The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-04-12
STATE CAPITAL WEN.

Austin, Texas, April 10. - tStaff Cor
rcSpohdence) --Whenever a populist mis-
sionary runs out of soup now he
taxes TO abusing tho railroad commits
sion and declares that 1t IS useless
piece OF governmental machinery, which
costs more than it is worth to the people.
| fopulist declarations are generally made
on such slight provocation. though, ana
| without foundation, that they challenge
| themselves, and 1t is hardly worth while
10 waste time disproving them. For gen.
| amiss to take up the broad assertion maze
IN utter Ignorance of facts that the rail-
road commission has done nothing 10
| SHOW cause for its existence.
me commission was organized June TO-
| ls9l, and enjoined August 20, 1892. Its first
tarift became effective september =. 1884,
is domonstratable that there was II saw
ms III freight rates to the shippers OF
ieNas OF &iI0W from the operations OF
ts tariffs prior to the date of the injunc-
ton. The period of suspension OF rate
making following the granting of the In
Junction lasted until the summer OF 1881
ana while 1t can not be accurately esti-
mated that there was any saving during
That time, yet the presumption is that the
people nrofited by the commissions work,
as many OF the roads did not restore their
old tariffs on many articles
-
While under Injunction as to rate maxi
ing the commission vigorously carried out
the provisions of the stock and bond law:
valued the property of existing railroad
lines, and regulated the issuance of stocks
and bonds OF lines under construction and
projected in the meantime.
The fret commission tariff after the
dissolution of the injunction became et-
fective September ]. 1885, and other tariffs
have followed at intervals 10 the present
time. Careful estimates made OF the Of
feet of these tariffs Justify the assertion
ttlut tftN nave resulted in the Following
reduction In freight rates.
On cotton of the crop of lS9t-95.... SIS 600
ON cotton OF the crop OF iSi5-95.... 3li 60
on freishts other than cotton.... l.fiV000
The above. added to the amount Of the
reduction prior TO the granting OF the
Injunction. gives Il grand total of S3,159.
Aside from tho above the commission
has i'll hand grain Tariff which Will.
when put in operation. cause a further re-
dueuon IN rates approSimating SL@Q,V0o
and II has gore into the export cotton
rate question to the extent Of forcing the
Southwestern Traffic association TO take
cogntzhnce OF the complaints of fiscrml-
nation made by tho States chief seaport
with IA view Of afforiirg tn" comHiainants
relief. 1t has adjusted the iouston-Gal-
weston differcntinl to the benefit OF cotton
shippers and Produces and. acting upon
evidence produced at it's different public
sessions. may sim further reduce the
cotton rate Tor the coming season.
TO people who deal with nothing smaller
than billions this alone Is. OF course.
nothing. In their eyes the commission is
failure. because It las simply sought to
do the fair thing by everybody. rather
than TO seize IN" railroads by the throat
and shake the life out OF them the first
Results win speak for themselves. how
ever and populistic open letter writer's
and corner ErocetY Statesmen will have
hard time making II 10 that
'commish hasn't done nothing"
Every two years about six months be-
fore election. great talk ia made In this
county and district about possible tu-
slons between republicans. populists aud
Independents, and from what is being
heard lust now II is evident that the old
familiar song OF impending cancellations
of all the opposition clements 10 the DEM
ocraey Is to be sung again this year with
scarcely any variations.
As The same Old gang IL starting the
tune. the presumption Is that their pur-
pose has not changed and that rs boodc
they are after. as on former occasions
They hope TO intmIdate the democratic
candidates into. buying them off. as they
have been forced to do before. and after
having made n great show of determine
ton to give the democratic ticket a hard
fight 10 lay down their hands at the last
moment and advise their dciudcd follow
erS to forego organization and vote as
the ring"
-.
This is n matter of such general -epute
here that it is astonishing that the demo
cratic candidates will submit to he blcd
by the buccaneers who are at the bottom
of these fusion movements, yet it may be
that owing to the peculiar condition Of al
fairs the latter actually hold the key to
tho situation. Tho laTge negro vote, ana
TIC considerable crowd of Independents (
IN g.af 10
Silly succeed in capturing the county and
district with the asSiStnnce of the pcpu- |
l.gls ii cohesiVely rallied yet II Is the |
opinion Of conservative people that It
would be better 10 give the soaptnlls a !
fair, square Touchdown battle. just for
once anyhow. than to practically submit !
10 tnoir dictaticn every two years. and 10 |
haze II appear that IL is only by thcir |
consent that the democracy reigns IN
Travis county. LAP.
NORTH TEXAS NtFM