The independent., 1905-08-10
SAYS PASS IS BRIBE
IOWA OFFicE-HoLDER SCOUTS
COURTESY PLEA
8. w. Garrett Also Points Out the In
consistency and Hypocrisy Of the
Railways in Their Campaign Against
Government Regulation

Garden Grove, Ia, Jug. 5.-Before
the old settlers picnic here Thursday
IB. w. Garrett of Governor Cummins'
clerical staff spoke in part as fol-
lows:
Il look with suspicion upon any man
who rides on pass. Call it a court
esy if you will, but you can call a
hundred dollar bill courtesy just as
well as you can call pass a court
esy that saves man the expenditure
of hundred dollars. | hope to wit
ness the dawn of the day when a
public official with pass in his
pocket will be regarded in the same
light as the man with burglars tools
in his possession. How do the rail-
road companies themselves regard the
pass? | answer, as a bribe. In proof
of this, read pages 208-9 of Governor
Larabee's book, 'The Railroad Cues
tion,' where he relates the incident
Of a district judge who decided a
case against a railroad company and
had his pass unceremoniously taken
up the next time he attempted to ride
on it. If the people were not willing
to accept these favors they would not
be offered. If John Jones rides on q
pass and William Smith pays his fare,
manifestly an injustice is imposed on
Smith, who contributes to pay the
cost Of running the train, while Jones
does not. Eliminate the pass, and 1t
will only be a question of time until
the fare will be lowered, and we will
have taken a long stride in the direc-
tion of Kidding ourselves of corporate
domination of conventions
Favors Rate Regulation
Mr.. Garrett spoke vigorously in
favor of railroad rate legislation.
''That the people in almost every Sec
| tion of our country are the victims
of discrimination and secret rebates
land exorbitant freight charges, no
man of veracity will deny" he said.
.'There is no disposition on the part
of the people to either confiscate the
property of the owners of railroads, or
to impose any unreasonable condition
upon them. What we demand is a
square deal for both the people and
| the railroads. That the people are
not now receiving fair treatment at
the hands of the railroad no man hav
ing knowledge of the subject will de
my" Continuing Mr.. Garrett said:
| Dishonest Campaign
"The railroads are neither homes
nor consistent in the campaign the.
are now making to influence the pee
pie on the question OF goyernmen
regulation of freight rates. In tn
literature that is being prepared an
sent broadcast over the United State
by the bureaus which they are main
:, tanning in New York, Chicago and 81
!, Louis it is maintained that the re
lief demanded by the people will b
procured by the prohibition OF tn
: granting of rebates, and the use Q
. private cars. / admit that this wi
, help one phase of the condition, bu
not the principal one. 1t will not hel
: the stock shipper in the Eighth col
: gressional district who has to pay 231
: cents per. hundred in getting his liv
( stock to Chicago, while his neighbor
at points on the Missouri river an
: farther west get rate of Is cent
II and mayhap they will both be in th
s. same train, and pulled by the sam
engine"
Fixing OF Rates
Mr. Garrett referred to the anna
. ing manner in which railroad est
Please Mention THE lNDEPE