The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-05-25
Hon. r W Hudson. Pearsall, Texas
Palestine, Texas, May l5.--Dear ,

!
Palestine. Texas, May 15.-Dear Sir:
1 Complying with your request OF recent
date for some expression from me relative
j 10 the proposed constitutional amend
I ments offered by ex- Governor James ).
! Hoyg as set forth and explained IN MS
/ speech delivered at Waco on the l9th Oh
! last month. | beg to advise that heartily
/ indorse each and all of said amendments
as wise, timely aud peculiarly esssntial
! to the general welfare and absolutey nee
! essary for the protection OF the people OF
Texas against the silent but deliberate en-
croachnent of corporate power 1t mas
been the policy of governments to author-
! lie the creation OF corporations TO SWING
large enterprises for the public good. These
| fictitious persons for practicable reasons
/ enjoy under the law certain valuable
/ rights, immunities and privileges in con-
/ sidera ton of which they undertake to
serve their patrons and assume to dis
charge Just obligations to the public. In
the fullest enjoyment of all their rights
and privileges a healthy public opinion
will and should protect them
| 1t is equally true that they should be
| limited TO the exercise OF those powers
contemplated by their creation. The state
should keep faith with the corporations as
\ long as the people authorize their exist
! ence. likewise the corporations should be
! held to a strict compliance with the terms
1 of their respective charter contracts with
| the people and whenever they transcend
their power and assume unwarranted priv
I lleges with results hurtful 10 the business
Interest ct- the State then 1t is not only
proper, but 1t is the plain duty OF the
people in the exercise of their sovereign
will to employ Just and effective agencies
FOR the correction of the evil.
That all the principal railway corpora
lions in the State are hopelessly insol-
vent according to the universally accepted
( definition of the term insolvency; that
railway labor, skilled and unskiiled, Is
etinted and too often overworked; that the
commerce of the State, the products of the
factory. forest and farms are To-Day bur
dened with unreasonable transportation
charges to meet The interest upon these
questionable mortgage debts are facts well
known to even the casual observer. That
the free pass privilege over the Texas
railway to employees Is an aDomination
and should be prohibited will be conceded
by everybody save and except probably
large per cent % the individuals thus
elected to ride free. There is a wide
spread and well founded prejudice against
this practice the people are apprehensive
/ lest their trusted officials and representa-
tives be lured away from the strict paths
of duty. 1t is also known from official
sources that an enormous sum OF money
is wasted by the railroads in free trans
portation In fact I believe that if every
passenger proper would pay cents per
mile fare the railways would earn
more money than is earned under the
present system. The paying passenger
carries the entire burden and this in face
of the fact that those who ride free are
best able to pay fare,
1t seems 20 me that tn reforms pro-
posed by the amendments are demanded by
existing conditions. To arrest the prog
ress of growing evils and to stay the hand
of the oppressor Is the acknowledged duty
of a patriotic people. When Texas grant
ed charters to her railway corporations
accompanied with land grants equal in
value to the railroads themselves, the
railways implicitly contracted among other
things to operate these great properties
for the convenience Of our people and 30
charge only fair compensation for the SER
vice performed.
In fostering, encouraging and aiding by
unparalleled donations these corporate en-
terprises our people little expected that
these properties would be sad9led with
watered stocks and bonds ranging from
$4,000 TO $4,000 per mile and that to pay
interest and dividends thereon the laborer
would be denied the value OF his hire, COM
MERGE unduly burdentd, agriculture and
manufacturing rendered proftless, that
hope for the prosperity and development
OF our Gulf ports would be throttled In
so far as excessive charges on local traffic
can accomplish that end, that they would
menace the rights, Inherent in the people
to control them, by lavishing upon the
favored classes the special free pass prvi-
leges. that money exactod as compensation
for service performed would be contribut-
ed to party and individual campaign funds
No thought was entertained that these
corporations would become political fac
tors and thus inaperil II not eventually
destroX >the very instrumentalities EN-
ployed by the people for their governments
and control
hold not the slightest prejudice against
railroads nor other Legitimate corporate
wealth. but the CORPORATIONS. like indivI-
tduals. should obey the law. and when puo-
Tic policy demands law to check an evil
the people should be equal to the occa-
sion
The railroad commission has almost
reached its limit In relief measured under
existing conditions, but these amendments
in my humble Judgment WIZ tn additio,
V other retorms, relieve that body of rs
neeaN d embarrassment. Governor Hogg
- certainly Sn patriotic mission and
tne people should heed the alarm he IA
sounding and sustain the set of principles
truly. II NJ cannhan
Hon. r. W Hudson.
Nay 10 lso0.-Dear Sir, I have read
WIN profound interest the recent speech
Iuape by Governor Hogg at Waco. u
-.