The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1882-08-30
Pay as The Co!

A. a general thing. second thoughts
are best but when the second thou ght
is dictated by an excess of caution, or
prudence, or like considerations, the
gain to the Editor, personally, is apt to
be a loss to his readers. We have con-
tinual illustrations. One occurred last
week. In copying Maj. Malone speech
at Asheville, charging that all of our
State officers, Governors, Legislators,
Superior and Supreme Court Judges,
etc, travel free on the Railroads mot
w~ithstanding Corporations have no
souls')-we added a note stating that
this was incorrect, as regards Supreme
Court Justices Ashe and Rufhn; but on
second-thought marked out the line. =
having no right to speak for these gentle
men. The Observer states that the three
Justices of the Supreme Bench pay as
they 60. This is right. No one supposes
that any Judge of our present courts,
Supreme or Superior, would permit their
decisions to be influenced by the $50 or
800 a year saved to their pockets by the
courtesy of the Railroads. But the ex-
ample is bad for it makes custom"
and this makes an excuse for the Legisla-
tors, and other officials, to whom a
pass may be a much more important
consideration especially if they reside
where they car go home every Saturday,
and return Monday. OF course many
honorable gentleme2,-as honorable as
any who breathe the breath of life,
have accepted such courtesies FROM the
Roads, and have performed their duties
as boldly as if they had never heard of a
pass" But this helps to make the
custom" universal; and custom" like
ostentatious Charity" may hide a null
titude of sins" 1t is true that the mere
giving of a pass to members of the Legis-
iature does not of itself signify a wish to
corrupt on the part of the roads, for
nearly all our State roads make this gift,
although they may have nothing to ask
of the Legislature. and nothing to fear.
Still the practice is not wise, either in
giving or receiving. 1t may cast suspi-
cion where none was deserved.
The Editor can speak freely, because
when elected to the Legislature a few
years ago, he paid his fare, S.. rs each
way, from Charlotte to Raleigh al
though he had also an Editor pass. I"
''Ah - says somebody, Then you do
sometimes use Passes ?" Yes, we have
used them, and Y never any Railroad
sees fit to exchange with us, I'VE shall
use them again, if we have occasion to
traverse their lines. But the cases are
different. Editors exchange with the
roads or business principles. The roads
need their assistance in keeping the pub
lie informed of their continual changes of
schedule, train hours, stockholders meet
ings, dividend notices, and other similar
matter. Furthermore, the Editor in
travelling usually writes up" the route,
and thus helps to advertise and increase
It's business. Furthermore, all intelligent
Railroad men recognise (or ought TO re-
cognise) that the Press is an indispensi-
bic co-laborer in building up the country,
which 10 turn gives business to their road.
Editors often give hundreds of dollars
worth of advertising to new roads before
a single mile of track is laid. The Far
naer and Mechanic is only FIVE years old,
yet our files will show upwards of twenty
columns of editorials. communications,
complimenting paragraphs, notices of
schedules. etc, worth, at our lowest cash
rates, ten to Que, for every dollar of rail
way fare we have been Passed" The
first newspaper writing we ever did was
to fight a bitter controversy for two
months, in the Newbern papers, advoca-
ting a Grand Through Route from More
head City to Morristown, Tennessee. via
Raleigh, Salisbury, Asheville, and Warm
Spring.. Gov. Morehead at that time
QS67) assured us hat if this route were
completed he would guarantee that the
net profits of the line should Pay every
uOlIdl VI UEC Ctdtc . cApCESCS Wltnl0 ~
months after the locomotive passed the
Tennessee boundary; just as the State
roads of New Jersey support that govern
ment.
A leading member of the last Legisla-
ture. in scolding us for ~censuring Mr..
Best, did US the compliment to say that
he first made up his mind to vote for the
ale, after reading our articles on the
need of a Through Route, etc.
So, while we have used passes we feel
that we have paid for them. and while
We say frankly that we are always glad TO
get them for journalism does not put
money in the purse,') yet we never fail
to give full quid pro quo after which
our pen is free. And though we some
times censure the s~elfshness of Syndi-
dicates, like wv. j. Bests'' and the
"Danville. yet as a rule Railroad men
all over the State are our friends; for no
man living IS more ready t. recognise
their usefulness to North Carolina ia this
stage Of her up-building.
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