Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1849-10-03
Free Passes for Editors Ol Kali
Roads, etc.

! 1.-The community v { re some W hat startled few
weeks since, by anHou ut made that ed
Itors were not allowed 10 pass over Certain
railroad lree-and still more SO when some he
! roic gentleman started up at the meeting, and
with courage, eXciaiined,-'Ulad OF It, For
our part We see particular Cause Of re joicing
and the gentleman who thus spoke out, must
iooh Gee per into the Inject than We have as We l.
EIiZur W right, at the time, wrote short article
upon tie system of free passes, and concluded
by promising not only to ride over the rails and
pay his fare, bat TO become stock holder, if
the companies would pay a fair price ior The hun
dreds Of articles which directly or Indirectly
tend TO improve railroad stock, and which edl-
tors insert daily and weekly, gratuItously. Let
US look for moment into this subject, and see
how much newspapers have to 60 with the for
nation Of railroads. A le~ men meet and talk
over route for railroad. The resources of
the country looked at, the amount OF travel is
reckoned, and then the public pulse is touched
tLrou gin the medium of the newspaper. The ed
itor is called upon AID becomes Interested in the
plan, and his pen Is employed to portray the adj
vantages which must accrue. Other editors CO.
Py the articles, the community Is awah ned, and
'hen comes aet!i for public meeting and the
newspaper again lends gratuitousy its services
to in..ace the people to be present. The work
goes on. the newspaper RECORDS its progress. The
annual meeting is iield-a reporter is dispatched,
aud tlIs absent stockholders, ere twrntv-iour
hours have elapsed, are posted up; aud tinali V |
"etrspaper announce to the world that there is
such road in existence, refer TO its prospects,
aliude to the beauties OF Nature which can be |
seen during ride over the road, aud establish |
in the minds OF the people i confidence in the |
stock w hat pccuniary reward is received for |
tins! An advertisement az low price is obtain
ed and the money received. for this is laid out n
recording the success of the road. This is what |
the HerSD1pes does for railroads. What should |
be the reward of those who spend time ana mon !
Of of r.tJr ~
does free pass amount to? Ii costs the rail- |
ROADS no more to convey one hundred and one !
passe ngers than 1t does one hundred. Editors |
are not generally migratory III their habits but |
when an opportunity offers they sometimes avail
the mseves OF it. n leisure dav presents itself |
ana away he flies over the road, noting every !
thing he sees, and giving sketch OF his trip n |
his paper winch IS read by thousands and thou +
sants. Perhaps few only may be Induced to |
follow his example They 60 aud see. ana these |
lew speak OF 1t TO Others, and the bail is Sc, !
IA notion What does the corporation iosel
" 1 here Is policy Al free Passes-i!lere is econ |
ony IN Weil-uirected llb-ra.Ity, ana some roads
have stuGlea the system and have been gamers,
while others have pursued narrow. contracted !
course and the result IS seen. Look at the flour
ishing villages winch have sprung up OF
the roads cohtristin. strongly with the desert |
ed hamets Oh other routes, where high fares |
have not only driven people away, but kept 9TH |
+rs from settling, and where the OF The
president ana directors has become proverbial |
along The route
~ or our part, we care little or nothing about
Tree passes, we tee. TO the oar, and cannot !
avail ourselves OF conpliuIe ntarv and unsolicited
'nviittIuns 10 ride Oh rail, which have been |
kindly extended TO US; but we do like to ser !
the Press treated with little respect, anc If
any class IN community deserves to travel with
out expense, III consideration of services render
ed, II is that class which belongs 20 the Press
W DO not inciude in this lis, a set of hailheec-
80 repd ttsgt. b~iongiitg to particular paper,
fePresentinr no established Journal, who float |
round ihe1ountry living by their wits and the ir |
power 81 "!"qurhce la persudGiHg conductors /
ana lanoioras that they are cores pc ndeuts for /
some fourteen different papers--ior they are
merely leeches, and are entitled to no ecu rtesy''
Boston Gu-efte.