The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-11-10
BUTLER'S PASSES
SAYS HE HAS USED PASSES AS EDITOR OF
THE CAUCASIAN
But Not as State Senator or President of the
State or National Alliance, or as
Uni ed States Senator.

/
Uni ed States Senator.
Referring to the free pass discussion
this weeks Caucasian says:
+ "The Charlotte Observer says thai
Senator Butler has been charged with
holding free passes on the Atlantic
Coast Line and that the charge has not
been denied. This writer has never
seen or heard such a charge until he
saw it in the Charlotte Observer, but
we take this opportunity to state THAI
it is false. We have frequently been
offered passes as State Senator, as presl-
Cdent of the State Farmers Allianc, as
dent of the State Farmers Alliance as
United States Senator, and as chair
man of the National Executive commit
tee of the Peoples party, but we have
refused them, though we could have
saved thousands of dollars by accepting
and using the passes, and our position
on public questions would never have
been influenced thereby.
"We have always believed that when
railroads gave free pass to public
official that they expected him to serve
them in some way at the expense of his
official trust to the public.
'The newspapers that make contract
with the railroads to do so much adver-
Using and to receive in return so much
transportation stand on different foot
ing from the public official who receives
a pass and gives nothing in return un-
less he does it at the expense of the
puhlin and in violation of his sworn and
solemn duty. Yet we are satisfied that
this advertising arrangement in return
for transportation has many objections
and that an end should be put to it by
law. At one time or another nearly
every railroad in the State has made a
contract to do so much transportation
between certain points on their line.
Every railroad that is now advertising
in The Caucasian has such a contract
with us, and the transportation is some
times used by one person connected with
the paper and sometimes by another,
but chiefly by the business manager of
the paper. Some of this transportation
has been used by this writer as editor
IF The Caucasian.
at was not the intention of the Leg
islature in passing the railway commits
sion law "a section of which prohibits
free passes) to prohibit contracts of this
kind, and it may be that the language
of the act is broad enough, if strictly
construed, to cover even cases of this
kind. We would be glad to see the
court so decide, and if they do not we
hope the next Legislature will pass such
law. In short, we think that when
railroad advertises with a newspaper
that it should pay cash rates for the
same, and that the editor, when he
rides. should buy his ticket; this would
put every newspaper on an equal foot
ing, but it will never be done until the
law requires it. If the present law
covers this class of cases land it VIII
probably take a decision of the court to
determined then let the law be rigidly
enforced; if it does not then the Cauca-
sian favors the speedy passage of such
law. We trust that the press of the
State will generally, If not unanimous
ly, take this position, and if they do
it will be done"