The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 50, July 1946 - April, 1947 Page: 486

Southwestern Historical Quarterly

I have made these statements in order to demonstrate that
the great masses of the farmers and dealers in heavy merchan-
dise were much dissatisfied with the railroad rates and that the
railroad commission law was passed to compel reasonable rates
to be established in Texas. When the railroads themselves
refused to negotiate with the farmers and merchants on that
subject, they felt compelled to seek government regulation.
More than fifty years have passed since the passage of the
railroad commission bill. The gloomy prophets who insisted
that great calamity would follow its enactment have been thor-
oughly discredited. Many of the critics posed as learned law-
yers, and yet they were not aware of the fact that the Supreme
Court of the United States had many times held that a law
such as we had enacted was not only within the power of the
legislature but one that it became its duty to enact for the
protection of the masses. The only criterion which was recog-
nized by the Supreme Court as correct was that the rates
prescribed should be remunerative and that the regulations
sought should be reasonable. Since the passage of the bill, Texas
has grown immensely. Her oil fields have been developed, and
the wealth of her citizens has been greatly increased. The
country has continued to prosper, and now our central thought
is on the existence and prosperity of the general government,
Texas being abundantly able to take care of her own local
affairs.*
*For additional information on the establishment of the Texas Railroad
Commission see "General Crane Reviews Rail Commission's Founding,"
Dallas Morning News, February 27, 1935, and C. V. Terrell, "Giants in
Those Days," ibid., February 8, 1943.

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