Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-01-28
Nansaster fntelligc1lcer>
SATURDAY EVENING. JAN. 2e, 1889.
The Free Pass System.


and West events have occurred which
seem likely to direct public attention to
the abuse of the free pass system and to
result in some decided action which will
put an end to it. The drunken revelry
of dead-head legislators on the railroad
train wrecked in New York, with such
frightful fatality, is strongly suspected
of the original responsibility for that
affair, and the disclosure of the fact that
some seventy-five persons were riding
free On that train, alone shows how
enormous the practice has become.
Considered with reference to the exten-
sion of these favors to legislators alone
it has 4 tendency to make them run
away from their duties and to waste the
time for which the state pays, while the
control over legislation which the rail
roads seek to secure by this means is III
the highest degree detrimental to public
interests. The New York accident
seems, queerly enough, to have furnished
an occasion for the public consideration
of this important question in at leis! one
of its aspects.
Meanwhile in the Iowa Legislature an
opposition to the free pass abuse has been
transpiring which promises important
results for Il section that has been
grievously cursed With it. Resolutions
condemning it have passed that body
after an exciting debate and by i close
vote the railroad commissioners of the
state of Iowa are requested to report not
later than the 18th day of February
next their views and opinions upon the
following points:
l. Whether free transportation should
be given to any class OF citizens, except
paupers, mendicants or other proper OBJ
jects of Christian charity and Denevolence.
9. Whether persons elected to public
Office by the people should be allowed to
accept these favors.
3, Whether the railroad companies
should not be restrained from issuing
passes to public officers.
4. Whether any and what limitations
should be placed upon these practices by
law.
j. II the commissioners deem this to be
wholesome and legitimate practice, that
they give this body their reasons for such
belief
In our OWn commonwealth there is no
room for discussion of the matter. The
fundamental law of the state has settled
it, and to that mandate all right-nlinied
citizens Should bow. In the face of i, :,
however, Legislators WHO make laws
jud ges who construe and apply them.
and editors WHO ought to make healthy
public opinion, have been in regular re
ceipt of these fa>ors from the railroads,
in defiance of and contempt for the con
stitution. In his speech in the Iowa
Assembly the mover of the anti-free
pass resolution gave this instance of the
ABUSE he was aiming to correct:
There is not a single judge on the bench
IN this state who is not supplied with this
free transportation for himself and
for his family, too, il he chooses to
ask for it. And yet with these valuable
considerations in their pocket our judges
try cases every year in which the corpora
tions are parties in interest. Generally
when the judges of our supreme court 20
to Dubuque they assemble ut Des Noines
and take that pleasant journey together.
| am told that it costs the railroad about
$50 to convey the judges aud the attorney
general to Dubuque. Every other man
who travels that way pays higher fare
in consequences of this compIaisance to the
judges. < = Influential politicians
have filled our state conventions with del
egates by the liberal use of free passes. 1t
6 nVns hat
official has been permitted 10y railroad
company 20 ca,ry book of blank passes
and ill them up for his friends ut his own
pleasure.
Most of this and very much more is
true Of our state, where the high rates
OF passenger travel from which the gen
eral public suffer might be materially
reduced if the free pass system were
wiped out. The people would he bene-
fitted every way, legislation would be
more honest, the administration of JUS
tice would be relieved from Il scandal
and suspicion now attaching to it, and
editors would he happier and richer if
they paid for what they got and de
manded regular rates for the So called
railroad advertising.
lT is hardly worth while for the Press
to argue with those Methodist ministers
of Philadelphia who urge Oh Sabbatarian
grounds that their people take papers
which give Saturdays news in Mon
days papers. They are most likely as
far beyond conviction themselves as
they are unlikely to convince anybody
else that they reason soundly when they
maintain that the Sabbath is any better
kept 10y newspapers printed on Sunday
night than those of Saturday night.
Probably it would he better for us all if
we maintained strict rest and unbroken
quiet on the whole of one day out of the
seven but, as has Often been pointed
out, the cars, the mails, tine telegraph
and other newsgatherers, are busy all
day getting ready for Mondays conve.
necessities and comforts, and
Christian people universally take ad
vantage of these activities. There is no
fitness in drawing the line of exclusion
at Sunday papers. Rather encourage
them in their tendency to rival the
preachers and supplement the pulpits
with moralizing.
IN any apportionment of congressman
likely to be enacted the number from |
is apt to be increased one