The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1908-07-18
No Free transportation.

Through the abolition of the railroad pass, an
important item of expense has been added to the
cost of the campaign for the presidency. Men
travelling here and there on political business will
have to pay their way, and more especially will the
reform affect republican spellbnders, who have been
given all the transportation they could use. Not so
generous have the railroad managers been with
democratic workers during the campaign years when
Bryan was the candidate
The New York Commercial, discussing this sub
ject, says:
The Hepburn law according to railroad men,
will cost the political arrangements of presidential
candidates about $500000 in the coming campaign
The Hepburn law prohibits the issuance or accep-
lance of transportation passes under penalty of fines
from 5000 to $4,000, with possible imprisonment as
we'll In former presidential campaigns the rail
roads and the other transportation companies nave y
extended pass courteses to speakers and other poll
teal workers amounting to the equivalent OF from
$750000 to $1,500000.
The estimate of $5OOoOO for campaign transporta-
ton is based upon the travelling expenses OF agents
of the agricultural department of the government,
which aggregated 100000 during the past fiscal
year. and their number is by great as
the speakers and other workers that the political
managers will have in the field. Furthermore, they
will not as rule, be able to meet this expense out
of their pocketbooks, and possibly before the
campaign is ended each of the national committees
will have spent for railroad fares much more than
$5O0000
President Roosevelt has no great occasion to
worry, far he is personally concerned, as Con-
gress has provided him with fund OF $4,000
year for travelling expenses.
The free list Of the railroads was very much cur
tailed January L. 1906, in Trunk Line territory,
and although the interstate law did not apply in
this state the New York Central stopped issuing
passes in January 1907 the general principle that
it was in accordance with the spirit of the law
The statement has been made that the late A j.
Cassatt, president of the Pennsylvania,
frightened into his antipass policy by the fear that
President Roosevelt would enforce a provision OF
the old law the question of free transportation
That, however, is all nonsense, because in the first
place Mr. Cassatt was not the sort of man to be
buffed and secondly it is fact well known among
executive and passenger officers that man was
opposed to the pass business than Mr.. Cassatt
1t has been said that if the New York Central and
the Pennsylvania had not set the example in adj
of the enactment of the present law it would
never have been passed in its present shape and
with many of its drastic features.
An official of the Pennsylvania asked if such
not the acse, and in frankly admitting it, said
Il tried my best to persuade Mr. Cassatt not to
adopt the drastic orders he later issued free
transportation, but could not convince him that it
would bring avalanche of costly an-railroad le-
gslaton, as it subsequently did. Deprived of their
passes legislators in the state and in Congress
readily availed themselves of the opportunity to
taate IN manner that has cost the railroads mil
lions of dollars in various ways and will continue
to cost more money until we can have more sane
legislation and modification Of the laws that have
imposed unreasonable hardships upon the railroads.
In the long run, the abolition of free transportation
will in itself prove in some measure good thing
because of the removal of evils and abuses which
had grown out of it. | doubt its restoration upon
the broad basis before, if it again is in
vogue because it was carried to great extremes and
the conditions which led to these extremes longer
obtain the in the same authority who
were largely responsible for them"