The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-01-22
LETTER To lut LEGISLATURES.
''hen's Views of the prono,c,
constitutional Ame,,tn,.


v,n asa.e and people at heart, | beg YOU
WI no, mink me out Of place for Of
'eriug the following against the nroposea
sary: "S uu"eoes-
-, a. as to railroad passes. II has heen
ro.u over the State to get the people ia
Fpss constitutional amendment AGAINST
ridan maze that every third man
mort III pass Now, the annual re-
NJ, VI Nne Texas railroad commission
stato,,ns SHOWS there is 10 truth in this
st' cement, but they snow that COMPARE
sveiy few people an Texas who arc NOT
SNnpioyeu by the roads ride on passes.
nv only this, but that fewer passes arc
S,au'eu every year to non emnloyes.
nus counting all classes OF passes for
1893 and 1900 there were 20 a1O less
Vasses in 1900 than On THE previous wear.
~ tnls rate, any one can see that soon
Ialiroad managers will have settled the
80 80 insurer themselves. The report
nom the southwestern Passenger asso-
eai.lon SHOWS that railroad managers are
cutting down the pass business with a
We" TO about closing it up-,save 10
NHail'y, few preachers whose work ia
soheral and railroad men--as fast as
.ney wen can Not only this. but the
eVll OF passes, for political effect etc.
mas been almost infinitely exaggera ted
mus instead of every third man." or
every twensseth or iftieth man. riding
vi pass, one can ride hundreds of
Hilles' frequently. on Trains in which not
passenger has a pass, except a railroad
man. Any who travels much can easIlv
verify this assertion. Yet, the Juror
against passes has been worked no by
Just such assertion as that every third
man rides on a pass" Not only this
put une continuous assertions or insln-
uauons, that passes buy out and corruAt
the people VINO ride on them is an imam
Gus 'lbel and outrage against railroad
| managers, against the purest officials
leNas has ever had against humanity
ne very men who are loudest in this
| outrage are themselves riding on passes
| 4 AS TO lobbying. In the name OF rea-
son, ask, is Texas going to forbid con-
Eututlonally or in any other way, per-
sons who are thoroughly familiar with
matters that are before the legislature
visiting and giving ii light necessary TO
wise legislation on such matters? Ere
quently legislators are totally ignorant
OF the merits Of bills that are brought
before them-bills that are vitality relat-
| ed 10 eleemosynary, business and other
matters, while there are persons thor
oughly familiar with them who are glad
TO give the necessary light. IL il be
said: Yes, but when the legislature de-
sires their help it can call them before
1t. | reply, true; but what OF the cases
in which such persons are unknown by
the legislature or in which designers, to
get through a bill, influence the legisla-
ture to refuse to hear them? ANY one
can see how easily light from such per-
sons can be shut out, and bad legsla-
ton effected But, II such persons can
get their light Into the legislature
through some members they can get to
Asten to them they can defeat bad leg
islat'on. Lobbying Is a thing that the
wisdom and the experience OF Texns
from the first and of all countries and
ell ages have proved necessary to legis-
lation. "A greater calamity can hardly
befall Texas tlAan forbidding lobbying
Provide against Its abuse and not against
it, Do not burn down the house to get
rid OF the rats.
3. AS to iusolvent or worthless com
panies doing business in Texas, To pro-
vide against them is well enough. But,
who would imagine that they must be
especially provided against by consti-
tuucnal amendment,
4. After all. conceding that the mat
tiers against which constitutional amend
ments are asked are as grave as assert
ed inasmuch as there is ample room for
name of common sense, must they be
made matter Of especial constitutional
provision? The last message OF our gov
ernor calls attention to the fact that
liquor dealers defraud Texas, by dodg
ing their taxes out of $167, 100 per year.
Why did not the ag,tator for these
amendments bake the field against this
robbery OF the State The evils at
which these proposed amendments to the
I'D, trsr stfiAlt
is not true, that they are as great as
represented, are small compared with
others Of our state. Why not have CON
stitutional amendments against all these,
until statuatory provision is wiped out
by constitutional provisions? Are we to
tinker and tinker with the constitution
whenever there Is an outcry against some
evil? Where will this end?
The last message OF our governor says:
certain kinds OF property appear to be
almost exempt from contributing to the
support of the government notwithstand-
ing the constitutional provision tina, all
property. whether owned by natural per-
sons or corpora uons, other Than NUM-
uipal. shall be taxed in proportion to its
value. This Is the language OF the con-
stituhon. and Is so plain and direct that
there can be no misunderstanding what
evor as to its intent l ask, il constl-
tution.,l amendments are to bring about
The millennium and to be the panacea Of
every evil. why not add constitutional
amendments, sky high, so as to meet this
evil as to taxation? What we need Is
not tInkering with the constitution. but
enforcement OF law. where there is law;
and where there is not law, make law
II in doing this. we find some grave
evil against which no statutory pro-
vision can consntutionally atand, then
will be time 10 consider tinkering with
the constitutions. II public sentiment
Will not enforce what constitution we
have. why add TO the constitution
II it he said Yes. but the last demo-
cratic state convention recommended
these amendmentsl | reply. FIRST. the re-
commentator came w.th 50 small ma
iority as 10 be Of no value. Second.
coming from a convention led away 10y
nassIon. as that was, Il "a not phe sober
Recommendation OF the wisdom az oar
state. The Bailey fight and consequent
disgrace and farce before our legisla
t,tre that can be OF no credit TO any one
concerned are illustrations OF the fruits
OF tsat convention Shall you add to its
evils By imposing on the people and cul-
tiyating the foolishness OF everlss ,ingly
tinkerfng with the constitution by ap-
nroying these proposed amendments?
The pc1nle need AMI expect something
better OF you, as a legislature. and
hope heir expectations are well
grounded
In rou,lusion. I suggest that every
man Of influence in his community write