Rocky Ford enterprise., 1896-04-16
MUST PAY Oh WALK.
1hs Inter.stats Railroad l. ne, VIII N,
Issue Passes.

Issue Passes.
Denver. April 13.-The News this morn
ing says:
The announcement In the News yester.
day that the great railway lines Of the
country had decided to call in the free
transportation which was issued earlier In
the year, was surprise to many business
men and large shippers Of Denver. The
further statement that all free transporta-
ton between states, except to bona fide
railway employees, Is positively forbidden,
fell with shock upon members of the
city council, officers of the county and
state and hundreds of individuals In pri-
vate life In Denver who have considered
1t their special privilege to "hold up the
railway companies for passes for them
selves and their friends.
The next sensation many of these gen.
tlemen will experience will be mild in.
vitation from the railway companies to re-
turn the transportation which was issued
before the noted decision of the supreme
court was made public. For week past
all applications for free passes have been
refused at the railway offices and the OF.
ficers declare that everybody will be
treated alike hereafter. They say that
even the governor of the state cannot ride
to the East or to California without Civ.
ing up the actual cash price which is an.
nounced in the published schedules. Dep
uty sheriffs and ward politicians will
have to pay like the ordinary citizen and
the great throng Of hungry pass fiends
which has beset the general agents with.
out intermission must retire to secluslon.
Unfortunately, members Of the state
Legislature and other officers of the civil
government are still at liberty to beslege
the passenger headquarters, for the inter.
state law does not attempt to control bust.
ness moving within the state. Lines may
continue to issue passes to local points In
the state. but the radical change In trans
portation over the long roads cannot fan
to greatly reduce the amount Of free
transportation within the states.
Any person, however. who uses a pass
issued In one state for transportation in
another state, is liable to be summoned
before the interstate commission. Once
summoned, the Individual cannot dodge
questions which may be asked, and while
he cannot criminate himself, he may make
1t highly uncomfortable for the officers of
the railway.
The decision Of the supreme court was
as follows:
"If. as was justly observed In the opin.
ion Of the court below, witnesses standing
In Browns position were at liberty to set
up an immunity from testifying, the en-
forcement Of the interstate commerce law
or other analogous acts, wherein 1t Is for
the interest Of both parties to conceal their
misdoings, would become impossible.
since 1t Is only from the mouths of those
having knowledge Of the inhibited con-
tracts that the facts can be ascertained
While the constitutional provision In ques-
ton Is justly regarded as one Of the most
valuable prerogatives Of the citizen, Its
object Is fully accomplished by the stat
utory immunity, and we are, therefore, Of
opinion that the witness was compellable
to answer and that the judgment Of the
court below must be affirmed"
The decision has opened the records Of
the railway companies to the Interstate
commission and given new force and eff
feet to the interstate law. The Interstate
commission Is now in the saddle and the
law must be obeyed.