Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-02-09
Aal.easter fmtellige1lcer>
THURSDAY EVENING. FEB. 9. 1892.
toncerning Free Passes.

toncefning Free Passes.
We are glad to learn from the editor
ial columns of our esteemed contempO-
rary, the NeU Era, that neither its edi-
tor NOT publisher rides on free pass,
and therefora. TO welcome it to the ranks
Of those journals which, by. example as
well as preeept, aid the enforcement of
that provision of the new constitution,
which says "no railroad company shall
grant free passes or passes at discount
to any person except officers or employees
of the companies" We are even more
ignorant than the Ner Era can be as to
what curtailment may have been lately
made of favors heretofore granted to our
local contemporaries in defiance of this
constitutional prohibition. Since it be-
came the fundamental law of the com.
monwealth such favors have been neither
sought nor accepted by the editors and
publishers of the INTELLIGENCER.
1t is hardly necessary to recount the
reasons, founded in sound public policy,
which induced the trainers of the new
constitution to incorporate this section
in the body of that instrument. The
abuse of the free pass system had grown
into such monstrous proportions, as was
developed in the convention de
bates, that only fifteen of its
members voted against the clause
which we have quoted: it was
offered, by the way, by Mr.. T.. {.
Knight, an experienced railroad man,
and met with the hearty sympathy of
Mr.. GOwen, though he had at that time
Withdrawn from membership in the con-
vention. In expressing the desire of the
people and of their representatives en-
gagged in remOdeling the constitution. o!
course the members of the convention
were not juggling with language HOT did
they intend to let the railroad companies
evade the intent and plain provisions
of the article. AS was suggested iii the
debate, it is possible for editors, legisla
tors and judges to class themselves ;.s
railroad employees " and escape the
limitations of the law and, again, rail
road companies might sell communication
tickets at a merely nominal and insig-
nificant price and dodge its prohibition.
But these considerations were all waived
as too flippant to weigh against the
plainly expressed intent of the law
which was most cordially approved
by such members of the con.
yentiun rs Messrs. f. &. Knight
Curtin, Buckalew, Alricks and
Henry Carter of this county. Mr.. Cur
tin, speaking from extensive observa
tion of foreign affairs, declared that i,
was only in this country that the
stockholders are taxed to pay for the
official indulgence given by the control,
lers of their work to their favOrites, to
members of the Legislature and to those
in official station, to judges and others.
Mr.. Howard pointed out that everybody
has to be taxed to make up for the loss
from free passes. Mr.. Knight de,
clared that IF passes were done
away with the public general,
could travel at lower rate, because
there would not then be three travelling
Oh a free pass and two paying fare
The section under discussion, he pointed
out, would not affect excursion tickets,
or coupon tickets, an /: nowhere in the
debates is any attempt manifested to in
terfere with the legitimate business OF
the railroad companies, nor even to for
bid them indulging in courtesies or ex
tending favors tine value of which caii
be defined and the compensation meas
ured on ordinary business principles.
Mr.. Buckalew hailed with pleasure = i,
proclamation agains! the exercise OF
a species of illegitimate influenc {
of railroad companies, not only upon
members of the Legislature, but upon
the judges of our courts, upon the jury
men who are impaneled in our courts,
and upon men Of high influence and
position throughout the commonwealth
who apparently are subsidized to some
extent by these corporations by the issu
ing OF these passes 10 them
1t scarcely neeisany elaboration to show
the improperly of public ollicials-most
of whom get mileage or allowance OF
travelling expenses whenever they go on
public business-accepting free passes
and no railroad manager will dispute
that legislators are given them with the
hope of favOrably influencing legislation
for the corporations. Coroners who get
them are naturally 10th to impose upon
railroads the responsibility for fatalities
occurring on their line, and certainly
private individuals in salts with corpor.
atiOns are at IA disadvantage in having
their cases tried before judges who ride
on favors granted by the other party to
the suit. Most of all are they interested
in subsidiZing editors, SO potent in in,
fuencing public sentiment.
On behalf of the newspaper men il
may fairly be claimed that they render
a legitimate business service to the rail.
road companies in publishing their time
tables and for this they are entitled to be
paid. This is true, and as the value of
that service is calculable at regular ad
vertising rates, the return should he as
we'll defined. This is, we believe, the
policy of the Reading railroad, and if
any other corpora tion by system of
" exchange" Communication, "cou-
pon, or any other class of tickets, pays