The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-02-22

OF one sort ana announcer I'"'
their owners and managers OF the power
10 develop the CAPACITIES OF the 'o'u'
mr. make a proper return to those VINO
sncnt their money in building them. IL
WAS the Senator from Texas Johh H.
poaca, who drew and pressed on con-
,,ress until II was enacted into a law the
,,ferstate commerce act, when those
-. ,,hosa benefit Il was nominally passed
arc now cIamoring that Congress shah
rracticalIy repeal by permitting rdiroao0
n form pools. But even Texas Is pes'"-
i'm, ~ learn that the surest way State
- community can take for injuring Itself
&c 10 enact laws that are hostile to cap
t,al. lust as soon as the Legislature OF
any state commits itself TO that polcy
capital boycotts that State or Community
and leaves Il 70 emerge by its own efforts
from its natural condition, which Is about
one OF the most tiresome tasks ever yet
undertaken.
Texas is now considering proposal 10
make railroads carry passengers for TWO
cents a mile. and this moves the Pecos
Valley ((Texasl News TO protest against
it. and TO point out the vast difference
between the New'York Central uaVerslns
a State whose population Is lSs to The
square mile. and the railways of Texas.
where the population Is 10 TO the square
mile The News adds these sensible re-
marks:
This everlasting tinkering with rail-
road laws in Texas keeps capital that
might be invested in such enterprises
always afraid. and we can, so long as
this ia the case, hope for no adequate de-
veiopment of many sources OF wealth.
awaiting better transportation facilities.
Ii appeals to inc people of Texas 10
sit down hard on the iemagogue, and
let us march on to the development Of our
natural resources by encouraging cap
ital to come in and find a profitable re-
turn for investment.
I'm no State have the efforts Of the dem
agoguc been more eager in this direction
than in Virginia. Indeed. we may fairly
attribute the greater part of the scandal
and disgrace which the dishonest cleo
tons Of the last few years have brought
upon this States good name, and our
present state of decentralization and rotten
politics largely to the war OF the dem
agbgues upon the States railroads. When
the Legislature Of 1891 was elected. the
furore against railroads had reached its
climax in this State. All the demagoey Of
the day was put behind the Kent BILL
nd hat iel "
be elected in the fall Of 1891 TO enact IT..
ard thereby TO injure recklessly all the
railroad property in the State. Nothing
sould have been more natural than for
the railroads TO fight back. And how did
they fight? They saw our election system
framed by the Anderson-McCOrmick law
so as TO open the door wide to any ne
cessary amount of cheating in behalf OF
the Democratic party. Their course was
a very plain and very simple one. They
used money in many counties, where
frauds could easily be practiced In the
regular elections, TO tecure the nomina-
ton of that Democrat who was seeking
the nomination, who would be most
amenable TO their influences in the Legs
lature A very little money goes long
way In securing nomination. Few can
didatcs for the Legislature are willing
- opcnd Invnvy in the no,n.IlaTfiTg zen
test. The one who got $3.50. therefore.
from the railroads had certain thing In
securing the nomination, and, after
&c
money to enter his pocket, he was as
firmly bound to it forever as 1Xion TO mis-
wheel. The railroads thus dictated sufii-
cient number of the Democratic nominees
for the Legislature of 1891 to control it,
Then they furnished the money with
which TO buy the judges of election in the
negro counties. and counties with Repub-
lcan majorities were everywhere found
returning Democratic members of the
Legislature. Thus the railroads corrupt
ed the Legislature of 1891. When the cleo
ton in the fall of 1893 came on the same
tactics were repeated, and the same re-
suits followed, and the two Legislatures
together turned Virginia into a cesspOol
of rOttenness and corruption, 50 far as
her politics were concerned.
We are not rebearsmg these weil-known
facts TO create animosity against the
railroads. The facts are well known, and
we want TO impress upon the public
mind the true lesson that is TO be de-
duced from them. The course of the rail-
roads is as natural as for the day to fol-
low the night. 1t Is their only weapon
with which to fight in the war of conhs-
cation made on them, and they will in
eyitabiy use IL, and will inevitably cor
rupt and control our politics with it so
long as that war is kept up on them.
When the people learn this fact, and
learn further that their true interest lies
in the direction of pulling tremendously
with the railroads and treating them
justly, and not in treating them az public
enemies, the railroads will cease TO NEEDLE
with and corrupt their politics. and will
contine themselves TO tteir legitimate
business. And the people may feel per-
fectly satisfied that the way to secure
from the RAILROADS the lowest possible
charges consistent with a fair profit TO
them. is in leaving them entirely to them
selves TO make such rates as they find it
to their interest TO charge. The interest
of railroad is TO build up the commu-
nifty that ii traverses, and the community
grows in proportion to the cheapness of
its rates. The inevitable tendency, there
fore, is toward the lowest rates con-
sistent with fair profit. because profits