Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-11
4 QUESTION OF RAILROAD PASSES.

4 QUESTION OF RAILROAD PASSES.
HOUSTON, Tex, June s.-Many of the hackers
here Of Gen. Hogg in his race for governor, say
that he does not nor ever did ride on free passes
over railroads. There are many others who do
| not say, but believe the same thing.
The following request and answer explains tbs
matter beyond a doubt:
LONE OAK, TEX, May 27.-Col A. Faulkner,
general passenger and ticket agent Houston and
Texas Central railway, Houston, Tex.-My
dear sir: To settle a dispute want to know
whether or not Attorney General Hogg rode out
OF Houston on pass over the Houston and
Texas Central? I heard that he abused the road
and then rode out of your town on a pass.
Yours, very truly. ]. Y. ScHEECK.
HousToN, Tex, June al. Y. Schenck,
Esq, editor and proprietor of the Lone Oak
News, Lone Oak, Tex: Dear Sir-I have yours
May 81 asking if Attorney General Hogg rode
out of Houston on free pass after making his
late speech at this place. In answer will say
Re spoke here on April 26, and left Houston on
our No. Sunday morning, April %, and when
the conductor collected fares he, Gen. Hogg,
handed up annual pass No. 521, and it was
honored for his transportation.
did not hear his speech here, but think you
must be misintormed about his having abused
the Houston and Texas Central. He, so far as
know, has always in private conversation ex-
pressed friendly relations toward this COM
pany, and has always rode free, whether on his
own business or business for the state. If he
has ever paid dollar for his own fare on this
road since he has been encouragement do not
know of it, and therefore cannot believe that
he would abuse us, as you say you under
stand that he did. If he did abuse us ne is the
first gentleman TO do such a thing under SINH
lar circumstances. Years ago Tom Ochiltree
carried pass over the Houston and Texas
Central and falling out with the company re-
turned his pass, with very nice letter of thanks
for past favors, and then opened up like an
anarchist, giving the company world Of abuse
which they did not deserve.
No gentleman ever abused this company and
afterwards kept and used their annual pass over
its lines. Your information is correct about his
desdheading over the Houston and Texas
Central, but must think you wrong about his
abusing the company, as the pass he has been
using (No. SID has not been returned Yours
truly, A. FAULKNER,
General passenger and ticket agent.
The above correspondence appeared in the
Lone Oak News of June 6, published in Hunt
county by Mr.. ]. Y. schenck.-[Dallas News.
The above correspondence, for what
ever purpose given to the newspapers, is
likely to provoke q discussion that may
be regarded as timely or untimely, as
each individual views this pass question.
If The GAZETTE Is not mIsinformed, the
railroads have for years issued passes,
unsolicited, to public officials as an act
of courtesy to the position and with no
idea or thought that such pass was an
advance consideration for official ia
vorItism or service to the roads. Mr..
Hall, as land commissioner, and Mr..
Wheeler, as acknowledgements have
used railroad passes, and are, no doubt,
Cook, while on the bench, may
have held pass and may be
now using one while travelling over the
state making anti-railway regulation
speeches. Perhaps every leader of the
Seven County Combine, that met at Dali
las to make q new test tor Democracy,
Travelled on pass.
THE GAZETTE has not seen and does
not see how such unsolicited courtesy to
public position is amenable to criticism
unless it be made apparent that the oour-
tesy is not a courtesy in fact, but blind
to conceal a consideration. If, however,
there is an outcry over this matter and
public condemnation Of officials
who accept such courtesies, it is not
likely to- fall on those who, in ao-
ceptlng such unsolicited favors, did not
regard them as mortgages on theiI polit-
ical views and opinions. Those who
effect to see an inconsistency in an Ac-
ceptance of such unsolicited courtesy and
an advocacy of railway regulation them
selves give color to the thought that rail-
ways expect quid pro quo for every
pass issued to public officials. Had Mr..
Hogg returned his pass when issued to
him it would have been an impugnment
of the motives of the road in issuing it to
him, and had he returned it when start
ng out on his canvass he would have con-
fessed that he understood there was TO be |
a qud pro quo, which he could not now
render.
The result of the publication Of the |
above correspondence, whatever its pur-
pose, is likely to be a popular demand |
for law prohibiting public servants
from accepting railroad passes. This
publication, under the circumstances,
will create the impression that something |
more tangible than courtesy TO official |
position is involved in the issuance |
of passes to public officers
since the people will note that public at
tention is called to the passes held by |
those who advocate railway regulation, |
while nothing is said of those who hold
passes and oppose railway regulation.
The inevitable result must be q demand
for legislation inhibiting the issuance of |
passes to public servants, and the effect,
politically, must be-a boomerang, for
this will be the popular reasoning:
II these passes are purely courtesies to
official position, then the roads should |
NOT ooJ1 attantioD IN the issuanna of thar1