The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-05-25
Dead-Heads.

The following sensible remarks from The
Nation think ought to be spread through
community SO deeply interested in railroads
as ours is. The legislature of New York hav-
ing passed law restricting the issue of free
passes on railroads, the Nation observes:
There is fearful shaking among the dry
bones The ruthless hand of Albany legisla-
ton has been stretched forth to disturb the
long rest which has .brooded immemorially
over the noble army Of Deadheads-'an ex-
ceeding great army" The large vested inter-
est in travelling at other peoples expense has
been assailed. The beatifc privilege of pay
ing ones fare with smile is snatched away.
The elect can no longer be waited from one
end of the land to another through the mag
ical properties of scrap OF paper no bigger
than a mans hand. 1t is no longer not mere
ly glory, but great gain, to be the son, BROTH
er, second cousin or grand uncle of Director.
Editors and reporters will henceforward be
reduced to the level Of common men and have
to pay their way like their even christians.
This great revolution has been forced
through apparently in the interest OF a class
of persons who have not been usually thought
of consequence enough for special notice
We mean the shareholders in the corporations
thus magnanimously managed, and bent up
on proving that they haze souls, in spite of a
profane and ribald proyerb to the contrary
Unreasonable and impracticable members of
this insignificant class have had their selfish
passions excited for long years, as they glided
along ON "the pale iron edge" they have paid
for originally, and paid again for the privilege
of using it, at seeing self-complacent citizen
sitting next to them carried triumphantly
along without money and without price
We see no reason why a law so obviously
or a hav,af Nfr ilxU0y V,r0 chnnld
be carried into effect. The difficulty in the
way of abating the deadhead nuisance long
ago, by general consent Of all the companies,
has been the competition of selfish interests
in their management The President and
Directors were naturally and reasonably made
free OF their roads, then the members of their
families. and it was study to the genealogist
to see how widely the ramifications of the di-
rectorial family tree could extend; then all
persons bringing freight were permitted to
travel free; then all sorts of railway officials
from the president to the Stoker, were passed
free, as a tribute to their official dignity. Ed
itors Of all sorts OF newspapers were early
given the run of all roads as privilege duly
appurtenant to puffery. And SO things went
on.
1t is to be hoped that the managers Of rail
roads in our State will heed these remarks
and the law which gave rise to them; and
that the unfortunate stockholders in our roads,
who have never received dividend and no
free rides except to stockholders meetings,
will be considered. The deadhead system
has become nuisance and is an abuse and a
fraud upon those who have employed their
capital in the construction of these roads, not
that idlers, officials and their families and
friends may have free rides, but that the pub
lie may receive themselves some remunera-
ton for their investment. s0e al aeI
A' a.H A STOCKHOLDERS