St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1905-07-01

AAs]AAAo ou 1aSS 6UeSC10u-"EX'
Speakers" Attitude-Use Of Passes
to Influence Legislation-Legisla.
tors Deluged with Demands TO,
Passes from Prominent Constitu-
ents-''Nlackmail'' by Threats Of
Defeat-clever Ruse by Railroads
to Defeat Taxing Bill.
By an Ex-Speaker Of the Legislature o,
One of the Largest States in the Union.
Copyright. 1905. by Joseph B. Bowles.)
Whether a member OF the legislature
accepts bride when he pockets an I'm.
solicited railroad pass is question
which, l 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
~ bore my new title.
l accepted them as matter of course,
and in acknowledging receipt added my
thanks "for the courtesy" Not then,
nor now, did I think l was selling"
myself, "body and soul to railroad
corporation" and not once during my
several terms did permit possession
OF those much-coveted evidences of
railroad courtesy" to influence my
vote.
The passes which the newly-elected
house member receives without the
asking ere 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 wide difference in the char
acter of railroad passes given public of
fclals. 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
ful perquisites to the Office. The habit
OF issuing such passes has become
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 the minimum
amount of harm from the legislature.
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 man in lire and keep
him there with railroad pass Or two
when 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
hem 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
in the position where
or street car company can de-
mand his vote for value received. The
respectable citizen, the prominent BUSH
ness man, the well-known farmer, the
leading banker, the influential lawyer
BY asking their member in the legisla-
.ure to get free transportation for them
ire largely responsible for the dominat-
ng influence which railroad companies
exercise over legislature. And they
i'll ask him for passes. They come at
lin from all sides with their miser-
lble requests. They tell him fatty that
1e can get what they want and they
Expect him to do it; and these same
representative citizens have started |
many a decent man on the road which |
eads to Doodle.
A representative from city district |
,ut it rather neatly when he said to me
,ne day:
.I've Just got my mail and ten Of the
most prominent business men in my
district want to graft by proxy. They
IL want ma to get railroad passes for |
hem"
This same legislator, talking to me
Ifter mornings session, said:
"You fellows from the country dis
riots know nothing of the enormity Of
his curse Of railroad passes. Here I |
m delivered by my honest constituents,
,ody, boots and breeches, to the railroad
ompanies. The noble electors who
emit me here and who howl with an
,er every time the word Doodle Is
aentioned started out to make a boodler
( me an hour after the polls closed
nd they learned Ihad been elected. And
! was my own preacher who started it.
Ie called me up on the telephone and
sked me II could get transportation
or himself and his wife to a certain
ity and return. There is not mem
er here from the city whose life is not