The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-08-11


oorrnnt tbe legislature, that the railroads
control the courts, that the raiiroads run
the State government. and that the rail-
TaSr gentlemen. let us inquire into and
anaiyze these statements. am not max
Ing stump speech 70 pontlcml ghth-
erIng. / am not n candidate for onice, nor
am / asking for any mans vote. am
speoklng To practical business men as a
private citizen and am trying TO speak the
truth and do Justice TO all concerned
These statements about the evil influences
and actions Of railroads have In the past
proved potent to win votes. They nave
been effective battle cries for political
dcmaCogues but are they truef
Now Won understand that a railroad com
pnny. Xix, any other corporation, not being
n personal. Individual entity but
purely an artificial creature OF the law.
can only act by and through It's managers
and agents The railroad Itself can do
potblpg Its servants may do much evil
or much good, according to their bent.
rhero are good railroad men and bad rail-
ROAD men honest ones and dlshonest ones
and upon the whole railroad managers are
no better or no worse than average men
in other lines Of business.
The chief executives who select the man
ayers OF the various departments can not
always select the best men Ihey nave
10 choose from fallible human beings, with
their faults and lnhrmlties in common with
their fellowmen. That they often choose
unwlseiy there IS no doubt, but run over
now in your minds the railroad otncials
that Won know, and see II you are not
willing to say that in point of character.
Integrity, public spirit and all the elements
OF good citizenship they compare fayorably
with the men In other lines of business
with whom you are acquainted
Thnt the baeful influence Of the railroad
lobby has been often felt in the halls or
legislation In other states ls, presume,
true, but IL Is my deliberate judgment that
10 no material or injurious extent has the
s-Ts -
the influence Of the railroads.
THAT they by their attorneys watch legis-
lation and seek by arguments before com.
mttees, and discussion with Individual
wise and Injurious legislation Is true, ana
II IL their right and duty, lust as would
be your right aud duty TO endeavor TO pre-
vent by Ike methods your agents ana rep
resentatlves In the legislature from enact
Ing laws which you deemed inimical to the
farmers OF Texas.
PUBLIC OFFICIALS NOT CORRUPTED.
have had the honor to serve nearly six
months In the legislature OF Texas during
q session when much important legislation
affecting railroads was enacted, and It is
my sincere ana honest conviction that not
vote therefor was procured by corrupt
Influences.
You send TO the Legislature or Texas a
majority Of the members, and do not
believe you select majority OF corrupt
men, or men who can be corrupted NV
experience convinced me that the legisIa-
ture Of Texas was composed in the main
or honest well meaning and patriotic men.
DO the railroads control the courts2 You
Know that uine-tenths OF tbe jrnportant
cases In which railroads are Involved go
TO the supreme court of Texas for maj
adjudication. and no honest citizen believes
that the supreme court could be improD-
erIy Influenced by all the money that could
be hauled by every road in Texas. / DO
not believe there Is a judge of a Texas
district court, the court In which every linz
portapt railroad case originates and is tried
before a jury, who eau be bought or Sc
duced from the path Of judicial reeti.
tude
When the railroad company pays more
than S2OoOU year rs judgments in dam
age suits IL does seem that one railroad at
least does not control the courts.
DO they control your State officersp DO
You believe that there IL enough money In
Texas TO bride your railroad commission
which you have selected for that most i'm
portaEt trust or that anything could i'm
properly influence 1t or turn Ii from the
path of dutyy Have you ever heard of
rnilroad attempting TO do it, can you
name any governor OF Texas who has been
elected to that high office by the people
of this state who could he controlled nv
the lobby of a railroad. or he induced to
netray his high trust a. Its hchest or by
any temptation II could offer7 / can not
Tan You yourself testify or are You able
70 name any man who can, that any rail.
road manager has ever attempted even in
the remotest or most indirect manner 70
improperly influence the official action or
the governor or any other State officer OF
Does any man in this presence believe
that money could buy, power awe or temp |
tatlon turn from the path of official duty
luat stainless gentleman and clean-handed
puDEc servant who has Just been named !
MS the next governor Of Texas?
Do the railroads rob the people They can |
NOT ron them In freight rates because those |
are nXed by the commission. They can |
not rob them In passenger rates because |
they are fixed by ire statute.
No, my friends, the railroads do not run |
ms state. No railroad or combination of |
railroads, no men or combination of iaen |
can dominate The politics or commerce Of |
yeNaS. 1or are the real rulers Of Texas. |
non need have no fear OF the railroads. |
you created them and you can control |
them. II they seek to do you wrong Won |
nave t,l IN your hands remedy and preventa-
Just and peaceful legislation.
Even II they desire 10 fix an excessive
ponaeu inc ehtedness on their property they
Sonld not DO It, because law which re-
lively forhlds It.
BENEFICIARIES OF RAILROADS.
fon are not only the creators of the rnil.
roads and their masters. but you are the
ohiet benehciarles OF their existence and
operation Every dollar saved In the cost
u getting your products to market is that
,nuch added to their value and every dol.
lar saved on the freight upon what Won
consume lessons the cost to you that much.
suppose the vast quantity of Agricultural
~ 1uucts produced by the farmers Of 'rpx,s
sH nu me millions Of pounds OF return freISht
bod Tl"rn .hose products are exchanged
,n "u 10 oe hauled by wagons 10 and from
u na,kSt, nave you ever calculated what
, "vu'u pe tne cost 10 the farmers OF TEXAS
UT MT whnt they now pay?
ne farmers of that most fertile ana ,ro
1n Nv tbre Stnaii county which adiolns his
va ra ~ east In which there has never been
IhIlr aad have raised an average narbons
l"r hIteen years Of 1000 bales OF cottnn
=, ,a nus cost them 80 bale to get II n the
I,earest railroad and as much in .,ronnr
,u o ON their return freights. and tbnv
~ H,h pt't out In the aggregate in excess
,eop Wn"t they would have paid had here
, ,cun II railroad to their county sent sum
ALUM live 70 nearly one-thlrd of the taxable
ne sentiment Of the farmers n, rnx,s
~ ~" arus railroads has been misrenrcsantad
are OFTEN told that the bnvs .'rro,,
~ torks or the creek have n IN for Oh -