The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1895-02-28
FREE PASSES.

Any discussion of the free pass
system that should ignore the benev-
olent uses that the railways have
made of the free pass would be I'M
fair to them, as we'll as misleading to
the public. Therailways have given
the passes to ministers of the gospel,
to educators, to philanthropists and
to benevolent workers Of every class.
They have furnished free transporta-
ton to orphans, and free carriage
for supplies for people in distress.
Indeed, we think of no case
wherein any really benevolent work
has been denied by railway, the
help of such free transportation.
And this help to benevolence has
been rendered cheerfully, and i'm
partially, and without hope of re-
ward or expectation of advantage
We say these things cheerfully, and
without reserve, because we wish to
be just and fair in dealing with these
corporations.
But we think the practice of CIV
ing free passes to the officials of
government and the mem bers Of leg
islative bodies is thoroughly vicious.
Let it be borne in mind that all
classes of governmental officer, in
Guiding members of legislative bodies
are more able to pay their way upon
the railways than most other class
es of the travelling public.
| There can be no motive upon the
part of the arrangements of these
transportation lines, N the bestowal
OF these passes, except the motive of
making such friends of those officers,
that receive passes, as may be de-
pended upon to conserve the inter-
ests of these corporations when they
come into conflict with the public
good. To put it plainly, the railways
give these passes to the officers of
government, because they find 1t
profitable te have friends at court,
when any questions of limiting their
power come up for consideration.
1t may be said, that he is less than
half man, who could be swerved
from the performance of an Official
duty, by so small a consideration as
a free pass. 1t may be replied, thai
: he is much less than the man he
: ought to be, who is capable of accep
: ting an unearned favor from per
son or corporation, and is then capa
, BILE of forgetting the favor, when ht
has an opportunity Of returning it
) 1t is not the selfish want of man
hood in men that makes the free pas
system dangerous to fair and impair
tial government 1t is the possess
= ion, by the great majority of men
of the higher elements of nobl
manhood, that makes this system
dangerous. A noble man is muc]
3 moro likely to be Influenced by ia
vor conferred upon him, than is al
|ignoble one. 1t is not the danger o
corrupting the base and the ignobl
that the public needs to fear, as tn
: result Of the continuance of the fire
8 pass system. If the danger there
= of warplng and blasting the nobler ma
! ture of the true and the good, that
q most to be feared.
But" says one, "the newspaper
p are poor teachers of the people upo
8 this subject it being the universe
custom to give editors and proprie
tors and agents Of newspapers fire
passes" Not so.
The newspapers do not get fire
e passes. They publish the schedule
o and special announcements of tn
: railroads in their advertising co
umns; and their passes are given 6
s consideration for this advertising
: There is. perhaps, no other class j
E the country Who pay SO much for the
E transportation as do the newspap,
J men. And, there is, perhaps, nj
! one of them who would not be gla
). to collect regular rates for the a,
e verifying he does for these corpor'
y tons, and buy his ticket when /
D travels by rail, as other men d
$ And the only reason this is not dor
? is found in the fact that it is the Gu
? tom to make the ex change in IL
e way now pursued. AS an editor, "
t should be glad to be paid for o,
| printing, and buy our ticket as 9th,
citizens do.
f A bill has been brou ght before tn
! legislature to SO amend our Sta
: constitution as to make it unlawf
= for any officer of the State to acce]
a free pass; of any transportatie
. company-as to make 1t unlawf
for any transportation company
offer any free pass to any officer
: the State. We think this bill
right, and we hope it lnay pass.