The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-08-19

replies as follows:
THE extent to which the evil Of
free passes has permeated legislative
bodies was rividly~portrayed on the
the occasion of/my spending fe"
days upon tlleo floor OF the House OF
Representative as a spectator OF its
proessAgs near the end Of the last
Congress.
IN CONGRESS.
Among the mearureS acted upon
was the poStof1ice appropriation bill.
1t was openly charged by those oppos-
ing one Of it's provisions-that for
Southern fast mail-that many OF
those favoring this specific item were
in the pay or were the recipients OF
favors such as passes from the railroad
which would be the beneficiary of that
item in the appropriation. So vlgor-
Gus and outspoken were its opponents
that the finger of Scorn was pointed
at certain members and they were
openly charged with then having that
railroads passes in their pockets, those
accused merely Sneered cynlcaliy, one
even challenging the opponents TO go
over and count the railroad members
It was a truly discouraging exhibition
Of indifference TO a serious charge.
Later personal discussion with several
members compelled the conclusion
that many were in possession OF passes
Of the various railroads. More than
one unhesitatingly advised their ac-
ceptance. AS one put it: Take all
you can get-railroad, telegraph or
anything else.
NEW YORK LEGISLATURE.
''That Legislators resent any sug-
gestion of the curtailment or abolition
Of the practice was clearly shown dur
ing the recent session Of New York
Legislature. where the attempt OF a
New York city member to prevent the
acceptance of Pullman car passes re-
suited in his practical ostracism and
overwhelming defeat OF his measures
as punishment for his temerity.
Only day or so since, Port Jervls
merchant informed me that immedi-
ately upon the election Of himself and
a friend to the local governing body
there four years ago they received
through the mail passes from the
street railway company.
SAYS IT IS cORRUPTING.
The widespread interest in the sub
ject is indicated in many commenda-
tory letters from not only New York,
but Buffalo, Boston, Binghampton,
Syracuse, etc, among them being one
from a well-known New York lawyer,
a former president of the State Bar
Association, who says, among other
things: I know Of no influence at
work in the community more corrupt
ing in it's tendencies than the free
pass system. In going to attend a
meeting of commission appointed to
appraise property taken by a railroad
company in a condemnation proceed
ing I rode in the car with one of the
commissioners. He pulled out an an-
nual pass as new and as clean as when
it left the company's office. He lived
on the line Of the railroad and did
great deal Of travelling. This pass
was worth a good many hundred dol
lars to him
Il rode in the car the other day
with gentleman who pulled out
bunch Of ANNALS that would take
him half way over the country.
& I have sometimes been in a car
where more than half the people were
riding on pass. The other halt were
paying the fares for all. Where
single annual pass is insufficient TO
work its purpose pass for private
car often completes the work Of cor
ruption.'
If a workman representing other
Workmen is to be sent to jail because
he accepts bribe money, certainly the
men who ought to know better than
he and are supposed to have higher
ideals ought not to escape.
PLEA THAT IT Is THE CUSTOM"
''The only plea seriously advanced
in extenuation Of this demoraliZing
practice is that it is the custom Of
railroad companies to send passes to
public officials as an act Of courtesy.
To those that advance this plea it is
appropriate to inquire wherein lies any
natural reason for railroads to do so,
any more than other large private
business? Why has the custom. if it
is such, arisen? We never hear OF
large department stores or OF big mer-
camille houses informing Legislators
other public officials that they are at
liberty to choose goods from them free
OF charge, or that several hundred dol
lars has been placed to their credit
against which they can draw at pleas
ure. Why, then, are railroads SO
penerouSo