The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1898-03-19
Railroad Commission.

20 'I iSaiiludu commission or not
that is the question. AS to the standinu
> OF our delegation on that subject. We
nave no fears; their views are known
oesides winch they arc specifically in.
stfucted on that point, and whether the
. natter is adversely reported or not hy
the committee to which the question
. may be referred, We expect our dele
gates to make a manfuI and determined
stand on the -four of the House Ia
'Nrite write IN the organic law OF the State :
mere slaii be railroad Commission,
10 oe composed OF one commissioner
from each Congressional district. now
or hereaft0r to be created, ana from tie
state ut h,Tge, TO BE ELECTED BY THE
PEOPLE OF THEIR RESPECTIVE DIS
IRiCTs. No appolntlve Commission
Will SUIT. No Commission Of corDnra-
tlnn lawyers will suit. The people can
ne trusted, not TO commit business
hdit-hdrt, as some of the hysterical
railroad sycophants seem to fear. in
placing hnrdensome restrictions on
roads. The people can be trusted 70
deal not only fairly, bat generously with
ALI new roads. Louisiana nceds grid
ironing with railroads. aud the people
VIII never refuse them subsidies
rights of-way, depot grounds and Spe-
clal taxes to secure an opportunity of
sending the produce OF farm and field
eXpedItIousIy to market, but they can
also be trusted to protect themselves
| from the outrageous extOrtinn of All
railroad nopoies-Loaisiana's only
real and living octopus, whose tentacles
reach down into the pocket of ryerv
| unfortunate 4 cent cotton slave and the
| numerous other tollers. whose energy
and industry counts for nauyIt, hy
reason of their Inability to ship their
products under 4 fair tariff
For years the Democratic party has |
been IN power, and yet no Commits
sion has been given; in the Cnnven- |
tlon it is III absolute power, aus! can |
not afford to go before an agricultural |
electorate aud confess their fear or in
ability to provide for IA Commission.
The subsidized calamity howlers ct
the rallrnads who predict an arrest of
development in railroad building, m
the event Of the cieati0n of Commits
Sion, are repeating the stereotYped wall
raised In every State of the Union now
blessed with Comm issiOn, notably in
Texas. and yet their fearful prognosti-
cations pro~d not only untrue, bnt
there was marked Increase in railroad
construction, after the Comm issuns
were created, and naturally so. as a
Commlssion simply affords opportuni-
ties of normal Development of leciprn-
cal advantage I" the public and the
public carrier. The State needs, rants
and WILL HAVE either ii properly con-
Commission. or Government
ownership o of the roads.
For. years our Legislative halls have
been dIsgrace.! by the unclean pres
ence of the railroad lnbyist, aud everv
effort tn create Il Commission proved !
abOrtlte. What a sickenlng spectacle, .
when it is known that every member
If ha Hnnaa haS al If ]
ing pass, and that many ride on rail
road passes and for that matter every
public official can easily secure one.
and generally without the asking. Ii is L
not to be Inferred that every legislator
who rides on pass is corrupt, because .
many have grown up under the per
nIcious system, until they look upon !.
t as Il natura! perquisite belonging to
heir official station. We confess to aD Il
Did fashioned prejudice against accept
Dg any favors from corporations, II
whose interests might be affected by a
he course pursued by the beneficiary II
,f said favOrs. That this pass iniqulty' +"
las reached such a stage as to cause d
profound apprehension cannot he gain y
aid, and it should he made felony p
or a railroad to send il pass to an Off u
er Of the government. particularly
Legislator or Il Judge, OF else the law +,
hOuld provide passes for her officials
It the expense of the State. An honest
nd fair assessment of railroad property
made would tenfold pay the cost, in
he differential.
Gentlemen Of the Convention: You ~
Vho believe i'll railroad development, :"
rho are anxious for new feeders TO
our rice and sugar fields. our
orn and cotton patches, our cypress fo
rakes and pine hills, deliver us from
he extortlon OF railroad monopolies
lace the State In a position where she =,
an invite capital, both local and for ~
ign, to invest, and aid the develoD- su
lent OF our magnificent resources, un- W.
by the Vaccinations of the al
abroad Lobbyist. Until some of the rail
dads received the quarantine check of
lst year, there was absolutely no right
the public, which these rem0rse!ess
feel bound to observe.
Why, the gate intamy in any other NJ
Duntry but this, would not DO tole- 81;
.ted an hour. The general travelling
ublic are forced in a mixed stream, of
lack and white, rain or shine, hot or an
,ld, to singly spew themselves from Az
surcharged COACH women with In
undles and lnfants, and band boxes, r,
d men and women, crtprles, the lame, sa
le halt and the blind, and are the he p,
rocenOus elements that like mob, II,
'rced like sausage meat through one th
why? To aid and abet ne
Ie railroads in putting Il check on he
me of their conductors suspected of re-
'bbng them-it would be laughable ali
ere it not infamous. nm
Give us u Commission, gentlemen of ST
70 Convention, to prevent any further ro;
ltrage of public decency.
-.e>.- ity
A,,,r, A;I, G. c,., L ,,l | ha