Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1905-06-08

lOlo btluSco Win DCIlluhuo Ava
Passes from Prominent Constitu-
ents-"Blackmail" by Threats of
Defeat-Clever Ruse by Railroads
to Defeat Taxing Bill.
BY an Ex-Speaker of the Legislature of
one of the Largest States in the Union.
Copyright, 1905, by Joseph B. Bowles)
Whether a member of the legislature
accepts bribe when he pockets an un-
solicited railroad pass is a question
which, | think, at least is open to de-
bate well remember that few days
after | was first elected a member of
our general assembly the mails brought
me annual passes from almost every
railroad which operated in my state.
These bits of pasteboard, however, were
good only on the lines within the
boundaries of the state and each frank
ly bore my new title.
| accepted them as matter Of course,
and in acknowledging receipt added my
thanks 'for the courtesy" Not then,
nor now, did | think l was selling"
myself body and soul to railroad
corporation" and not once during my
several terms did | permit possession
Of those much-coyeted evidences of
railroad courtesy" to influence my
vote.
The passes which the newly-elect
house member receives without the
asking are not the passes which the
legislative agents of railroads issue for
the purpose of securing the good will
or positive aid of lawmakers. This may
be news to some people, but the fact is
there is a wide difference in the char
acter of railroad passes given public Of
ficials. The ANNALS sent to members
direct from the office of the general pas
senger agents are regarded by almost
all members of any legislature as right
full perquisites to the Office. The habit
of issuing such passes has become a
well-recognized custom, almost, one
might say, an obligation upon the rail
road companies. If the railroads
stopped there we would not hear so
much of the demoralizing influence OF
railroad passes.
But in every state capitol, when a
Legislature is in session, are two or
more men whose business it is to see
that the railroads suffer tn minimum
amount of harm from .gislature
These agents, or lobbyists. carry with
them books of passes, which they dis
tribute with experienced discrimina-
ton where they will do their principals
the most good. These men will tell you
that their free transportation is more
effective than filthy lucre in taking the
edge off the legislative appetite. Said
one of them to me:
"You can get a man in line and keep
him there with a railroad pass or two
when a straight offer of money would
make him jump the reservation alto
gether."
Undoubtedly an immense number of
passes are asked of railroads by legis-
lators, but very small percentage of
them are issued to the lawmaker him
self. They are charged up to him by
the legal department of the road, but
are made out in the names Of his con-
stituents. The personal and political
friends and their friends and acquain-
tances are the men who place their rep
reSentative in the position where a
railroad or street car company can de-
mand his vote for value received. The
respectable citizen, the prominent busi-
ness man, the well-known farmer, the
leading banker, the influential lawyer
by asking their member in the legisla-
ture to get free transportation for them
are largely responsible for the dominat-
ing influence which railroad companies
exercise over a legislature. And they
all ask him for passes. They come at
him from all sides with their miser-
able requests. They tell him fatty that
he can get what they want and they
expect him to do it, and these same
representative citizens have started
many decent man ON the road which
leads to Doodle.
A representative from a city district
put 1t rather neatly when he said to me
one day:
"I've just got my mail and ten Of the
most prominent business men in my
district want to graft by proxy. They
all want me to get railroad passes for
them"
This same legislator, talking to me
after mornings session. said:
"You fellows from the country dis
tricts know nothing Of the enormity of
this curse of railroad passes. Here l
am delivered by my honest constituents.
body, boots and breeches, to the railroad
companies. The noble electors who
sent me here and who howl with an
ger every time the word doodle is
mentioned started out to make boodler
of me an hour after the polls closed
and they learned had been elected. And
1t was my own preacher who started it.