The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-13
AN ANTI-PASS BILL
ONE OF A SWEEPING CHARACTER
INTRODUCED IN WISCONSIN
LEGISLATURE
PASS USERS ARE TO BE FINED
Any One Accepting and Riding on
a Pass May BE Fined $500 or
Sent to Jail--NO Caucus in North
.Dakota--Secretary of War Asked
to Hiring South DakOtans Home
Vim the Suez.

MADISON, Wis, Jan. 12.-The first
bill introduced at this session of the
legislature is an anti-pass bill. It's
provisions are very sweeping, and it
is believed by it's authors that it is a
prohibition which will prohibit. 1t
was introduced in the senate soon after
the opening of the session this morn
ing by Senator Barney A. Eaton, of
Cudahy. No one expected it so early,
and it was sprung as surprise.
Its purport is covered by its title,
"To prohibit the issue of passes, franks
and privileges for free transportation
of persons and property, free trans
portation of messages by telegraph or
telephone, and free accommodation of
persons on palace or sleeping cars" 1t
provides a fine of $500 or six months
Imprisonment, or both, for persons ac-
cepting such privileges, and forfeiture
of 81, 900 for the company or agent CIV
ing the passes. 1t prohibits giving
these privileges to members Of the leg
islature state officers, and all persons
receiving compensation from the state,
all judges and justices, county and mu-
nicipal officers, all police officers and
members of boards of supervisors. The
bill was read in full and referred to
the railroad committee. Both houses
adjourned to Tuesday at II a. M, to
give Speaker Ray an opportunity to
make up his committees. In his ad-
dress today Gov. Scofield said:
1t is well known that 1t has been the GUS
tom for many years for the railway compa-
MES of the state to send to all members OF
the legislature and public officials generally
annual passes for themselves. This, to some
extent has been true as to express, tele-
graph and sleeping car companies. The uni
versatility of the custom, and the fact that in
the distribution of annual passes to the mem
bers of the legislature discrimination has
been shown, has tended, it Is believed, to
minimize any possible sense of favoritism
or personal obligation on the part of the re-
cipients. The real field for favor, and there
fore of personal obligation, has been in the
granting Of transportation upon the request
OF public officials to constituents, favors not
granted as matter of course, and therefore
possible Of being construed having been
distributed with ulterior purposes, either to
influence the recipients In future action or
to reward them for past action.
1t has seemed to me that the popular will
upon the subject can only be expressed by
legislation which will destroy the system root
and branch and eliminate from it, at least
so far as state officials are concerned, as far
as it can be done by legislation, the posi-
bility of any favors directly or indirectly in
the matter Therefore l believe that the leg
islation should not be restricted to the giving
of passes by the corporations indicated, or
their acceptance by public official for his
own use, but that the prohibition should ex-
tend to any person upon the request of pub
lie officials. In this view the law should
prohibit the granting Of passes. or the accept
fcials, and also the granting Of transporta-
ton or franks, facilities of any kind, to
any person, directly Indirectly upon the
request of any public official. One Of the
platform declarations is sufficiently broad to
extend the prohibition to the granting to or
public officials of municipalities.
All that have said upon the subject In its
relation to state officials certainly applies to
all municipal authorities who have duties to
perform, legislative or otherwise, with ref
erence to local franchises.
1 recommend that an adequate consttu-
tional amendment be submitted to the peo-
pie in order that, If adopted, the prohibition
shall be part Of the permanent law Of the
state, beyond reach Of legislative modifca-
tion or repeal; and that there be promptly
enacted legislation covering the same ground,
to be in force until it shall have been SUPER
seded by constitutional amendment