The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-09-10

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public officers of all grades and ~ y
varieties of service. In thaao :" al
cases the pass system was particu,.aas last
obnoxious and baneful, for if anrF!
turn was to be made or was ern:. 70.
of public officers, it was of sometS:
which was not theirs to give L
which belonged to the public ., OoE
constituents. 70
A ticket emitting one to free
age by rail was often more efaet sss
in enlisting the assistance an sTn"4Se
of the holder than its value in m ppOu
would have been, and in agreat may
cases it would be received and avaay
of when the offer of money, mad
accomplish the same end, would ~, !"
been spurned as a bride. Much =
pleion of public men resulted wb;l s'
was sometimes just, but also Sou
times unjust and cruel; and some ~
te~rioration of the moral sense Of ~,
community, traceable to this can as
was unavoidable while the abuse 40
tinued. The parties most freonaUI NJ.
and most largely favored were tbos5
possessing large means and bavino
large business interests.
The general fact came to be that :.
proportion to the distance thew wo.a
carried those able to pay the mos,
paid the least.
One without means had seldom AM
ground on which to demand fro
transportation, while with wealth h.
was likely to have many grounds on
which he could make it for the intor
est of the railroad company to favo,
him, and he was sometimes fayoied
with free transportation not onlv for
himself and his family, but for busi.
ness agents also, and even sometimes
for his customers. The demand for
free transportation was often in the
nature of blackmail, and was Welded
to unwillingly and through fear Of
damaging consequences from 1; refu.
sal. But the evils were present as
much when it was extorted as when
IL was freely given.
Stop, reader Go back to the be.
ginning of this article, and read i
over again and then again, for almost
every sentence deserves to be under.
scored and particularly impressed
upon your memory. Remember that
the interstate commerce com.
mission is composed Of learned,
patriotic and able men of national
reputation; that these gentlemen:
Thomas M. Cooley, William R.
Morrison, Augustus S~choonmaker,
Aldace F. Walker and Walter L.
Bragg, all men of integrity and ability
and so regarded by all men, have
thoroughly investigated this subject
and know whereof they speak. See
what they say of the free pass system:
Particularly obnoxious and baneful;n
"a ticket emitting one to free passage
by rail was often more effective in en-.
listing the assistance and support Of
the holder than its value in money
would have been, and in a great many
cases it would be received and awaited
of when the offer of money, made to
accomplish the same end would have
been spurned as a BRIDE" For what
purpose do the railroad managers ISSUE
free passes to our Congressman, oul
Legislators, our Judges, our Solicitors
and our State officers !? Is it because
these persons r any more entitled
to free transportation than the hum
blest and poorest citizen who helps Il
pay taxes to support the convicts thai
build and repair these railroads
Don't you know, my reader, that these
passes are given to these public off
GERS for the purpose of obtaining theil
assistance in the performance of their
official duties ? Do you suppose, Of
are you. so blind as to believe thai
these passes are given because of any
personal regard ? Just ask yourself
the question, every day for a week
and ask every man you meet during
that time, and if at the end Of thu
week you still believe these passes are
given for no sinister purpose, then
poor simple creature, | am sorry fol
you. I ask every person who reads
this article, every evening after sup
per, as he sits on the porch enjoying
himself with his family and his good
neighbors who have dropped in for
social chat to discuss this question:
Why is it that our State officers, our
Judges, our Solicitors, our Congress
men, and our Legislators and the
editors of newspapers, who ought to
stand as beacon lights to give warn
ing of the shoals and breakers, or as
s%entinels upon the watch tower to
proclaim the approach of danger, all
have free passes on the railroads Of
the State Let this be a subject Of
debate every where for the next week
and then tell me, if you can, one
single honest motive which prompts
the giving Of these free passes.
Tn fna1fur down an did huildiuQ 81