The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-10-12
DO nor SUPPRESS N

The News and Observer has for years
opposed free passes. This much can
be said to it's credit. Recently Judge
Robinson charged the Wake county
grand jury that the law plainly forbade
this discrimination. The grand jury,
it is said, made q lot of presentments,
specifying the names Of many big
bugs" who have been riding free. So.
licisor Pou put off drawing indictments
till next term, and the grand jury
could go no further. The names of
many Of these recipients of free passes
II known. The News and Observer
promptly published that Gov. Russell
had ridden on free passes, but it did
not givethe numerous names Of proml
nent persons in it's own party, and
personal friends, whom. by the same
presentment. are named as recipients
of passes. We are told that o. 8. Dis
trict Attorney O. B. Aycock, Solicitor
Pou, and many other prominent Demo
Gratis have been ''toting" free passes
regularly. Mr.. Aycock as o. g. Dis
trict Attorney, is paid sc, 900 per year
to prosecute violators Of the Federal
laws, but he has failed to prosecute
any corporation engaged in violation
of that clause of the law, 90 far as we
have heard. Same can be said Of Mr..
Pou. The News and Observer did not
mention that when Solicitor Pou found
that his name was on the list he walked
over to Col. Andrews Office and sur
rendered his free pass to Private Sec
rotary Miller. Perhaps it had not
heard this.
For over 80 years, it is said, Gen.
Matt W. Ransom has not paid a cent
of fare on any North Carolina railroad.
He simply let the cost Of his free rid.
ing be added to the price of the tickets
of other folks. For ten years, since
the Act of Congress made free passes
illegal, he rode free from Garysburg to
Washington. Il is even said that in
his frequent trips to and from Mexico,
Gor he spent half OF his time at homel
he took nothing from his $2e, 900 salary
as Minister to Mexico for travelling ex
penses. Though he totally disregarded
both State and National laws, no y s.
District Attorney or State court solici
tor ever attempted to enforce the law
in his case. Perhaps the News and
Observer knew nothing of this.
There are others who ride on mileage
books given them without any consid
GRAFTON whatever in return. A certain
Superior Court Judge ia said to ride on
q verbal pass" Ashamed to be caught
with q pass, he has gotten the railroad
president to tell conductors to pass
him and he tells everybody that he
has no pass. These evasions are no
good, are simply contemplate. A
judge or any other off 3iel who rides
on a verbal" or actual pass, can give
nothing in exchange except his infu
ence or, worse still, his judicial power,
to the railroad In exchange for the
same.
As long as the ''big bugs" big poll
ticians and big shippers ride free and
have the cost of their riding added to
the tickets Of other people, they will
think 81 cents fares cheap enough:
But when they are made to pay like
other people they will find that it is
very high fare. The big bugs" and
the big corporations must obey the
law. The way to get uniform low
rates is to make all pay alike. Stop
the free pass business and the big
bugs" will soon join in the general de
mand for low rates.