The news & observer., 1897-02-06
THH SOUTHERN RAILWAY AND
IT'S PASSES.

/ 1t so happened a rev EVENINGS avs" ''''''
oven while Governor Russell sat with his
g,,ests there entered unexpectedly Col.
r. Andrews, viee-president of the
Southern Railway.
it happened, moreover, according TO phe
statement OF q gentleman present, that
Col. Andrews in tracing the causes OF Vle
nresent movement against the North Car
nrJna railroad lease, ahghted upon tho
| News and observer rs, of course, enc of
| the humber causes.
SO far we'll enough
But Col. Andrews is quoted as having
said further that the pass of the editor
Of the News and Observer was ordered
cnt oil ON Jan. LIST, 1897, and that was
The milk in tho cocoanut, or words to
that effect.
AsaAn,a aucmber of the Legislature
having occasion, a few days ago, 10 visit
the ofiiec of Col. A. Ii, Andrews encount-
erred. ~ course, the ubiquiintous Secretary,
who he said. made to him touching the
mass of the editor of the News and OBJ
server substantially the statement above
attributed to Col. A. -. Andrews.
We were, Mt first content, In our issue
az last Sunday. though we were even then
cognizant OF these stories, to show the
ahsurdfty of them by the mere reprinted
records Of our opposition to the lease,
which opposition, as there appeared,
dated hack as far as July, 1895 when all
the maemngws of THE staff of this paper
had passes On the southern Railway.
Our opposition has been, since that time
peSSiseeat and unchanged.
Truly. an the light of these facts, 1T
were q silly puttang together of words
20 say that because the pass of the editor
az the News and Observer given in ex-
change for advertising was discontinued
january Isl, 1897, that ergo the editor
of the News and Observer began his .op
position to this lease from the very day,
in 1895, ON which 1t was made.
But, if, at first, we were content with
such publication, we are no longer allow
ed to be content with 1T. For we do not
propose to sit idly and hear the repetition
even of such absurd run1ors without
characterizing them as false. And yet
the repetition continues in u way that
would point to the fact that the multi-
tudmous agencies of the great system
have been put at work for the purpose of
misrepresenting us and the facts.
Dhe latest reference to these rumors ds
one, on another page, contained i'm the
letter of Mr.. r. j. Reynolds, of Winston.
Having said so much, we are content
as to This matter. For Viee-President
Andrews has II SPECIALLY
good reason for knowing that
"courtesies" of his road hare place in the
shaping of the policy of this paper.
But, to touch, before concluding, upon
another phase of such remarks as those
attributed to him, and to analyze the
logic of his meaning, suppose these charges
were true; suppose we had refused to
support his lease, because our pass (the
method the railroads of North Carolina
have employed to pay for publishing
schedules) was withdrawn. BY a parity
Of reason before that time, we should
have supported it, because our pass dur
ing the two years previous was not with
drawn. This reasoning of his won't do.
Now what is there about all this free
pass business anyway? Is it to be con-
cluded that because one is presented with
a pass over the Southern Railway, that,
therefore, one must subscribe to what
ever policy, the road may espouse? If
this be true the man who holds pass
with such an understanding is practically
bought and paid for. If it be not true,
then why such parade in withdrawing
the pass of one who speaks independent
"?
lit is understood that there has been
a mighty rush to keep the members of
the Legislature well furnished with
transportation. The State pays the
travelling expenses of the members
then why this rush ON the part of the
"system? Are members expected because
they have transportation to look at prop
ositions through the eyes of the rail-
way? Or do THE offers come only under
the head of "courtesiesY The coinci-
dence is strange that the passes should
have become exhausted when the News
and Observer was reached, though it has
done $500 worth of advertising yearly for
the Southern Railway.
1t has never before been stated in
North Carolina THAT railroads that pay
for schedules in passes, also expect to die