The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-09-21

the clearest language it's views upon !
the pass question, which this reso-
luton does not do. The resolution
is weak and stupid, and every man
can read his own Interpretation into
it. Here is the resolution:
1--WE believe that the giving of free
transportation upon railways is det-
rimental to the interests of the peo-
pie, and recommend that law be
enacted by the legislature of this
state to prohibit it."
The Omaha Bee interprets this res
olutiOn to mean that the legislature
shall pass a law prohibiting the rail
roads from giving free passes to pub
lie officials only. The Friend Tele-
graph says:
the use Of free transportation by pub
lie officials and recommending law
prohibiting the same
Pin Faith to a Subterfuge
assert that law prohibiting rail
roads from giving passes only to pub
lie officials amounts to nothing. This
would simply mean that these public
officials, before they are elected
would have the right to ride on all
the passes they wanted to. The pass
holders of the state would nominate
them and elect them, and then upon
their elevation to any office, they
would stop riding on passes. Then
| just as soon as their terms expired
| they would take the passes again.
Will any one argue that this kind of
an official is free from railroad infu-
ence while in Office? In order to
purge the state of Nebraska from rail
road influence the entire free pass
system must be destroyed. Any con-
| vention that declares for anything
less than this is declaring for some
thing that amounts to absolutely
nothing.
| Trying to Fool the People
| I am not prophet, but | will risk
the prediction that any law that any
legislature will pass based upon that
resolution will be simply to prohibit
office holders from riding upon pass
es. I will make the prediction that
| if a special session of the legislature
should be convened, it will pass law
that will be weak and meaningless
and that it will not strike at the whole
system This will not be done be-
cause the Nebraska voters are in IA
vor of that kind of law, but it will
be done because pass-holders in the
state are in favor of that kind of
! law. These pass-holders believe that
they can fool the people and make
| them believe that something has been
done when in fact nothing has been
done.
Last Legislature Lax
/ There is some talk that the COVER
nor will convene a special session of
the legislature to pass an anti-pass
law. That the present legislature is
railroad procured legislature no one
will doubt Any kind of a law that
/ the present members of the legisla-
ture will pass will be the kind of a
law that the railroads themselves will
be satisfied with. That legislature
did absolutely nothing last winter that
the railroads did not want done. Not
once did they do what the people
wanted them to do upon any question
touching railroad control. The gov
ernor, himself, in his last message to
the legislature said not one word up
on the railroad question, nothing
about free passes, nothing about
high freight rates, nothing about
taxation of the railroads. He
was silent as the grave upon all of
these important questions. Open let
4 tiers were written the governor de-
handing to know whether he rode on
passes. He said he did, and that they