The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-12-14
THE QUESTION OF FREE PASSES

free passes. Deadheadism has grown more
rapidly than railways or the country, and
V ice President Rutter, of the New York
| Central, in recent interview stated in re-
ply to the interrogatory, "You have a
great many applications for free passes, |
suppose,?" that at was awful, perfectly
awful" Continuing, he declared that
people who had merely been introduced to
him, frequently came to him years after
wards, and asked for passes on the strength
of the acquaintance, A state of things,
such as this, is not only an annoyance of
transcendant character TO the railroad, but
ii is simply disgraceful. Passes are granted
for all sorts of reasons and no reasons at all,
and the Railroad Gazette speaking on the
subject in recent number says Some
are substantially payment for services rem
dcred, and these are Objectionable, chiefly
because they are not treated formally as a
commodity of so much value exchanged for
definite services; others are given to induce
shipments, and are equivalent to
rebate and are Objectionable for
the same reason, because they make posi-
bic undcrhand competition and because
they are not given to all alike under the
same circumstances, while others, and a
large number, are given to secure the good
will of persons influential in different
ways, city officers, members of Legislatures,
journalists etc" A little sober reflection
on this matter cannot but convince us that
this is all wrong. OF course, so long
as any passes at all are issued those in
the habit of receiving them or in the
favor of the roads will demand them and
justly feel aggrieved if they are
not obtained. But ought the roads to
issue any free or "deadhead' tickets? Is it
business or is it right to selecs man here
and man there, public man or journal
list, and stocking his pockets with free
passes, place him under obligations to the
corporation whether it go right or wrong,
and then compel the laboring man and the
poor Immigrant or the cripple to pay >
cents per mile for every journey he may
make? We answer most emphatically, it
is not, and it is high time that
the whole bungling system were
abolished, As it is, if pass is issued
| to u legislator or a journalist or any one
| else he can ask for a family pass and then
| for one for each or any of his employees or
| friends, or his cousins or his aunts, al in.
| tinitum, and the company dare not refuse,
| and cannot find the line where distinction
| may be drawn. In the first place this
| practiccis an imposition upon the road, and
in the second place, it is of corrupting
| tendency. If either of these propositions
| be true, and both are to great extent, no
| sane man can doubt, the issuance of these
passes should be stopped. An honorable
man accepting the pass, as. the custom
prevails cannot but feel, if he
be called upon either as a legislator or
journalist or other public character to act
where the interests of the road is involved, "a
certain degree of gratitude that too often
| perhaps compels silence where he would
| otherwise speak or neutrality where he
would otherwise act. The influence ex-
cred upon him is indirect, it is true, ard
he feels it only remotely, but the natural
impulse arises unconsciously to assist il
| but negatively those who have beiriended
us, though it be ever so slightly and the
corrupting influences accomplish their
work. This may be so or it may not,
but the opportunity is there,
and it is this that should
be carefully guarded against.
But above all, such practice is not business.
Services are expected from papers and
others, either directly in advocacy of GER
tain movements or remotely by the sup
preston of certain facts for which the pass
is no adequate compensation, and on the
other hand those are dcad-headed who are
never of any consequence to the road. This
matter should be placed upon dentically
the same footing as other lines of business
and every man who goes over a
line of railway ought to be COM
PEELED to pay the exact fare,
aud receive no iavors not granted
TO another, and the roads should be made
to pay us are others for whatever service
they may require at the hands of newspa-
pers or others. A course such rs this
would obviate every difficulty, remove con-
fusion and sweep away opportunities for
corrupt practices as well as prevent jealous.
les and animosities that too often create
serious trouble, The public, those who
enjoy the dcad-head system, cannot suffer
from change in this respect, as those
who have any right to ask such favors have
such right simply from the fact that they
have been, are, or can be OF service to the
roads and in such case would receive the
appropriate pccuniary remuneration for
their assistance, instead Of dead-hcading the
corporation. If parties have no right to
demand the pass they have, of course, no
cause for complaint upon its withdrawal.
And, also, on the other hand, the roads
have no cause to fear injustice upon any
occasion from any honorable man or Jour.
nal by reason of the fact that such man or
journal is entirely free from obligations
to the management, and pays it the full
price for its service whatever that may
be. A journal of any responsibility
or influence will treat all questions affect.
ing the interests Of the State or railroad or
other corporations or individuals as justly