The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-04-03
GIBBS ON A STATE RAILROAD.
THINKS PRESENT AGITATION Is
HELPFUL OF HIS SCHEME.
Federal Ownership of the Roads He
Now Pr"claims as All wrong-Has
Several Things TO Say.

Dallas, Texas April 2.--Hon. Barnett Gibbs
said to The Post correspondent: TT is very
probable that the discussion OF the vetoes and
the consolidation question will result IN bet.
ter information among the masses on the
reilrcad question Heelay regulation tha,
don't regulate, even II sustained BY the courts.
at'snt bring any relief to the freight payer
commensurate with the expense incurred and
tie agitation. Tho great statesmen OF the
country have never believed either in total
ownership by government or in fretful ftful
regulation of railroads. Forty.two nations
oN Just enough railroad mileage TO fix n
b0sis of reasonable freight rates to the ships.
Bismarck was the successful promoter Of this
policy in his vigorous days. and WAS followed
by even the pure Swiss republic Not only
aple southern democrats like Joe Brown and
sen nm held the same Views, but Calhoun
inc greatest Of Southern statesmen. advo-
Gated that each State have relief railroad
to the ships owned by the State and he took
tbs position before the monopoly evils we're
aIpsfent
lin the life of John G Calhoun. edited by
Johr T. Morse, pages l5l-l52-153, Is found a
letter OF August 5. 1896, from Calhoun to citl-
zens OF Atlanta. He advocated the borrowing
OF surplus money in Federal treasury pro
rata by each State and building a relief rail-
read. Calhoun had neither free passes nor
any stock In railroads. and was even ahead
OF Bismarck in sizing up the coming events.
He. like Jefferson, foresaw the trouble wi,h
a corrupt Federal judiciary, and was a suf-
tcient student OF history to know that the
Kings courts stand by the kings. whether the
KING is great wealth or a person. Calhoun
alsc knew that the States were able to take
cafe OF themselves in this matter and that il
was more Of a State than a Federal question
u Calhoun was alive today he could not dine
With any but Georgia democrats or get into
democratic republican or popuist primary.
'Texas is as large as England and has $40
nli'es of seacoast, but on this railroad qucs-
ton and on the trust policy she founders
like blind dog in a meat house aud whnes
around the Federal throne like hungry dog
bays the moon. Neither the trusts nor the
railroads are Federal questions, especially so
in Texas. Many politicians in the South. to
avoid responsibility and labor abandon State
rights and duties and make everything q
Federal issue. Just before election they tell
the people what God and jefferson would do
or have done
Forty years ago. even, the preachers said
o. each side Of Mason aud DiXon's line that
God said kill the fellows on the other side OF
the line: now they say that God orders us ia
XII, the people on the other side of the Pacific
ocean In the Bible the Lord never ordered
q ybody killed except those near nelghhors
who would not neigheor, Either th~>-reat
State will solve for itself the rarCSd aud
the trust problems or they Will not bC solved
in fifty years.
81 have no fault to find with the yetoes
where the governor puts them on presumably
sound constitutional grounds. Neither the
governor nor the legislature goes TO the ROOT
OF the evil as did Calhoun, Bismarck and the
u; sident OF the Swiss republic Neither arc
those populsts right who want the Federal
so, eminent to own all OF the railroads.
Constructive legislation which don't regu-
late prevents the benefits of railroad expan-
sion and removes no burdens resulting froul
too, high freight rate and don't curtail the
power of corporations.