Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-01-19

rNalla Walla WstchmAn-l

The January number Of the North
Asnerieos Reri<e has coz paniou arsi-
Giles denocneinQ and favor,nQ the ffee
pass system. This Is q question upon
which il would seem the argument vas
all on one side. and this BELIEF -
strengthened by the perusai OK the afti-
cIes spoken Of. II Is admitted thai the
most Deritorious recipients Of Tree
passes are clefRymeo and editors. naen
who frsea the.r position IN lie cannot
be supposed 20 be biased IN thefr action
in q way that viii iuure TO the oenens
Of railroad corporations But, IN tne
cass of editors, Il the pass u given Win
an expectstion Of advocacy OF measures
hostile 70 public interest, II 10 onpe 70
all infents and parposeA 10 Be sure ~
editor is not in a public position W the
sense OF one holding Office by virtue OK
An election. Tne material nth which
he publishes nus papse - prisa,e prop
srty. and be has - mucfl az an ap-
pareu, rirht 10 sell his services 20 a rail-
road corporation As n attorney has AS
a proxositloa of iax, fnis position - m
coatyoseF;lbls; bat. As = prop ssitiou OF
ODD mofnis IL ~ susceptible OF CON
adorable doabs- Every pco.isher enters
into an implied contract With Ills pat
rosss that the measures advocated y
him e all b shoiesome and for the gem
sr4l Welfare of shose Who contribute 10
his support. Otherwise be Will be rc-
csivIn2 double compeasatson-from his
PATRONS and from the corporation 10
which be srIls oct mis- patrons interests
The work of An editor is valuable TO .
railroad III inducing settlement and in
crossing the volume Of corporation
business. and it is advantageous TO rail
roads 70 have editors thoroughly in
formed by travel concerning region OF
country in which they operate. In this
view. the giving of passes to newspaper
nen 10 mere business proposition. and
the better the newspa pers OF locality
are tho better it il for q railroad.
The acceptance of passes by men In
official position is an entirely different
matter. They are given with some
expectation Of return, not from the
individual ~ Que 10 . position To In
crease the number of patrons and bust
ness Of q railroad, bnt from the official
in his public action granting TO the
corporation extending the favor Some
speci-l privilege or exemption from
ordinary burdens. The case is admir-
ably put in the articles referred TO,
when il ia stated that tho friends and
relations Of Isegi -lstOr, who has ridden
to Legislative halls on a free pass, will,
| in case Of his death. have to pay
double first class fare for the return Of
his body. A living dog il worth more
than dead lion, and q Legislator with
ont q living vote IL . thing sOulless
corporations hare no farther use TOR.
The extent of the free pass system 10
20 great ~ almost 70 dignity is into
respectability. Federal officers. con-
Rressmep, the Judiciary, state and
county officers, influential politicians
| and members Of political conventions,
| all have their backs chalked. II a
railroad company takes any interest in
the nomination Of any particular can
| didate, the machinery Of free passes
| will attend to the maFshalling Of tbs
friends Of that candidate in force, and
the dear people will be called on to
rally to the support Of the candidate
10 nominated. And thus the practice
vitiatss the whole political system.
The assessor who accepts q Rratuity in
the shape of free rides ON a railroad
really makes the taxpayers pay dearly
in diminished railroad assessment for
the favors he has received. The mem.
ber Of Congress, who receives his mile
age for the payment Of expenses from
his home to the halls of Congress-, il
not dealing honestly with the people il
be receives pay for expenses hs has
never incurred. Allowance is made
to officers in all stations for expenses
incurred in the line of official duty
and il the expenses are not incurred
the officer u not honestly entitled ~ the
allowance.
Officials attempt to justify their &C
ceptance Of free passes and the wrons
they are doing the public on thegrounC
OF insufficient salary; but the attemp
Is dslusivs, for the reason that the sal
ary was the consideration that anti
dated the acoeptancs Of the Oifioe. MeI
who strive for Office with q full knowl
edge Of its emOluIpents cannot after
ward justify themselves in a publ,
wrong BY any claim that they have beer
cheated by tho pablo by insufficient
compensation for their services. L
they do not like the terms, tho publ,
always furnishes them with statiOnar,
on which to write a resignation. Their
il u very general feeling throughout tn,
country that these abuses must termin
ate, and tHe question has assumed sncl
proportions that it Is being incorpo
rated az plank in political PLATFORMS
The States that have passed laws on thi,
subject have found them dead letter
on their statute books. There must b<
a higher law soiaewhere-a determina
tion on the part of the people not 4
support any candidate for Once who's,
hands are not clean of contamination
from base corporation brides.