The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1849-09-19
From the Boston Eyening Post.
FREE PASSES FOR EDITORS,
ON RAILROADS, ETC.

flfEE PASSES FOR EDITORS,
ON RAILROADS., ETC.
The community were somewhat star
tied, a few weeks since, by an announce
ment made that editors were not allow
cd to pass over certain railroad free
land still more so, when some heroic
gentleman started up at that meeting
and with courage exclaimed:-sGlad Of
it. For our part We see no particular
cause for rejoicing, and the gcrtleman
who thus spoke must not look deeper in.
to the subject than we have as yet. Eli
zur Wright at the time wrote short
article upon the system of free passes,
and concluded by promising not only
to ride over The rails and pay his fare,
but to bccume a stockholder, if the
companies would pay fair price for the
hundreds of articles which directly or
indirectly tend to improve railroad
stock, and which editors insert daily
and weekly, gratuitously. let us lcok
for moment into this subject, and SEQ
how much newspapers have to do with
the formation of railroads. a few men
meet and talk over route for rail
road. The resources ofthe country are
looked at, the amount of travel is recl-
oncd, and then the public pulse is touch
ed through the medium of the nc,cspa-
psr. The editor is called upon and be.
comes interested in the plan, and he is
employed. to portray the advantages
which must accrue. Other editors copy
the articles, the community is awakened,
and then comes call for public meet
ing, and the ncw&papcr again lends
gratuitously its services to induce the
people to be present. The work goes
on! the nerspaper records its progress.
The annual meeting is holden---a repcr-
ter is dispatched, and the absent stock
holders, ere twenty-four hours have
elapsed, are posted up; and finally
comes the opening, when two columns
in the newspaper announce to the world
that there is such road in existence,
refers to its prospects, alludcs to the
beauties of Nature Which can be seen
during ride over the road, and cstah-
fishes in the minds Of the people con-
fidence in the stock. What pccuniary
reward is received for this? An adyer-
tisement at q low price is obtained, and
the money received for this is paid out
in recording the success Of the road.
This is what the nempaper docs for
railroads. What should be the reward
Of those who spend time and money in
improving the stock Of railroads? What
does free pass amount to? 1t costs
the railroads no more to convey one
hundred and one passenger thanit does
one hundred. Editors are not general
ly migratory in their habits, but when
all opportunity offers they sometimes
avail themselves Of it. An invitation
is sent perhaps to an editor to pass over
road at his own convenience. 4 lei
sure day presents itself, and away he
flies over the road, noticing everything
he sees, and giving sketch of his trip
in his paper which is read by thousands
and thousands. Perhaps a few only
may be induced to follow his example.
They 90 and sec, and these few speak
of it to others, and SO the ball is set in
motion. What does the corporation
lose?
There is policy in few passcs--t there
is economy in we'll directed liberality,
and some roads have studied the system
and have been gamers, while others
\
course and the result Is seen. Look al
the flourishing villages which have
sprung up on some of the roads, con.
trasting strongly with the deserted ham
lets on other routes, where high fares
have not only driven people away, but
kept others from settling, and where the
mcanness Of the president and directors
has become proverbial along the route.
For our part, We care little or moth
ing about FREQ passes, We are tied TO the
oar, and cannot avail ourselves of com
plimentary and unsolicited invitations
to ride on q rail, which have been kindly
extended to us; but we do like to see
the Press treated with some little re-
spcct, and if any class in the communi'
ty deserve to travel without expense, in
consideration Of services rendered, it is
that, which belongs to the Press. We
do not include in this list set OF half.
hedged reporters, belonging tot no par.
ticular paper, representing no establish.
ed Journal, who float round the country,
liyinr by their wits. and rhoi,, po,yrr of
cloquence in pcrsuadihg conductors and
landlords that they are correspondents
for some fourteen different papors--for
they are merely leeches, and arc enti.
tied to no courtesy.
Punch says he knows a man SO fat
that they grecso Wagon wheels with
his shadow,