New-York tribune., 1873-05-03

average Congressman TO clamor for anything |
he can get free, from bay-rum bath, or |
dozen stay-laces, to round trip to California, !
priced at $500. That he should demand COM
plimentary tickets for himself and his inter-
esting family from tho Rocky Mountains to
Washington, from New-England to Cali
fornia,-that he should turn a brisk
penny by begging for passes and selling
them at discOunt,-that he should encourage
clerks of committees and employees about the
Capitol and the departments to make similar
demands,-and that he should think himself
ill-used when the demands arc not granted
all. this is no moro than we might have an
ticpated, knowing as we do the prOpensities
which life in Washington develops. But we
confess that we were not prepared for what
Mr.. Clark tells us, and what we have learned
from other sources, Of the dimensions to which
the abuse has arisen. The clerk of q certain
statesman wrote the other day to the Pres-
dent of the Union Pacific that Senator sO-and-
so would be in New-York on such day,
and it would perhaps be as well for
Mr. Clark to call upon him and offer him a
pass. Another Senator recently asked for five
passes over the Union Pacific road (the
through fare being ST so for each passenger,
and being refused, threatened that the cOmpa-
ny should suffer for its meanness next Winter.
An ex-member of Congress who held season
pass died some months ago. his heir used the
pass until it expired, and then applied for q
renewal
Upon what principle, we should like to know,
are passes issued or accepted Mr.. Clark re-
ceiyes letters asking for several thousand dol
lars worth in a single day. The tax has be-
come so heavy upon his company that the
passenger traffic does not pay expenses. Now,
corporations give nothing without expecting
an equivalent. A pass is valuable consid-
Grafton, worth money, and often sold for
money. When Mr.. Clark gives Senator
thousand miles transportation, from Omaha
to Ogden, he gives him, TO all intents and
purposes, S77 50 in money. He does it on the
theory that the receiver of the pass can help
or hurt the company by his official action;
and it is precisely and avOwedly on that
theory that the pass in many instances Is
asked for There is a statute of the United
States which brings a transaction of this sort
fairly under the head of bribery, and imposes
upon both giver and receiver fine not ex-
ceeding three times the value of tlo present
and Imprisonment not exceeding three years,
besides disqualification for office. (See act OF
Feb. 26, 1889 We do not suppose that IN the
majority of cases pass actually does influence
the receivers official action, or that the giver
has any distinct purpose of demanding return
for it, although Mr. Clark shows that there is
reason to dread the enmity of officials to whom
il has been refused. The system is an out
growth of the prevalent official mendicancy
which is turning our placemen into an army
of sturdy beggars, and teaching the rich and
influential that they ought to get for nothing
what the poor must buy. When the village
lawyer, or the shOp-keeper with tongue in his
"head, ;" or the ward politician, has made friends
and money enough to get into Congress, ne finds
himself in the midst of a shower of gifts. He
travels to the seat of government at the public
expense. He pays no postage. He can box up
his household furniture and send 1t across the
continent for nothing as a registered letter.
The Sergeant-at- Arms supplies him with jack
knives and fancy soap. UnaccustOmed luxu-
ries are thrust under his nose at every turn
toothpicks, cologne, cooling drinks clean tow
els, Patent-Ollice Reports, gOrgeOusly Illus
trated volumes of travel and discovery. In
the course of a year or two he takes it as
matter of course that he should be exempt
from all the charges that vex ordinary men.
He looks for free tickets to the lectures of the
Young Mems Christian Association, and to the
base ball matches, and the circus. He hesi-
tates about paying for his drinks, and
feels a hotel bill as a personal wrong.
Who shall wonder? The vanishing
abuses of mileage and franking, the prepOster
GUS allowances for stationery cOmmutation,
have nOurished in this untutOred breast pas
sion for beggary. He takes all the dishonoring
presents of the petitioners for Congressional
favor and if a dim sense of imprOpriety now
and then penetrates his mind. he turns his
eyes toward the great National Dead Head at
the White House, and feels reasSured. Per.
haps the tardy action of the Union Pacific
Railroad will do something to arouse the pub
lie sense of decency on tlis subject, and I'M
pei all reputable public functiOnaries to adopt
the principle which has long prevailed in the
principal newspaper oiices,-the comfortable
and honest principle of paying ones own way.