Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1873-06-21
OLYMPIA. SArrkbAY MORNING. JUNE y, 1873.
FREE PASSES.

- AhSAibNi NANN' VI Wv - l. .''''''N
Assembly has handed us a "pass" sen;
to him through the mails Ivy the North
ern Pacific Railroad Company, and asks
our opinion of the conditions upon
which it is issued. 1t is a j." season"
ticket, bears the name Of the recipient,
and entities him to passage in trains on
the Pacific Division until Dec. 31st,
1873. On the diverse side are tic fol
lowing conditions:
This ticket is NOT transferable. and IS for
feited IL presented Ivy any other th"u III" per-
son named upon its face: and the Company
reserves the right to revoke it III any time
without notice.
The person accepting and using this ticket
In consideration of receiving the same. vol
damages. and expressly agrees that til"
Northern Pacific Railroad Company shall
not be regarded as common carrier. nor rs
iiable. to him for any injury To his person, or
any loss or damage to his baggage. which
may occur while using this ticket. whether
caused by the negligence of the Company's
agents or otherwise.
Before expressing an opinion as to
the Justice Of these :" conditions" we
should like to be informed whether or
not its holder has paid the company
nm equivalent for the use he may make
of it. As it IS supelscribed con ac-
count of Territorial Legislature" we
might infer that the Government, in q
generous mood, had purchased passes
for the members of the Assembly, and
had ordered them issued the same as
jack-knives and mucillage have hereto
fore been distributed; but as " civil ser
vice reform has already reduced the
length of the session one third, limited
the appropriation for printing, Topped
off all unnecessary expenses, and still
provides for the payment of mileage to
members to and from the Capital, that
view, it will be observed, is scarcely
admissible. If the Government has
not opened an account with the North
ern Pacific Railroad, either directly or
through its authorized agents, the ques-
ton arises who has done so, and what
is the object of such unparalleled gen.
crosby? Has some candidate for Door
keeper of the Council or House of Rep
resentatives, or Sergeant-at-Arms of
these august bodies, hit upon this novel
mode of advancing his cause, and max
ing a sure thing of the honors of the
position, even though it be at fright
full cost when reckoned in dollars and
cents? Or has some benefactor of these
much-abused gentlemen who make our
laws, through the promptings of phil
anthrophy, entered the field in their
behalf, with the design of supplement-
ing it with tickets for meals at our
hotels and drinks at the bars, to allevi-
ate in some degree the abuse they are
sure to receive if they act and vote ac-
cording to the dictates of conscience
under their official oaths? Either of
these latter suggestions may be correct,
but if SO, we protest against the inius-
tice of the so-called conditions, which
defeat in some degree the object of the
generous donor, by making the recipi-
ents of his bounty assume all the ordi-
nary risks of accident, and damage,
even though resulting through neg
lect of the company. Furthermore,
it was an oversight in him to allow the
company to interpolate a clause by
which they can revoke at any time with
or without cause or notice, the benefits
which his bounty has provided. Why
is it that member of the Assembly
cannot have the same protection guaran-
teed to other passengers? Why is he
compelled to tie his carpet-bag to his
suspender button or pad his body, to
guard against loss of linen by negli-
gence of agents, or injury to limb by
the carelessness Of some engineer or
employee of the company? We pro-
test, in the name of humanity, against
this injustice to our digni6ed Solons.
Sheep, cattle and even hogs, are guar
anteed safe transit under the laws reg
ulating common carriers" and their
liability extends to adequate damages
for such loss as may be sustained by
their owners.
Probably the most serious cause for
complaint, however, is found in the
clause which renders the ticket subject
to forfeiture if presented by any other
than the person to whom it issued. 1t
is lamentable blunder. Government
provides mileage for all the members of
the Assembly, and pass is therefore
Of no more use than fifth wheel to a
wagon or an extra tail to cat, and
their use would be considered ridicu-