The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-03-24
BRLBING THE JUDGES.

Mr.. 1. T. Brooks, the vice-president
Of the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany, has witten a letter in which he
says:
Dear Sir-I have had personal
experience of the pass question for a
quarter Of century, in connection
with the lines Of the Pennsylvania
Railroad company. l have seen the
evils OF the pass system grow from
very small beginnings to what re-
gard as now very great and deplorable
proportions. There was a time when
public officials were content to receive
selves; they have learned to ask for
passes for themselves, for the mem
bers of their families and for politi-
cal adherents and others. They not
only ask for passes good over lines
which are controlled by the officers to
whom they apply, but they ask for
passes over connecting lines to dis
tant and remote parts Of the country,
good at all seasons OF the year. They
not only ask for trip passes for them
selves and friends, but they ask for
annual passes for themselves and
friends, and no matter how many
passes may be granted to single in
dividual, II a single request be refused
the enmity Of that official is aroused
and his vengeance exercised, if he has
an opportunity to do so. l have
known q member OF the supreme court Of
the United states to apply for free trans
portatiOn, the money value Of which
In single instance was between 5000
and 500.
Governors Of states, United States
senators, members Of the House of
Represe members of every
partment Of state government, from
expect to receive these favors. | have
| received offers from men in public
station to serve our company in their
official capacity, If would give them
passes, and l have received threats
from the chiefs of executive depart
ments Of state, because l declined to
give them annual passes, as other
railroads have done. | have seen 9TH
er railroad companies issue these
passes without stint, to persons Of all
grades and stages Of public life, and
receive direct pecuniary benefit
therefrOm, and have seen those bene-
fits withheld from our company be.
cause did not do as other men did,
In the granting OF passes.
An officer Of a local railroad COM
pany recently told me that he had
taken the entire board of tax commits
sioners OF certain state, with their
families and certain friends. from a
large inland city to Fortress Monroe
and Washington and back home, fur
nishing the comforts Of Pullman
Car, free transportation and all ex
nf tho ond rn0oi wi
as he said, as direct reward therefor,
a reduction on the appraisement of
the property of the company he repre-
sented, equivalent to many thousand
dollars year. A pass over railroad
Is equivalent of money, and few men
in civilized society are above the
temptation Of receiving 1t. l regard
the tendency Of the system DcrniciOuS
in the extreme.
The difference between giving a
thing of money value and money it.
self to a public official, is Slight If
railroad officials become accustomed
to the giving and receiving Of things
of value, the official character Of the
recipient being the only considera-
ton thereof, tie conscience Of both
railroad officials and public officials
becomes demoraliZed and corrupted,
and men on both sides soon learn that
money might as we'll be given as
passes for the purpose Of controlling
the actions of public servants. With
in the last few years blackmailing leg
iSlators have been Introducing bills
for the taxation Of sleeping car COM
panies, express companies and telc.
graph companies. The result is that
passes are being issued by these vari-
Gus organizations in greater or less
mum bers, and telegraph passes can
now be found in the pockets of nearly
all members Of the Legislature in all
the important states.
For many years,--yes; during
twenty-five years,-we labored to pre-
vent the issuance of passes to judges
and legislators. but all in vain. We
were the only member or senator that
returned his passes. We have known
judges, of district courts in this state,
to receive as much free transportation
from the railroads as their salaries
amounted to. And then they would
cody mount the bench and pretend
that they could hold the scales of JUS
tice evenly between the corporations
and the people! And then Bcelzebub
nudged Judas Iscariot in the ribs and
all hell grinned..
And this work is now going on!
nd tho neonle are hannv'