The news & observer., 1897-11-16
his conduct in Wake county court Will
illustrate the incident:

his conduct in Wake county court wa"
illustrate the incident:
"rhere was man
He digged n pit
He digged ii for his brother,
To punish his sin
He did fall in
The pit he digged for tother.
1t is clearly violation Of the law TOT
auy railroad to give free pass to any
public officer. The penalty falls ON the
giver, not the recipient. The law has al
most been dead-letter, as re-
cent events have proved. The
law ought to be enforced or
re pealed. The men elected to exc
cute the law have no right to wink at
its violation. 1t is righteous law.
Railroads do not give something for
nothing. They give passes to pubic Of
6cers to influence them favorably to the
roads. If this is doubted, let the douhtcr
some qu,et day, in the sacredness OF Il
private office. ask n railroad official his
honest opin:on of public officer who
takes passes and then fights the road
which let's him ride free. We have
heard some of them express themselves
more forcibly than elegantly.
1t is true that some public officials
have taken free passes without reflect
ing that the roads were forbidden by law
to give them. 1t is true that Others
have taken them without being unduly
influenced thereby. 1t is equally true
that they have helped the railroads by
enl.sting support or by silencing men on
questions affecting the interest of the
roads giving them. 1t is absolutely GER
tain that public officers who ride on
free passes, who consciously violate
the law, are unfit to hold their place.
1t is more than certain that men who
use them secretly and try TO blacken the
character of far better men who use
them openly, are unworthy the respect
of any decent citizen.
There IS a degree IN the propriety of
the acceptance of free passes by Judges
and by other officials. While the law
forbils the railroads to issue passes TO
any public officer, the Legislature thar
made it unlawful made provision ont
of the public treasury for the payment
Of The travelling expenses of Supreme
Court justices and Superior court judges.
1t was at that time freely stated that
nearly al tie judges used free passes,
and in order not to compel them TO pay
the.r travelling expenses, a bill was in
1oduced to require all the judges tc
furnish sworn itemized account OF
their travelling expenses to the State
Treasurer. who should pay the bill out ot
funds in the treasury. There was much
debate and the discussion was finally
settled by tie passage of the following
act:
An Act to pay the travelling expenses
! of the Supreme and Superior cour
judges
Section /. That after the thirty frs
day OF March, of the year one thousanC
eight hundred and ninety-oue, the jus
/ tices of the Supreme court and the
judges of the Superior courts of NortI
Carolina shall each receive, in addition
to the compensation now allowed by
law, the sum of two hundred and fifty
dollars per annum in lieu of and il
Communication for their travelling ex
penses incurred while engaged in the dis
charge of their official duties, to be paid
quarterly as the salaries of said officers
are now paid.
'Sect.on >. This act shall be in force
from and after the 31st day of March
one thousand eight hundred aud ninety.
one.
Ratified February 2S, A. D., 1891"
If, in the face of this action of the
Legislature known of all men.any Judge
in North Carolina draws this money
from the Treasury ''in lieu of transpor-
tation," and then rides 70 his courts on a
free pass,-if there is any such judge
impeachment would be too light n pun
ishment for him. 1t is bad enough to
yiolate tie law; it is dishonest to take
money from the Treasury for specific
,,ur, ase. and use it for another purpose.
y l. :, ne that the Republican sheriff
80 pu,co,,,,,.o county is said to have
been paid moi4y for coming to Raleigh
to hiring nrisonqrs AM. to have travelled
on a pass. If that is tr,'e, II was dis
honest even in sheriff; in judge. it
would be both dishonest and disgrace
full.
A special from Columbus, Ohio, to the
Washington Post says that the Foraker
No., central tho Cnrn hnrn county dole