The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-08-16
FREE PASSES

FREE PASSES.
Attention should now, and pending
the election of members Of the legisla-
ture, be pointedly called to the fact
that the most potent lever Of the cor
poration lobby is the free pass. As
these favors are not sent to members
before they become such, and cease
when they can not longer vote on rail
road bills that fact alone should pre-
vent acceptance by any member The
excuse is "they all do it, and hence
an aroused public conscience must
procure an act forbidding free passes
TO all officeholders. This the people
have now forced into the Constitution
OF New York and several other States.
A similar provision should be in every
State Constitution. There is no ex-
cuse in any member of a legislature
taking free pass, as he is one OF the
few officers expressly provided by the
State with mileage and the sum allow
ed is enough to pay his actual railroad
fare to the State capital and home
again not once only but several times.
Yet the free pass is the railroad lob
byists strongest pull \ railroad Of
fetal has been heard to defend it on
the ground that he could "infuenee
many man by free pass to whom
he dare not offer money direct" In
the last North Carolina legislature a
bill to forbid free passes copied from
the provision in the New York Con-
stitution was introduced and favorablv
reported by the Committee, but it was
not allowed to pass, being stolen from
the files no less than three times by
some railroad lobbyist. A legislative
investigation resulted in the desired
delay and nothing more. The bill had
been copied from the New York Con-
stitution and well known railroad of
fetal called in person to secure the
withdrawal of the bill. On being told
that the bill had not only been prepar-
ed by request but that it was in the
interest of honesty and honest legisla-
ton, he used the following language
which may be pondered over by all
honest men, outside of North Carolina
as we'll as within it's bounds. Said he
''It might as we'll be withdrawn. Tt
can never pass. The fellows that come
here to the legislature are always
anxious to be raped with pass. There
is A, (naming a prominent MANI why,
on yesterday he asked for a pass
for himself, his wife, his sis
ter, his two children and his aunt, and
do yau think such id cattle as that
will vote against free passes" "Such
cattle as shat is the opinion railroad
men have Of legislators who are TO vote
on their measure, and who yet take
railroad money in the shape of free
passes. Now is the time the people
should discriminate and see whether
they are sending cattle or men to rep
resent them in the legislatures of the
several States.
BONA FIDE REDUCTION IN RATES.
II proper care is taken, legislatures
in the several States can be elected
this fall as well as a Congress, which
viii give a bona fde honest reduction
in railroad charges, so material in
amount as to stop the manufacture of
mi11ionaires, neeessitate moderate sal
aries for railroad officials, the drop
ping of railroad ownership of
newspapers and l0bbies, and
which shall restore prosperity
to the wealth producers of the
land. All this can be done by elect
ing legislatures that will not be hum
bugged or lobbied, and that will faith
fully cut rates down. to the legal limit
of per cent or less, on the actual
worth of roads without trimmings"
for high salaries. lobbies and other eX-
pensive gear. Nothing is more decep-
tive than railroad report Of net earn
ings, since they can always, unless
investigated, charge mp enough ITO OPP
Grating expenses" to make the net
earnings seem small.
In one Of the many cases in the Unit
ed States Supreme Court referring to
this familiar dodge" that court says
DAB L. s., 346) the power of the legis-