The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1904-09-22
A Mo tsrful and Eloquent Appeal to
the People of Nebraska by
Hon. George w. Berge

that made him. Inc Omcldl KNOWS
the influence that gave him his job.
He knows that he must obey that au-
thority or get out. 1t is therefore i'm
portant to know what influence is IN
control. 1t is important to know what
influence names our candidates and
enacts our laws. The people should
exert this influence. 1t is their privl-
Tlege. 1t is their right. 1t is nos only
their privilege and their right, but their
duty. Our shame is that we have not
always exercised this right. We have
surrendered that right to some one
else. Esau of old sold his b.rthright
for mess of pottage. We have sold
ours for free pass.
There are people. who scott at this
idea, but / believe it is true neyerthe-l
less. What is the free pass system for
il not to procure the government away
from the people? The first move to
make towards better government is to
abolish the free pass. We used TO say
the pass was a bribe We were right
when we said that. A pass is a bride.
II it does not accomplish its purpose,
lit simply miscarries. Much has been
said in recent years about freight rates,
about passenger rates, about the taxa
ton question, but, my friends, have you
made any Roadway? Are you any bet
! ter off today than you were fourteen
years ago when this agitation first
started. Every piece OF legislation
| looking to that end has been defeated.
Every law has been declared invalid
My friends, you will never regulate
freight rates. you will never regulate
passenger rates, you will never solve
the taxation question SO long as the
free transportation system remains.
In discussing this question, / am
going to assume that railroads want
only what is right. | am going to as
sumo that railroads sometimes. have
TO resort to this vicious system for
the purpose OF protecting themselves
against blackmail and against unsIIup-
ulous officehOlders. | condemn the Of
ficehOlder just as much as | DO the
railroads because we have with us this
vicious system. have thought sc me-
times that the railroads are ILL the
same condition as the man. who has
| become addicted to the use of stilnu.
lanis, who would like to leave of the
i habit, but can not. am going 10 in
sist therefore that the railroads them
selves should desire to abolish this vi
i cious pass system just as much as the
/ people themselves. All railroad officials
are not bad men, and all public officials
elected In the name of the people are
not all good men. 1t is neither the Of
iicials nor the railroads that | am
i after. | am after this vicious system.
believe that it must be first abol-
lshed before we can get wholesome leg
Station.
i believe it is true and can be shown
that the free pass system in this state
has developed to point where IL abso-
lutely dictates our public affairs. Ii
has become menace to our state and
city governments. The free pass sys-
tenn has developed into secret pcIjt-
lcal organization, embracing the strong
men, influential in their various local.
4 tiles throughout the stale, cemanted to-
gether in compact which grows more
and more binding as the years Of as
ISOLATION together blend the members
OF this organization into harmony with
each other, and while this compact
grows stronger and stronger as between
the members themselves, the oreani.
cation. as body as a powerful and
potent force in politics, becomes more
and more under the control of the Iail.
roads.
If the power exerted by this OIL gan.
lzation could be realized by the voters
OF this state, they would surely fine
some way to sweep it out of existence
at a single blow. The people OF the
legislative districts do not fully Under.
stand, what well informed men Under.
stand to be the truth, that this fire.,
pass organization. working In secret. az
a secret force within the parties OF thu
state, has actually controlled the Sc
lection OF members OF the legislator,
IN many Of the districts OF the state FOL
twenty-five years. The same is tru,
In a large measure OF state officials
! This has been done by means Of tia
! free pass system. We are ma6a oacl
OF us a grateful and apprcciatlyo hu
, man being. III one man does another
a favor, II IL but human nature 20 wan