The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-05-19
WANTED IN NORTH CAROLINA
A JOSEPH FOLK.

There is a law in North Carolina
making it a crime for public offlclals
tc ride on free passes. The law is
openly and VIGOROUSLY violated. How
When the railroads wish to get the IN
fiuence of public official by giving
him a pass, if he is a lawyer they
call him ian attorney and issue the
pass to him as an employe. expert
ence has shown that as a rule ne is
an "employe," too, and serves the rail-
road with more fidelity than he does
his constituents. If he is not lawyer,
they call him a claw agent or give
some other designation that enables
them to escape the LITERAL violation
of the law.
What North Carolina needs today
is a Joseph W. Folk. He is talked
about now all over the Republic.
Why? Because, as prosecuting attor.
ney, he lived up to his official oath.
He didn't dodge the troublesome cases,
he didn't make a mere pretense of
prosecuting those of high standing, or
kin to influential folks, he didn't wink
at a Democratic boodlerNand send a
Republican boodler to the peniten-
tiary, and he didn't violate his oath by
accepting favors from railroads and
other parties needing to place him UNI
der obligations. If every prosecuting
officer in America could be forced to
go to school to Joseph w. Folk a
few months, the taxpayers could well
afford to pay the bills, if they would
perform their public duty as efficient
~ as Mr. Folk has done.
Mr.. Folks latest declaration will
make enemies for him of the CRATER
and special privilege stripe and give
him thousands of friends among hon
est men. Speaking at Kansas City
about corruption and the use of passes
by legislators, Mr.. Folk said:
''The first legislator who accepts a
railroad pass will find an indictment
awaiting him. l consider the railroad
pass the worst form of bribery, and it
must go. Once riding on railroad
pass, the soul of the legislator is the
lobbyist So
Mr. Folk is correct in considering
THE RAILROAD PASS THE
WORST FORM OF BRIBERY" and
that is why the railroad political man
ayers are resolved to continue it. Dur
ing the agitation for an anti-pass law
in North Carolina, a gentleman said
to a prominent pass distributor: 81
am surprised that you do not rejoice
at the passage of an anti-pass law"
The pass distributor made this re-
ply: 'That shows how little you know
about managing men. You saw that
man going out of this office as you
came in? Well, he is Senator b
from the county of W. He
came here to get a pass for long
trip for himself, wife and daughter.
The transportation he requested is
worth more than one hundred dollars.
1t was issued to him at once, and he
daughter to be ready to go as soon as
the legislature adjourns. That Sena-
tor is my man from now on. He would
have refused to support my measures
for $4,000, but for a few passes he
will vote for any railroad measure
that my road wants. If you offer a
legislator money, you insult him.
When you bride him with a pass, you
have put your string through his gills
and can pull him in whenever you
need him. An anti-free. pass law, with
no loop holes, would end our ability
to control legislation when we need it.
Its the cheapest way to get legislative
votes in the world
In North Carolina in spite of the
law, legislators, legislative clerks, some
solicitors, and other public officials are
said to ride on passes and render
"villein service" to the railroad issuing
the pass. We need a Joseph w. Folk
who will declare 1.-THE first legislator
who accepts a railroad pass will find
an indictment awaiting him" and we
need as prosecuting attorneys more
men who will prosecute with the same
zeal and honesty as Joseph w. Folk.
By-the-way: Does any Solicitor in
North Carolina ride on a pass given
him as attorney? One Solicitor, after
his election, was offered a pass as
local attorney and declined it. That
was his duty as a law-abiding citizen
and as public official. If any is do
ing otherwise, he should study the life
of Joseph w. Folk and emulate his
example.