Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-02-05
/" Free Passes"

II : shown how l.t;!t some OF our
Lawmakers know 81 matters they are
l"rl~lHtn" upon when they include
editors al Wopapcr- with the public
officers that they propose To prohibit
from riding on ir,.r railroad passes.
ii th,N had made he most casual in
quiry - I" the necessity of such pro-
vision, they would surely not have
made tlIcn-' .vc~ ridiculous hy running
their noses where there is not the
| slightest indication Of bad odor. The
fact l. that railroad companies do not
l>>tl" " tree passes t. newspaper men.
They contract Tor advertising in such
( papers a. they select, the same rs anv
other business man or corporation, but
make 1t part of the contract that pay.
mcnt shall he made in transportation.
Bills ar" rendered monthly and as
sta; an account is kept as by the
grocer or the drygoods man, in his
"dlcker' trade with the newspaper
man. Every hundred miles he travels
is paid for by SO many lines of space
OF advertising ut the contract price
These contracts are not scattered about
promiscuously. The newspaper must
bc published at point contiguous to
the road, where some tangible bene-
fit will be derived 10y the company and
the public from publication of the
tme-card advertisement, and business
may be facilitated 10y this ready and
effective medium of making known
the frequent changes of schedule and
the extra service that is performed at
certain seasons OF the year, when spe-
clal trains are put on to accommodate
the trend of travel to the seaside, or to
fairs and conventions. An adequate
valuable business consideration is rem
dercd in all cases, and if the paper is
published at point so remote that its
services do not possess real, acknowl-
edged, tangible value, it gets no con-
tract, no matter how much political
prestige it may claim to possess.
The trouble with some legislators
seems to be that they recognize in the
press a very potent leverage in cur
failing the perquisites which have
hitherto gone with the Office of law
maker. The newspapers have persis-
tently called attention to their neglect
of the constitutional mandate to pro-
vide an adequate punishment for rid
ing on passes and charging up trans.
pOrtatiOn for the same service against
the State, by those holding public
office, and it is easy to see that the
stab at the editorial fraternity is
prompted more by spirit of retalia-
ton than any justifiable motive. This
is SO palpable that the attempt makes
its projectors look quite as small as
the average man appears when seen
through the little end of spy-glass.
1t is indeed humiliating to acknowl-
edge that a human soul can get down
to deeds of such contemplate selfish
ness. And when it is discovered how
impotent the law-maker is to hurl the
bolt suggested by Malice, his littleness
is still further emphasized.
If the newspapers had shown any
subserviency to corporate power and
were in need of discipline, the motive
might have passed muster even though
the plan be ridiculously abortive.
But the press has very generally kept
the lawmakers cognizant of their duty
to afford some relief from the en-
crOachments of corporate power. The
acts of the newspaper man do not
need investigation, and if committee
were appointed to report upon his in
tegrity, it would have no occasion for
precipitate action nor use of white.
wash.