The record-union., 1893-03-25
KANSAS LEGISLATION
How the Railroads are Worked in the
''Reform'' State.
[From the Chicago Herald.1

From the Chicago Herald
The main cause of prolonged and fruit
! less sessions of the Legislature in States
where a constitutional limit is not i'm
| posed Is deadhead travel on the railroads
The members of the Legislature having
free railroad passes for the session can go
home on the Friday trains, giving them
one full business day at home and the
Sunday for church-going or domestic or
social enjoyment.
In the case OF those living at greater
distances from the State Capital, thew can
leave Thursday night, as sleeping car
passes also are available, in consequence
Of pending bills to tax that comfortable
adjunct of railroad travel. The same men
need notreturn until Tuesday morning.
They are assured that their colleagues
living at a less distance will work the
Friday adjournment racket, and will
protect them if they fail 10 return for the
mere formal session Monday. This ex-
plains all that needs to be explained in
regard to the causes for holding but two
or three business sessions each week
report from Jefferson City, the Capi-
tai of Missouri, describes the legislative
railroad deadhead evil in graphic Ian
guage. Not only do the members of the
Legislature obtain passes for themselves
ana families, but they get the free paste
| boards tor their friends and neighbors
who want to visit any part of the State
! Their casual acquaintances, including
/ hotel and boarding-house people, the
/ keepers of the stores where they buv
! their neckwear, drugs and other goods,
| the saloon proprietorS, bartenders and
popular customers, the laundry women
the bootblacks and all other classes
brought into contact with members of the
! Legislature, are paid i'll part, or are con-
ciliated, or are befriended merely. by
| passes demanded of the railroad manaG-
ers. 1t is said that but one railroad tick ct
from Jefferson City to st. Louis has been
sold since the session of the Legislature
began. That was purchased by Governor
William j. Stone, who pays his railroad
fare as matter of principle. More than
1000 round-trip passes have been issued
at the Missouri Capital during the present
session OF the Legislature.
The evil is similar in kind, though per-
hape not in degree, at o.her State Capitals.
Each railroad, in addition to its lobby
force, keeps a pass clerk, who has a desk
IN many cases III one of the rooms OF the
Staiehouse. If it were not for this COM
prehensiVe evil and nuisance-if mem
bers of the Legislature were compelled to
pay their fare, like other people, thew
would work diligently six days in a
week, finish up legislative business with
neatness and dispatch, and leave credit
! able record.
The railroads suffer from this detestable
practice to greater extent than would
! appear to q superficial observer. The
| expenses of accommodating this i'm
mense deadhead travel are enormous.
| But they are coerced right and left by
! bills pending in each branch of the Leg
lslature to. cut down their rates of trans
| portation, to burden them with addi-
tional expenses, to curtail their fran
chises and to rob and plumber them with
out measure. The exasperation of the
railroad managers must be comple;e @
when the deadhead business is piled as
! industriously as it has been in Kansas to
the last days of the session and then the
Legislature enacts the most damaging
laws after all the privileges that its mem
bers have enjoyed.
Perhaps if the railroads should adopt
such heroic policy toward the legis-
lative strikers as they have planned in
case the portended sWitchmen's strike
should occur they would be the gamers
in the end. AT least the public would be
the gamers in the economy of short and
industrious business sessions and in
honest legislation. The retaliatory laws
which an angry Legislature might enact
would not be sustained in the courts.
Popular respect and sympathy would re-
main with the railroads, and after one
determined fight they would be sup
ported by the voters against the strikers