The news & observer., 1897-01-24
+. p. ATTORNEYS AND FREE
PASSES.

t0rneyS OF EHe iUppslhS oiuSi, ouSoS'N"
that important railroad legislation, af-
fecting their clients is being considered
or may be considered. Persons we'll ac-
quainted with men and things in North
Carolina can tell the character of the
legislation pending before the General
Assembly by reading the hotel registers.
If they disclose the presence of railroad
attorneys in Raleigh, it is more certain
sign of railroad legislation, pro or con,
than the journals of the House and Sen
ate. They have begun to arrive-in fact
some of them have been here since the
gavel fell on the first day.
Some of these Il. p attorneys are IN
the pay of the State. They are members
of the Legislature. They came here on
free passes, but were very prompt to
draw their mileage from the State. They
are very quick to further or retard any
legislation that affects their client. They
are becoming better known. When they
are forced to show their hands more full
ly, the whole public will know for whom
they speak. The presence of attorneys
as members suggests statement made
ten years or so ago by a witty and wise
gentleman. Some measure was pend
ing in which the Southern and Seaboard
systems were on opposite sides. Several
Seaboard attorneys were tn the lobbies,
now and then sending for a Senator to
interview him. This gentleman said:
"Col. Andrews is smarter than Maj. Win
der. The major is hiring lawyers to pre-
sent his case to Senators. Col. Andrews
has secured the election of his lawyers
as members of the Senate and is making
the State of North Carolina pay them to
do the work for his railroad" There
was a world of truth in this statement,
made as jest.
A learned and patriotic lawyer in
North Carolina, who has been highly hon
ored by the people, in a private letter
to tine editor commencing this papers
course in fighting the abuse and scandal
of free passes, says:
Il like your elaboration upon free
passes ON railroads. Your idea that
lit is not the railroads that give them
hut that it is done at the expense of
those who pay, is unanswerable. -.
1t is a shame that our legislators re-
ceive as a gift free passes from rail-
roads. 1t is bound to influence their
action, and then there is a whole lot
GOO or 800 expect of little bob-tail-
ed lawyers in the State who are ac-.
tive at home and have their influ-
ence, the common people not knowing
what stimulates their interest, whose
only reward is free pass. / call
them +. i. (free pass) attorneys, and
| think it a pretty good name. -.
You are right. Cut off all free
passes to public officers and mem
bers of the the Legislature / would
go further. | would cut them off
from their attorneys unless i could
separate the Il. p attorneys from the
salaried ones who really do the law
business of the roads. +. Your edi-
torsal work on these matters is good.
Keep it before the people and their
representatives"
This gentleman, whose name is hon
ored everywhere, makes the same dis
elimination between real railroad attor-
neys and the F. p attorneys who are
retained for their influence to lobby
that this paper has always made.
Many of the honestest and best public
men have been retained by railroads,
in their legal battles, and there is no rea-
son why they should not do so without
becoming the tools of these corporations.
Practising law, whether for railroads or
amy other corporations or individuals, is
an honorable profession. Arguments by
attorneys before committees, if the fact
of attorneyship is disclosed, is as proper
as writing a deed or a will, and he is
misguided person who rails against such
members of the legal profession. They
will always deserve and receive the conf
dence of the people.
But there is a place where the line
should DE drawn between the real attor-
ney and the Il. Z. attorney. 1t is related
of Roger A. Pryor that shortly after he
had established himself in New York, he
was sent for by the head of great
railroad, and offered a salary of $4,000
a year as consulting attorney" He
was not rich and the offer was very ac-
ceptable. What will be my labors?'
he asked, and was told that he would
have nothing to do except for a few
months in the year and that ne would be
expected to go to Albany and to Wash
ington when the road needed lawyer i'm
attendance upon Congress or the Legis-
lature. What am to do in Albany and
Washington? was his next question. He
was to make arguments before commit