cessation of work on part
| OF the workmen" called a strike. There
! Is no doubt that "A strike Ia perfectly
| lawful II not attempted to be enforced
! by Illegal means. This has been the
recognized law for more than 800 years,
and results necessarily from the lib
erty Of contract which all enjoy. II
| consolidated capital can discharge
! workingmpn unless they accept stlpu-
lated wages, then combined wording
men may decline to labor except on
]
entity the other may do So Labor
/ "a commodity, and those who have
| the means OF furnishing It cannot be
/ required To furnish IT except upon their
/ own terms. WorlSinVmcn, however,
! have no right to intimidate or coerce
othera, but they may control their
! own conduct and influence by argu-
| ment or persuasion the conduct OF
/ others. In the complex lnterdependent
society OF today, however, the strike,
1 which was originally confined Ia It's
| effects to the parties Immediately con-
Cerned has been found subject TO great
! abuse, and TO result. Inevitably, in
| loss % employers and employees and
| society at large, especially when en-
forced upon the great systems OF rail-
| way which unite the remote portions
/ of our country. Means must, therefore,
] be devised To save this waste, without
] Destroying the independence of labor
l or imp0iring the righta of capital. In
/ the absence OF definite legislation, the
/ courts have undertaken to afford re-
/ lief In various modes, and one judge
| of the Federal court has gone to the
extreme length Of onjoining railway
| employees from quitting the service OF
the company. This Is to enforce in
/ voluntary scrvttude and IL not to be
tolerated, II the employees cannot quit,
/ the company cannot discharge. The
rights and duties OF the two are, and
must over be, reciprocal.
Arbitration for Labor Troubles.
The true remedy is TO be found. not
In forbldding the organization of work.
ing men, rs some suppose, which would
place them at the mercy OF capital.
nor In enjolning a breach OF the per-
Honal contract, which would result In a
| species of slavery, but In arbitration
before state tribunals, or tribunals or
ganlgcd under regulations prescribed
| by the state. Tho matter being Of
public moment, aud the parties being
4 unable 10 agree, aud force being alike
/ injurious to all, the duty and power
OF the state are both plain and lmpern-
tive. Arbitration is the forum before
which all difficulties viii soon be set
| tied, Nations have already adopted II
with signal success, and the time viii
soon come whom nation will no longer
war with nation. and the sword shall
In truth be beaten into the pruning
HOOK. II International difficulties can
be composed and settled by arbitration,
" difficulties between sovereign states
OF our own Union can be determined
before an impartial tribunal under our
constitution and laws, then surely
domestic strife between these con-
tending forces can he In like manner
alloyed and the cause OF disoord re-
moved, We have a recent notable