The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-04-05
De;a,dl,eadisrr,.

! Deadhead ism. !,
THE Convention 10 amend roe Conssan'-
tioaof Pennsylvania has done one ME- y, =.
which all good citizens shosald apiaasu 3.
- rsrssny Ut the wonderful effects WREN q
8 fsee railroad pass produces upon legislators
8 nh. os,er classes Of men {ineludiug, we are 6
4 sorscd 10 admit, editors that body has s,us
mo the new Constitution provision ls pro.
4 h;bifanr railroad companies from issuing
fTpe ssasses to any persons other than their
ss,1,icers and the INDECENT whom the railroad
Sofi;cta.s may choose SO 10 favor as an act ios
charity. We suppose that the law hereafter
Id be made TO carry into effect this constltl-
/ sionsl provision viii beso drawn as TO guard
I against bogus officers and impecuuious law
i makers editors, etc $780, .- !. !. ).
THIS asa step in the right direction :,
has leng beena reproach to the press as wen
us TO The Legislatures of many states tlla'
these classes Of persons could De snauceu'
4 tha one to suppress the truth or TO pun the e.
unworthy, and the other to pass unnecessary
or Injurious laws, for and 10 consideration
al: a free. rslss over the railroad which might
{ seek these favors. It Is high time that DOTH
lawmakers and editors, as we'll as every
other class of deadheads, were made to pay
their way, and that the independence OF both
classes were reestblished, SO far as railroads
ars concerned. Congress has passed a law
abolishing the frankipg privilege and making
editors pay postage upon their exchanges,
and depriying this latter class Of the priYa-
iege Of sending their papers free to sub
scribers residing in the county wherein tue
paper is published. The example. set by
Congress has already borne fruit in Penn
sylyania. We trust that the good work will
go on until not vestige Of this unreasena-
BILE and unjust privilege-unjust TO THE
stockholders of the railroad compantes-is
left, either in Pennsylvania or elsewhere.
g But it is not railroad companies only that
ought to be prevented by law from Issuing
free passes. The evil is a general If nota
universal one. Every circus that comes to
Richmond gives free passes not only to edi-
! tors md reporters, but to every official OF the
State and of the city who has aught to do
with assessing the license-taX or collecting
the sanne, or has official business Of any kind
with the circus company. These free passes
are oil issued for purpose. There Is no
consideration named when the transfer OF
tickets is made, but it is just RS well under
stood that the officials are not to be too hard
upon the circus company as it is that the re-
porters are to notice the show in the local
columns of the several papers for, which
they report. The custom belongs to the same
family of unredressable wrongs as does that
other reprehensible custom of policcmenpre-
senting the sergeants ofpolice with presents
of canes and silver sets, &C.; the sergeants
doing the same thing for their superiors;
and the captains the same thing for the chief
custom which the experience Of some cities
has brought into such disrepute that their
charters now forbid such presents to be
made. The custom Of giving presents to the
teachers, principals, and general superin-
tendents Of public schools is another bad
one belonging to the same family: for what
I poor schoolma'am will refuse to give few
dollars to please her principal; or what prin-
cipal to please his superior, or, as to that
matter, what child to please his or. her
teacher? We say these evils are all of the
same family. We wish to see them all
abolished. .,s
A State Legislature may do any act not for
hidden by tue State Constitution. We sup
pose, therefore, that tits within the power Of
any such Legislature to pass law provid-
ing that every theatre, circus, or other show
or performance of any sort, which requires
license from the State, shall be granted
such license only upon condition that it shall
not attempt to iDjure the public by bribing
the press with free tickets, nor by paralyz-
ing any public officers by the same seductive
means. The press, above all things, should
be entirely untrammelled. Public Officers
cannot well abdicate the functions of their
position and neglect to perform their duties
in regard TO shows. But. the press can easily
\ do SO. 1t is SO easy to praise, and 80 difficult
to speak the whole truth. It is SO much
more pleasant to be on good terms with such
Jolly fellows as make up these shows than IT
5ssis TO cause them to have hard thoughts.
Let us hope that 1t will not be long be,
fore deadbeadism will be thing unknown
Ito all-eyen to editors and lawmakers.
~ ~ - 5.s. 81,
BILLS WHICH HAVE FAILED TO BECOME LAWS.
We have published, in the expectation tina,
they would become laws, several bills as they
passed the two Houses of the General las.
sembly just before the close Of the session,
. which hills. we now learn. TIE Governor has