The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1874-01-28
RAILROAD DEADHE6DS

We take the following article fyon
the last number of the Weekly Spa
Rail ROAD PAssEs.-A Iarc,
number of the citizens of the stat,
are of the opinion that editors sbouic
not accept "passes over the Raj
Roads, believing as they do that tn,
officials by extending these cour
tesies buy up the news paper mel
and retain them in the interest t,
the companies. We are free to con
fess that we are always pleased t.
receive "pass and consider it
favor to get one, Notwithstanding,
we always pay in advertising. /
is no buying up" arrangement
with us. All will certainly admi
that Railroads are a great improve
ment in our country, they are
benefit to every farmer that makes
a bushel of grain to sell. and every
body that buys pound OF coffee
| knowing these facts, when W.
speak favOrably of the company anc
officials, it is not because we have !;
pass but from the fact that it il
right and proper.
Our neighbor of the GAZETTE
thinks the officials of the Z. T. Va.
| & Ga. r. r., have not extended to
him the favors they should have
done. How this is we know not
but we do know that Mr.. Helms
has been an active worker for the
interests of the great throughfare
through East Tennessee for prehaps
twenty-five years. We are indeed
sorry that difficulty should now
spring up between him and the Off
Gals that will destroy the friendship
that has so long existed, and earn.
estly hope that ere long peace will
again reign along the line.-Mo1Tis-
toaon Spy.
We thank the writer for his kind
personal allusion, and have but few
comments to make. If the Editors
of the Spy, or any other paper, con-
tracts to pay in advertising for rid
ing on the Railroad, then the pass is
not a free one. Our information from
headquarters is, that passes have
been and are sometimes given by
courtesy" and not as payment for
services rendered. Whatever opin-
ion our brethren of the press may
entertain of our new departure"
our course was marked out after a
deliberate survey Of the field, sur
roundings and consequences, with
an intelligent idea of how solitary
and friendless our isolation would
be, SO far as their taking sides with
MS was concerned, just now.
The Spy is mistaken in supposing
that there is any difficulty between
the officials of the Railroad and
ourself. We are entirely friendly
to the Road, and proved our friend
ship long since. There was a time
when it needed the help Of newspaper
men, if it does not now, and then it
was that Sam. WINS, Bob McNelly
and the Editor of the GAZETTE de-
Tended it from the insidious attacks
of those who would have throttled it
to death. Neither of US is much
richer now than then, but the Rail.
road, thank God, is prosperous and
can afford to forget us, or at " times
extend the courtesy of a pass"
If we are correctly informed sew
eral Editors on the line have been
sent passes since we flung our ban.
ner of mo dead-head ticket to the
breeze.
Part of the host have crossed the food,
And part are"-oxpecting to get over by next mail
Good! 1t is an ill wind that blows
no one any luck, and we are glad
our brethren do not suffer on &C.
count Of our sins. We insist, how.
ever, that dead-head tickets are de-
moralizing. No one feels like cuss
inc a man that gives him a good din.
ner +; nor would it be exactly right
not to say all the good you can con.
corning railroad upon which one is
riding without pay. We prefer not
to be handcuffed, even though the
letters be silken or green" and fol-
this reason shall maintain our posi-
ton of hostility to the dead-head
system, and shall earnestly endeavol
to have it incorporated as a funda
mental plank in all railroads that
we hereafter help to build-and the
construction and completion of rail
road lines, the building up of town:
and en- h ancing the wealth and pros
perity of our country generally, is
| just the work we enlisted to do, anC
we will do it, and do it as well as VIZ
know how, and if the people do no
reward us for the labor with suffi
cient patronage to pay for our little
railroad riding-then we will stay a
home. But
Editors who contract to pay 70
their passes are not riding free, anC
of course are competent to speak GU
on the subject without shame--as oul
neighber does.
To the Editor of the NTorristown Gazette
| end tbio ,1ororro,,b IN n I,4o Iot