The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-04-27
THE FREE PASS SYSTEM.
It's Dangers Pointed Out by Legis-
lator

AAlOls
Several of the state legislatures have
had under consideration the subject of a
suppression of the giant evil known as
the railroad free pass system, by law,
The legislatures of Ohio and Iowa seem
To haYe attacked the system in good
earnest. a bill looking To this end was
| introduced in Iowa some weeks ago,
and its author called attention to
the evils under the free pass system, by
the following pointed speech, which we
know will be of interest to our readers:
The great danger which arises from
| this American system of offiial dead
heading comes from its alarming ex-
tent. Every judge of the supreme
court of the United States is an official
deadhead. And not only are the su-
preme judges and all other federal
judges Official deadheads, but courtesy"
takes in their relatives and personal
friends. Then the cabinet officers are
also bright and shining examples of
this American aystem, with only here
and there an old fogy who don't believe
in it. Most of the United States sena-
tors and members of the house of rep
resenIaiivcs sail in the same boat with
goodly accompaniment OF relatives,
friends, dependents and hangers on.
Then 60 through the departments and
you will find hundreds. most likely
thousands, OF people who have no
trouble in securing free railroad
transportation to their homes and |
return, no matter how distant they
may be. Especially is this true
with regard to those officials who have
something 10 do with The railroad land
grants. The entire public service of
the general government Is rife with this
abuse, which a railroad attorney of this
city told me not long ago was simple
Courtesy due 10 poSitonm WheneysE
man gets into u responsible Office,
where he has rel atious with the people
ON one hand and with corporations on
the other, it Is "due to his position"
that he shall have these favors.
The oil of official deadheadism
greases the wheels of all our state courts.
Our state supreme judges draw their
passes upon the hapless conductors
with all the facility of practised hands.
Sometimes when going Ia court in
body they fire by platoonsl Our dis
irict and circuit judges, with only one
exception, are the happy recipients of
all these "conrtesies due to position"
Neither the attorney general nor the
| district attorneys are left out in the cold.
The wise cid professional bailiff, es-
pecially he who has become wrinkled
and scraggy, and smoke-dried in the at
| mosphere of courts, occupies no mean
or significant place as AN official dead
head. Everybody, seemingly, has pass
except the poor client. His share is 10
pay the costs, and Us he has no position
he gets no "courtesies."
Every state officer, and every clerk in
every state Office, has or may have his
name placed on the roll at official dead
heads. Your board of railroad COM
| missioners are also deadheads of the
| first water. Within the state, by law,
and out of ii by the courtesy due to
position" they travel free with their
families.
Then the state senators and represent
aiives, the lawmakers, though To a
more limited extent, come in for these
"courtesies due to position" II the Of
| ficers of the slate senate and house do
not have the same Gavors they are them
selves to blame. At the opening of this
session AN unsuccessful candidate for
clerk of the railroad committee, am
told, exhibited pile of passes consider
ably thicker than Il pack of playing
cards. Then there are many county
/ aud municipal officers whose hats are
1
extensive this may be, but il includes
IN many instances sheriffs, county su-
pervIsOrs, the city councils and boards
of aldermen.
The line of misunderstanding courte-
sy due TO poSitlun-ends. believe, with
township assessors. l am unable TO
trace it any further down, but the trus-
tees of townships and the sub directors
of school districts may live in hope. If
they can only manage to hold their
offices few years longer, the ever
widening circles of free-passism may
vet take them in. When l heard that
the list of official deadheads included
township assessors could hardly credit
it. But think that any patient investi-
gator in that direction would be reward
ed with discoveries which would as
found him. do Pnt believe that the
generality of these have free passes, but
on some of the roads where the corpor-
atoms have laid out towns, and own
lands and lots, passes have been issued
TO assessors. Not only DO all the Off
GERS have named receive these "cOur-
tesies due TO position" but the list in
cludes many of their friends.
In almost any county seat you will
find men who are influential enough to
obtain these favors year after year. If
one has case in court against rail.
road company, of course the attorney
against you will have command OF
these instrumentalities to any extent he
pleases, and the instinct to use them in
paving his own way TO professional sue.
cess few men have the power to with
stand. If you could look into the
pockets of the jurors you might posi-
bly, find that they were likewise sup
piled with these "courtesies due to posi-
ton" The chances would be that YOU
own attorney-especially if he had posi-
, ton and ability-would be also on this
, free list. This picture of the extent o.
this system is not exaggerated OF over
drawn. 1t affords topic for study ant
reflection worthy of the weightiest con
: sideration.