The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-04-22
GOV. HOGG'S OPENING SPEECH
In Advocacy Of Certain Proposed Amend
ments to the State Constitution.

last Friday:
Fellow citizens: Ten years ago today
opened my frst campaign at Rusk as q,
candidate for governor. ! now commence
rate that event by entering upon another
campaign, clear of political ambition, with
the hope alone OF benefiting the people oil
my native State. The leading issue then
was the adoption of a constitutional
amendment, demanding that the legisla-
ture create a commission to fix, regulate
and maintain passenger and freight rates
over the railways Of this State. Now the
paramount proposition Is that the consti-
tuition be so amended that insolvent cor
porations shall not operate In Texas to
force the people TO pay their fictitious
stocks and bonds. AS result OF that
campaign, and the ensuing one OF 1872,
was twice honored by election ana
served four years as your chief executive.
In 1891 the railway commission law was
passed and in 1893 its counterpart, the
stock and bond law. was adopted A ret
respective view for the purpose OF compar-
ing our condition in relation to our trans-
rortation companies. anterior and subse-
quently TO the passage OF those two laws,
can not be out of place on any political
occasion. where the right and duty OF the
people to control their corporate creatures
may be considered.
Before the campaign was made for state
Regulation the railroad companies ae-
knOWIeQEeU 10 law Uut lliltt vi bO ObSu-
fence. Since Ii was successful and these
laws were enacted they bow to the State
authority and acknowledge responsibility
to law. Then they arbitrarily fixed and
without notice changed, rates upon the test
as to what the traffic would bear, regard
less OF the shippers rights. Now they
submit to the rates established by the
commission after due notice, upon the
principle that they must be reasonable to
the shipper and the railway. Then the
rates were unstable, secret, calculating and
changed at will. Now they are fixed, pub
lie Stable and altered upon due notice
only. Then the companies by undertaking,
rebates and determinations, favored their
friends and punished their enemies. Now
they can not underbil, rebate or discriml-
ante and they righfully have no friends
or enemies, but only patrons amongst the
Rhippers as all are required to be treated
impartially IN charges and service Then
their earnings We're concentrated and dis
bursed at points beyond the State. Now
their revenues are kept In the State where
they are earned and paid out. Then the.
employees were unsettled, restless and
shifting for lack of assured permanent
employment Now they are acquiring
homes as settled citizens, for their en-
ployment is needed aud depends on eff
cienr- instead OF the caprice of some med
dlesome superior. Just preceding thai
neriod their tracks and equipment had So
not be procured over either OF several OF
the main trunk lines. Now the roads are
in such excellent condition that such tick
cts can be had at light cost over any line
in the state Then they were constantly
in the hands OF receivers Now there il
not a railway receiver In the State. Their
the employees were irregularly engaged anC
poorly paid Now they have constan
employment and are better paid, Their
railways strikes we're common. Now ther
are no strikes and have been none sine
the commission was organized. The
wholesale houses, oil mills factories
stock feeding pens and elevators wer
scarce and only found in central points
Now these Industries and institutions ar
springing up and being supported all owe
the state Then our poor cattle and fee
stuffs we're shipped to other States wher
the profits of that business we're left. No,
they are brought together and The profit
are left i, Texas. Then our grain coul
not he Skinned to supply home demands
Now II takes the place of foreign graf
and is shipped for home consumption !
ali polnt3 In the state. Then they Issue
from Slo 600 600 to 900 600 600 of stocks an
bonds annually. without reference TO pub
lie consent or public interests, for purel
speculative purposes as a methods
making and maintaining milllonalres TO
perpetual PARASITES uron our commerc
Now thew can not issue stocks and bono
over the value of their property and on
NV the consent ana approval of the raj
way Commission
n must no admitted therefore, by evol
fair-minded man mat tbe condition of n
neopIe and The TRANSFORMATION compani,
in Texas have with each wear since II
passage Of these two laws materially in
proved until nov he prosnect Is thai
viii not he long until their interests h
rome 80 interdenendent and harmonic
mat further conflicts between them w
he as unnatural no tbev must became II,
necessary. proyided that the people w
add the canstone 10 the work ALREADY dol
by adoptinr constitutional amendme
which / now propose TO submit to theI
n embraces threo senarate central rsl
,inles which I heg 40 discuss In the ord
named as follows,
i, That no lnsolvent CORPORATION sh,
do business In this state.
g. That the free pass system over t
railways OF this State shall forever tern
nate.
:. That the use OF corporate FUNDS
poiitics ana 70 support loppy al AUS
snail be PROMPTED
have prepared this amendment W
great deiinerauon and care 80 that eve
purpose embraced WITHIN II may clea