Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-04-18

OUR calling attentiou 10 tno oiii 1no'
has passed through the State Senate,
prohibiting railroad companies in this
State from granting free passes to
other than their officers, seems to have
annoyed the Eagle. Mr.. Greer, our
Senator, voted against the passage oi
the bill and we made known to his
constituents that simple fact, as was
our duty to do. as he is public officer.
After admitting last week that we were
silent as to Mr.. Greer's legislative acts
for "three months" past, it complains
that we are now pursuing" him in the
free pass matter.
tits natural that MIR. Robinson should
come to the defence of free passes. He
has enjoyed them ever since he was in
the Legislature, upwards Of twenty
years, right straight along. At mod.
crate calculation of only three trips
taken east in a year, and at $50 saved
in trip, we haze the snug little sum
saved him in the past twenty years ol
$1,000. OF Mr.. Greer, as present
member, and in fact of most of tue
members, it may safely be said that
during session of twenty weeks they
visit home nearly once week. Fare
from here to Harrisburg and back is
about $40, and twenty weeks multiplied
by $40 makes $400, in one session alone,
that a Senator or member from this
county saves by the use of free pass.
The i've sessions we believe that Mr..
Greer has now been at Harrisburg
would, therefore, foot up to the sum OF
$4,000 saved by free passes.
But of all this the people would not,
perhaps, have complained, if 1t were
not for the loss Of t,me, from their
duties, by the members. The free pass
system is an induceD,ent TO trauel
Travel takes from the time and the at.
tention of the members; the consequence
is the prolonging the term of the
session, just as we see it now. 1t is,
therefore, q matter in the interest of the
taxpa yers of the State to prohibit this
free pass custom.
But the Eagle makes sad blunder
when it says that it was just as bad for
a member in the Legislature twenty
years ago to accept free pass as it is
now. 1t forgets that there was no
Constitutional provision against the
granting Of free passes then. Now
there is. We refer it to the new Con-
stitution of 1874, Art. II, Sec. 8, which
says, "No railroad, ETC., shall grant
free passes, etc, except to officers or
employees of the company" This
was never enforced, and that is the OBJ.
ject of the bill that has just passed the
Senate almost in the exact words of
the Constitution, and against which
Mr.. Greer voted. The object is to en-
force the Constitution by law. How
o member could vote against that is
difficult to understand However it
might have been before, noW it is
directly in the face Of the Constitution
to issue to members free passes and q
serious question is, is it not as wrong
to accept them as to grant them
But the Eagle thinks "that man
must be made of weak material who
would be Influenced by them" That
may be. But experience shows us that
there have been and are great many
men "made of weak material" Some
of them get into the Legislature, and
the State loses by the loss of their
time and services in the use of free
passes. Whether this loss of services
to the State can really apply to our
jolly and good natured Senator might
admit of question, it is true. 1t may
be the State loses nothing by the loss
of his services and time. But never
theless that is no reason why the com
mon Constitution, over and binding on
us all, should not bs respected and en-
forced