Middletown transcript., 1891-09-24

Il
Commerce Commission. is understoo,
to have designed a thorough inyestiga
tion of the evil. President Stickney
Of the Chicago. St. T 5tuff aiftf fKka11sa
City Railroad, attributes chiefly to thi
abuse the peculiar hostility to railroads
in the west and Senator Chandler o
New Hampshire, who has been de
nouncing his colleague as an instru
ment Of such corruption, states tha
New Hampshire is practically owned
by the Boston and Maine and Concord
and Montreal roads. 1t has beer
bought up by free pas es. The Sena.
tor says:
Practically all government officials
and persons of influence have passes.
All lawyers ride free. The editors and
newspaper managers ride free. Minis
ters ride free, or at special rates. The
Governor rides free. His council
rides free. All officers of the State
house ride free. The members Of the
Legislature all ride free, not only DUR
ing the session, but during the rest of
the year. County, city and town off,
GERS ride free. The wives and children
of most of the free. riders also ride
free. Above all, local politicians in
every town and ward ride free. The
exceptions to the above statements are
so few that they prove the general
rule. Corruption by free passes and
mileage tickets is almost universal.
No person of any Importance in town
or state fails to ride free, unless he
omits to ask for his free pass or his
free ticket. Moreover, any striker
can get a pass. If any person, high or
low, rich or poor, is heard to make
vigorous protest against any railroad
wrong, he is approached by some ready
emissary of the roads and quieted bv a
free pass"
A few years ago, when bill was in
troduced in the Legislature to punish
the giver and receiver of free passes. it
was voted down almost unanimously.
says the Senator, because nearly eyerv
member had free pass in his pocket.
and he adds that although there is a
law prohibiting passes, the railroads |
prevented the insertion of any penalty
for its violation, and almost every law
maker in the last Legislature was a
of the law.
Judge Cooley justly held this evil to
be one OF the most insidious forms of
bribery. and the Springfield Republicau
says that OF course those who do paw
are made to pay also for those who do
not. 1t thinks that the fares should
be reduced twenty-five per cent. if the
: deadhead :" element were eliminated.
The reason of this wholesale bribery is
plain, and it is, like the reason of so
many other abuses, stigma upon
popular government. It is the appre-
lension of injurious legislation. The
system of free passes is blackmail or
olood-money. The company gives the
Assemblyman or Senator a free pass
% hire him not to vote against the in
erests of the road, and to support
whatever the road may wish. 1t gives
he judge free pass to conciliate
friendly disposition. The bribe is ex-
ended to the family of the bribed be-
'ause then it is more valuable. and
will probably produce better results.
The bribed Legislature is elected,
mong other purposes, TO protect the
ommunity against fraud and bribery.
IS duty is to impeach corrupt officers.
he disclosures of Senator Chandler
re like biting chapter of Swift. No
1ore savage sneer at popular institu-
ions could be made than that legisla-
ors will make laws to your injury if
ou do not buy them off.
The immense disgrace of such facts
for the undoubted bribery must be
ased in some large degree upon the
experience Of railroad companies-
Mould be so deeply felt upon the mere
-atement of them as to lead at least
individual reform. There must be.
course, great many persons who
re bribed by free passes who have
ardly thought of the subject, and who
re unconscious of the bribery. They
D not generalize. The railroad gives
lem pass which costs it nothing.
I'd do we suppose that they are to be
ought for three dollars .? Such per-
ms have only to ask themselves why
pass is not given to them until they
e elected to the Legislat ure. Do
llors give them clothes, or shoemak-
s shoes Why does railroad COM
my search out their names and send
EN- pass ? The answer covers the
hole case. 1t is to bribe them-to
spose them kindly to the road, and
at is bribery. 1t should seem that
cry man who holds free pass and
INKS for moment of the nature and
Ject OF free passes would instantly
turn his own. He rides for nothing.
is poor neighbor on the seat beside
IN, who can i'll afford the money,
Us for his ride. Why is not his
ighbor presented with a pass Has
nor nothing to say in the case Has IT
lat is called "old-fashioned honesty, !
holly disappeared ? The pass repre-
1ts to member of the Legislature
New York some six or eight dollars
week during the season. Doesn't he
l himself rather cheaply 3? Or does
spurn the insinuation that such
m buys him ? Then if he intends to
IKE no return, why does he take the
SIS?
Odessa Items.