The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-05-11
MAY II. 1905
Contributions, how

8 Of public interest. Contributions, how
be typewriter.
party names only to serve his own ends. should
like to see every political party put corrupt men
outside OF its ranks. Stripped of their party
clothing, their capacity for harm would be
duced to a minimum, for it is by working through
party prejudices that they enabled to have
power"
Evils of the Railroad Pass
I'm Investigating legislative corruption, it has
been my experience that the first step legislator
takes toward bribery, as rule, is the accept
ance OF railroad pass. The constitution of the
state and the statute make it misdemeanor for
legislator to accept pass, and for any one to
give a legislator free transportation. With the
wisdom of this law we have nothing to do; it is
the law When legislator accepts pass, he
puts it in the knowledge Of the representative OF
the railroad that he has violated the law and is
subject to indictment. This knowledge can be
used by the railroad representative to club the
legislator into submission to corporate interests
If the legislator hesitates, it has only to be sug-
gested that information may be given the prose-
cutting authorities regarding the pass transaction
and the legislator will bow his head like slave
that is scourged and do his masters bidding.
have found instances, in the course of investiga-
ton, where men had gone to the legislature inn
bued with high and noble purposes of serving
their constituents honestly and we'll; first seduce1
by railroad pass the road to destruction wasJ
swift and easy and they would often wind up BY.
accepting bride money | am sure that you agree
that railroads must not get grip upon the legis-
lative body through the railroad pass The law
the subject of free passes should be strictly
enforced. It is my purpose, and, of course, it is
yours, to give railroads and every other interest
fair treatment They should have every right
the law gives to them, but not more; they shall
have equal and exact justice, but special privi-
leges. That much they entitled to; more than
that they should not receive. l have no patience
with the demagogue who attacks corporations
merely because they are corporations. They
have rights under the law which must be pre-
served, but they have no right to demand special
favors."
The Lobby
TT is proper that railroads and all interests
quasi-public and private, should have the right
to appear before legislative committees and pre-
sent reasons for against the passage of any
bill. They likewise should be accorded the privi-
lege of addressing the individual legislators in a
proper way, but the maintenance of professional
lobby breeds corruption, and should not be per-
mitted Professional lobbying should be made a
crime The excuse for the maintenance of a pro-
fessional lobby heretofore has been that it was
necessary for the protection Of corporate inter-
ests from unjust legislation and from sand-bag.
ging measures presented by corrupt legislators.
| WILL as far as lies in my power, see to it that
there is just treatment, and believe that if the
railroads would only keep their professional lob.
byists away many of the troubles complained OF
would be averted 1t is sometimes hard to de.
termine where legitimate lobbying ends and pro.
fessional lobbying begins, but I apprehend little
difficulty in the line being drawn at the proper
place. No legislator should permit lobbyist, or
any else, to urge upon him, in private reasons
for against the passage of 9 bill that could not
be published"