Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-02-13
ducinr these results.

pie whether they are reduced to power
" uoder the Democratic free trade
doctnne, or bankrupted by the Popu
list doctrine Of purchasing all the rail.
roads ia the country, or ruined by IN
necessary aud excessive taxation. The
result Is the same. Our Republican
doctrine Of protection and reciprocity
will start up our factories and mines,
aud give everybody employment, but
unless we can stop extravagant and
corrupt legislation, the people will soon
be taxed beyond endurance, and tax
payers committees will become more
numerous than they are at the present
time, aud this Is especially 90 here In
our own state Of Oregon, and we might
as well have q plain understanding
upon this subject. Now what is it that
is the producing cause Of extravagant
and corrupt legislation?
l believe that railroad free passes IL
one Of the fruitful sources Of disceDtenl
among the people Of the state Of Ore
gOn, and am salis fed from observa.
tion that the free pass system is ais,
one Of the most fruitful sources Of cor
rupt legislation iD this state.
A few months ago II persons lnclud-
Ing myself got on the train at Salem T.
come 10 your city. One was the editor
OF a newspaper who had an annua
pass, and he explained that 1t was H.
sued to him In part consideration foI
his services in publishing advertise
meDts for the railroad company, ano
OF course that was all right. Another
was one Of the attorneys for the rail.
road company who had a pass as part
Of the compensation for his services,
which was also all right. But there
were six others, federal and state Off
cials, who were not In the employ OF
the railroad company that anybody
knows OF, and they all had passes too
and the only money which the railroad
company received for carrying that
crowd Of eleven people from Salem to
Portland, was the four cents mile
paid by each of the two of the crowd
who were farmers, and myself. Just
why those officials who are In some In
stances drawing salaries equal TO two
or three times as much as they could |
make as private citizens, were per.
mitted to ride free. Is matter which |
the people of this state who are COM
peiled to pay full fare, do not under
stand, and they do not like IL very
well either. They feel that they are
paying more than their share In order
that the company may be enabled to
let these Office holders ride free. /
know that great many very good
people feel that 1t is ali right for them
to accept aud use free passes while
holding legislative and other Offices,
which Is about the only time they do
get 10 ride on a free pass. They claim
free passes don't affect them, but the
masses of the people do not see 1t that
way.
/ knew a member before the last leg
islature who boasted that he had rid
den over nine thousand miles since re.
celving his free pass from the railroad
company, and noticed that that same
member voted for about all the Jobs
and schemes that came into the last
Legislature.
Nobody has right to denOunce the
Republican party as party for the ex
traYagant and corrupt legislation of
the last session, as the Democratic club
did the other day at The Dalles, The
record shows that all those schemes
and Jobs were supported by individual
members Of the Democratic and Popu-
List parties, as we'll rs by individual
members OF the Republican party. In.
dlyidual members of all three parties
voted against them. The free passes
issued TO the members Of the legisla.
ture, which enabled them To travel ali
around over the state and fix up Jobs
and schemes, had more TO do with the
bad legislation Of that session than any.
thing else, In my opinion. IL may
take q little nerve to refuse free pass
when offered, or TO refrain from re-
questing one when fellow knows that
II will be granted by the railroad com.
pany II demanded. Railroad com.
panies are common carriers, aud en-.
titled To a reasonable compensation for
tae services rendered, but they have no
right to tax one man to pay for anoth.
or mans free rides aud in my opinion
ifthe railroad companies would quit ,
trying 70 buy up every fellow who
claims 10 have some sort Of political
"pull," With n free pass they would
fare much better Class Discrimination
IN these matters, as we'll rs In laws,
causes dlscontent and dissatlsfac.
ton among the people. Aud why
should II metz Is II not natural that ,
u shouldG We all recognize the fact !
that one citizen 10 no better than an.
other citizen 20 far AS these railroad |,
carriers are concerned.
Just ihiuk OF Il: More than thras