The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-03-13
Free Passes on Railroads.

n
Free Passes on Railroads.
Mr.. Thomas Allen, the President of the Iron
Mounfsin Railroad, recently sent, in accord
.ancs With established ussge,e, free passes over
his line to. the hundred and fifty or two hun
dred members of the Missouri Legislature, (of
course, free passes are sent no where else ex-
cept in Missouri One of Ehe members, with
more sensitive conscience than his brother
2. sslons; returned his piece of pasteboard, with
. letter to the donor, and in his epistle read
the offending official q pretty sharpe lecture on
she immorality of his conduct, interspersed
4. with apt quotations from Che Scriptures con-
scerning bribery and the taking of gifts. Mr..
Allen, rs soon as he was able 20 get the better
of his astonishment wrote reply SO good
humored inits hits and SO sensible in its views,
that wesrepublisn it entire. The railroad
President proves that he can quote Scripture
as we'll rs bis correspondent, and that he can
quote il to some purpose. It will amply repay
perusal -
~ SIR have received your letter Of February
IA returning q pass over the Iron Mountain
Railroad which had been given you in common
with other members of the Legislature.
You state that, as the members are paid mile
2 age by the State, You see no reason why rail-
roads should also furnish them transportation
free, and thassit has q tendency to demoralize
the Legislature. You refer me 10 sdndry texts
of Scripture from which / learn that "every
Zen enc ioyeth gifts and foloweth after rewards.
That sthou shalt take no gift, for the gift
blindeths the wise, and perverteth the words of
the righteous" And that FIRE shall consume
She tabernacles of bribery. &
2. While giving you credit for delicacy of con-
science, and an apparently uncommon amount
4 of f;sirtue, I beg leave to claim for railroad
officers generally chat they do not give passes
out of pure wickedness, but from generous
desire tosgrant what'is asked for, to disarm
prejudice, secure peace and aPpease threatened
wrath. It is custom they hate, and wish it
were tsrnore honored in the breach than the
observance" In the case of the Legislature,
the list of members is invariably sent down by
= The clerk, and the passes for members and Off
GERS requested. The consequences of attempt
ing to iimit them is matter of recent notoriety.
IF railroads happen TO send pass to man
Z with az keen perception of propriety as your
self; they are wicked" !" if they don't send
them ON request 20 others, they are simply
s.mean.p y and retaliation Immediately raises its
& crest. sssss g
s ssAs you have quoted Scripture, am reminded
Il ofsthe 26sh verse of the oath chapter of Acts,
but do not refer to it as having any application
to YOU personally. st. Paul had reasoned of
Righteousness, temperance and judgment 20
come, aud Felix the governor, trembled and
let him 60 but the governor chopped also that
money should have been given him of Paul /"
Felix was the great progenitor and model OF
modern black-mailers. Let body ask for
\ sou ~
any political power, and anon mailed knights
spring into the way and interpose their objec-
tons, "hoping that money should be given
them,n to take themselves of. Let man of
public spirit and enterprise attempt to do
great good, which, if successful, might make
him the envy of the wicked, how quickly is
there pack at his heels attempting to levy
toll upon every step of his progress! If he
feels constrained to buy peace and freedom,
should he be accused of covenanting with in
iquity3 do not intend to insinuate that any
Legislature is actuated by any other motives
than those Of patriotism in the present epidemic
OF opposition to railways, but do think that
it sayors of injustice to offer certain franchises
In consideration Of the building of railways,
invite the giving of passes, and then arraign
them as monsters of wickedness for accepting
Che offer and the invitation. Railways are
amenable, of course, to law and justice, and
they are. governed by instincts similar to those
of natural persons. 1t is their interest to en-
courage traffic over their lines, and they are,
therefore interested in making them attractive
and popular. IL is their interest to establish
reasonable rates, and to afford fair accommo-
dations, and to, keep their roads and appurten-
aflces in good order. If they should be extor-
tionate or dangerous, they will be avoided. If
they should happen to make large profit that
fact will induce competition, and the laws Of
trade will regulate the whole matter, and the
public will get the largest and best accommo-
dations at the lowest living rates.
beg leave to add that you and four other
gentlemen, two of them of 8. date long since
past, are the only cases I ever heard OF, in my
long experience, in which sense of delicacy
e induced q return of railroad pass. Two Of
them were not members of the Legislature. l
have been disposed to honor them for the pos
sessiod of consciences so sensitive, though the
passes were given for the sake of courtesy and
compliment, and not for purchase. Indeed,
should despise any man who could be bought
st ali, and especially so cheaply as by the gift
of railroad pass and scanliot believe that
wise men can be blinded, or their juddgmeHD
perverted, by reconsideration SO diminut;ye and
contemplate.
] have much respect for the government and
its members, whether executive, legislative or
judicial. and haze faith that they are gener-
aliy ineorruptible ard untainted There are
falling stars and eccentric orbits, and some
times showers of falling stars in the heavens,
like those we have recently observed in the
political armament; bnt generally the orbs
stand firm and give steady light. "Thou
shalt take no gift" was very early command
ment, and it is to be lamented that the highest
example in our country had not afforded an il
lustration of virtuous obedience, so that ordi-
nary persons might have profted by it. But
now SO it is we may hope that the present
storm of falling stars will have an important
effect in clearing the political atmosphere, so