The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-09-15
A. R. U. MEN ANGRY.
DenOunce POpulist Officials for
Using Pullman Passes.
r. J. Sloat Speaks Bitterly Of
the Exposure
JUDGE DOSTER TALKS
Says the Pass System is All
Wrong,
Although He Used a Pass When
OH the Bench.

Inc expose puDllSneu IN yesteiuay .
JOURNAL regarding the acceptance and
use of railway and Pullman passes by
members of the state board of railway
commissioners, seems to have stirred UP
a great deal Of CONSERVATION and feeling
against the officials referred to-among
the leaders of the local A. r Z.
President r. J. Sloat and Secretary
Harry Chapman were particularly de-
cided in their expressions Of contempt
for the practice and all who are party
10 it
..Pshaw," said Mr.. sloat, Athere is no
use in denying that if a man will accept
a pass in the first place he Will ride on 1t.
It's human nature. The way to stop IL Is
to return the passes.
"Any man who will accept pass from
railroad or the Pullman company allows
himself to be bribed. 1t is nothing else
and have no use for any man who does
it no matter what party he belongs to.
w nen railroad gives man pass 1t
says to him, Here l have done you a
favor, you know what this is for. Now be
easy on me and you can bet the pass
holder feels as though he ought TO be-
Il am down all that sort of til ling,
No man can work for the good of the
laboriug classes honestly and hold a
railroad pass, and certainly not when
holding Pullman pass, either trip or
annual.
HIS tdIA dDOuL odfluR LuC SldlC lnOACy
by the state officials accepting and using
passes is the worst sort of rot If any
man says that he doesn't charge mileage
where he is allowed even If he does use
his pass, he is assuredly liar The state
doesn't procure the passes and the COM
panies don't give passes to the officials
because they love the state
Il believe that three -fourths of the
members of the legislature hold passes
of all kinds, and it is not only not right
but dishonest.
Il should like to have railroad send
me a pass in case | should be elected [
would have copies Of the pass printed in
every paper in the state that wOulG print
it and give the company roast that
would last lifetime.
/ The railroads are making a double
1 play now. They are pretending to fight
the Populists, but doesn't it show that
4 they are trying to stand in as much as
! they can? Why. if the P0pulists should
go IL again with a big majority this
! year, the railroads would flip right over
/ and be the POpulists' best friends"
Harry Chapman was no less bitter in
his expressions aud resOrted to some
rather strong language against the pass
holders that are IN the employ Of the
people.
If they are honest in what they say
about not believing the pass system
right. why in ~ don't they send back
their passes. That's a great way to sym
pathize with the workingmen. isn't it?
! OF course the companies expect legisla-
! ton for their favOrs, and they get IL to
some extent too That's a likely story
/ Of Mr.. BId1le's about using a Pullman
pass on his wife's account. We don't
want that sort of men in office if we can
help it,
Other leading A r. Z. men talk the
same way.
Pass Taking by Judges.
Judge Frank DOster, the man who is
loved, respected and oteyed by ali Popu-
lists, has some views of his own on pass
taking and pass using by judges.
A STATE JOURNAL reporter who talked
with Judge Doster about this matter
asked: Judge D1ster did you ride on
pass when you were on the bench in the
Twenty fifth districtI"
ayes, I did ride pass when I was
district judge All judges ride on passes
and 1 don't believe these judges VINO say
I they have passes and don't ride on them.
Under the recent agitation and newspaper
criticism some OF them may have sent
/ their passes back, but if they have, it
has been simply to evade the wrath of
the public"
~What do you think about the pass
business in general, judge"
Il think it all wrong, and the system
should be abolished by legislation, which
would make it crime punishable by
forfeiture of Office for any public official
to accept a railroad pass
10 you the next Legislature
will consider this matterT7'
"If the next legislature is Populist it
surely will, but if it Is Republican, it
won't. The Republican party would 70
to pieces without free trans portation.
They could not run this campaign with
out passes. Without a doubt Cy Leland
has block OF passes already signed up
IN blank in his possession. That letter
Of his in the Bum matter proves that
II believe the pass business is all
wrong. and it can only be remedied by
legislation"
When Judge Doster said he don't be-
lieve these judges who say they have
passes and don't use them, he gave Asso-
ciate Justice Allen a slap, as he is the
only judge who says he don't use the
passes he has in his possession.
A well GnOwn Santa Fe official, who
issues az many passes as any other officer
of the road, in speaking of the pass
business by public officials, said: when
Senator John Martin says he don't ride
on Pullman pasa and makes the as
sertiOn that he pays out $40 in cash
to the Pullman company for sleeper and
dining room acc0mmo odations every time
he goes to Washington he makes a
statement which is hard for railroad men
10 believe, and don't believe it If he