The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-01-25
PROPOSED FREE PASS LEGISLA
TION.

It strikes US that the legislature is
going entirely too far in the matter OF
free passes by the railroads; that is II
the acts which have been proposed are
ratified by it The proposition 10 pat
an end TO all contracts between the
railroads and the newspapers OF the
state whereby the former agree to give
a certain amount of transportation at
such rate per mile to certain ones Of
the latter at so much per line or per
inch is prohibiting as legitimate 4 con
tract as is the sale of 50 many bushels
of wheat or corn in return for 50
many dollars worth Of stock i'll anT
kin Of industrial enterprise.
The present attitude Of those mem
bers OF the Legislature who advocate
this stringent, so-caIled anti-pass leg
islation is a slap in the face aud an
insult to the members of the press Of
this state. Do those members Of the
legislature who advocate this stringent
law think the members of the press OF
the state are so venaI and so corrupt
that they can be bought up by 4 few
railroad passes? These same ners
OF the legislature, when candidates for
nomination and election to the leg
i8lature were mighty anxious fOr The
friendship and support of their county
papers, the editors Of the latter were
their best friends then; they we're
slapped on the back and called good,
honest fellows, but as soon as tnuse
fellows get to Raleigh they EcwI
against the ~venality Of the press ana
pretend to believe that any of its mem
bership can be bought UP by a return
trip pass to a Sunday school convention
in the next township, and that the
whole state will soon go to the demni-
ton pOWoWs unless editors are cut
off from the pernicious habit OF acccp1-
ing passes from the ~railrOads-the
great enemies of that public but for
patronage those same railroads
would have to house their passenger
and freight cars and let their loCOmO-
tlveS rust in the r~Oundhouses.
The editors of the state might be III |
dignant at the attitude of these self
appointed reformers Of their morals il
The thing did O strike them as being
so absurd.
Now there comes up another a::Ii-
W &C hill in fhic4 JOo;c1,t,ro - -.,rL;L |
is any person holding Il public office
Whether state, county or town Except
members of the corporation commits
from accepting or using any rail-
DAD pass, free mileage book or ticket l.
the term of his office whether
Is employee, director or otherwise |,
We do not know exactly where the II
otherwise comes in in railway Of Y
:claidCm). Under this bill a magistrate 1t
r the coroner Of a county who hap
ems to the good fortune of being the /
~irectOr of a railroad in his section OF :
he state cannot have the usual cour y
esq extended to him of free transDor- a
alton over his own road to the place q
t meeting of the board Of directors d
that body is called into session.
The justices of the supreme court Of J.,
state cannOt take a mile ride out OF i,
on any railroad without pay b
lg their fare through fear that BY so IL
ding the members Of our court OF p
lst resort, in whose hands and on -
those consciences and acquaintance It;
18th the law Of the state depends the r.
sue of life and death of many a man a
with crime and the right OF .
rOperty between citizens in cases in =
diving thousands Of dollars, mighC be If
to violate their oath Of office n
their consciences. If this be the "
Use haven't things come to a pretty
ISIS in North Carolina? -.
Has it come to that pass that the Ics
lly way we can keep men. homes in te
lis state is by making them paw the Itf
.sh down every time they ride on Il Sc
,ilrOad? sc