Year: 1874

paid in. | have worked for Texas since
the hour of my connection with TINS
road. say to you, fellow-citlzens, that
| have worked for this section of the
state, and for the towns along the line
of this road. | went with Mr.. Scott to
California, and while there | received
dispatch from the people of this
place, asking me 10 use my influence
with Mr.. scott 10 bring the rOad by
this town. did Use my influence with
Colonel Scott to have the road located
along this line, and he finally agreed
that if General Dodge, the chief cnSin-
eer, would report this was the route,
the road should be built along this line.
| had him to telegraph General Dodge
at st. Louis, to await our arrival at that
point. When we reached st. Louis |
brought General Dodge down here, land
took him over the route, ana convinced
him that, although IL would cost $780,
600 more to bring the road by Bon
ham and Sherman than to carry 1t
the route already adopted, it would, in
the end, be the most advantageous
route for the road.


was opposed to passing within n
few miles Of the old towns and break
ing them down by building up new
towns. ! told him that we should con-
ciliate the people of Texas, that we
would, perhaps, want favors from them
and our policy should be not to tear
down these old county towns, but to
build them up. prevailed upon him
to adopt the present route and he
made his report to that effect. In this,
fellow-ctzens, have only done my
duty to You and to the road, and l
claim nothing for having done my
duty.


But it is said that | am Il director in
this company, and that, therefore, |
am not to be trusted. Texas has but
one director in this great enterprise,
which crosses her entire length, and is
of such vast Importance to all classes
of her people. | am the only represen-
tative of the states interest in the
board of directors. Suppose you had
no representative in that board and
you were to oselect some one to repre-
sent your interests, would you have
the one so selected held up to the
world as a scare-crow, II by-wOrd and a
reproach among all honest men ?
Surely not.


Further than this, fellow-citizens,
Governor Coke, your governor, elected
by an immense majority, appointed
George Moore to the supreme bench,
while he was the paid attorney OF the
International road. He also appointed
Peter w. Gray, who has been for years
past the attorney of the Houston and
Texas Central railroad, to seat on the
supreme bench. These two distin-
guished citizens of our state, whose
conspicuous ability as lawyers and
jurists, pointed them out to Governor
Coke as qualified to occupy seats on
the supreme bench, were not held dis
qualified on account of their being the
attorneys of railroads. Judge Moore is
to-day looked upon by the people of
Texas as an ornament to the highest
tribunal of the land, and Judge Gray,
though having resigned his position as
supreme judge, is none the less honor
ed. What different position on the
railroad question then do | occupy from
these honorable gentlemen who have
been elevated to-bc supreme Judges
by the governor of your choice? AS
to the part took in securing the sub
sidy to this road in 1870, | refer you to
your representative at that time, Mr..
Cole, and in regard to the part taken
by me in securing the extension of
time granted to the road, | refer you to
your senator, Mr. Trollinger.


The extension of time was absolute
ly essential to the life of the company.
Within one year from the time the
company commenced work in Texas
they built two hundred and fifteen
miles of road, and had one hundred
more graded. What company has done
more The failure of the company to
build the road on, was owing to the
great panic which paralyzed every in
dustry in the country. Mr.. Scott went
to Europe to negotiate the bonds of the
company, to raise the money necessa-
ry to its completion, and had it not
been for the failure of Jay, Cooke d
readily have sold the bonds, and the
road would have been pushed ahead. l
am asked almost every day when work
will be commenced again on the road.
/ can state nothing definite on this
subject, but my opinion is that the gap
xetween Brookston aud TeXarkana,
and the road from Dallas to Fort Worth
will be built within this year. My
opinion is formed from constant COM
munication with the board of directors
and managers of the road.


Now, fellow. citizens, if am sent to
congress l will ask congress to come to
the relief of this road, by endorsing
the interest on the bonds of the COM
pany to sufficient amount to secure
the completion of the road. would
not ask a guarantee of the principal of
the bonds, but of the interest alone,
and that only upon the most satisfac
tory security being given to the gov
ernment. | would propose that the
government should be secured by n
mortgage upon all the completed road,
and upon all the land grant given to
the road by the government, and that
the whole amount to which the COM
pany would be entitled for the trans
mission of the mails, supplies and mu-
nitions of war should be retained as
further security. would be distinctly
understood on this point. l do not
mean that the governmentshould take
mortgage upon the road not yet
built, but upon all the completed road.


For instance, when the gap on the
Transcontlnental branch, and the road
w l. Wv w Va w uiC Iolh-
pleted, there will be about five hum
dred miles of road completed and in
running order, and upon this road l
would have the government to take q
mortgage. BY this means the road
could easily be completed without any
risk to the government. This request
is reasonable and free from danger.
The government has not only endorsed
the Interest, but the principal of the
bonds of the Northern Pacific road,
and 1t is but right that the aid
which will be asked by the Texas and
Pacific shall be granted.


Another matter should urge upon the
attention of congress, fellow-citizens,
if am elected your member, is an ade-
quate appropriation for the clearing
and improving of our harbors. Mil
lions upon millions of public money
has been expended in the improvement
of the Atlantic coast, and we are enti-
tied to our full share of the appropria-
tion of public money for the improve
ment of our gulf coast. This matter
has never received the attention its
inheritance demands at the hands of