The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-07-02
The Benehciaries
Of Special Privilege.

It is always hard for the benefici-
aries Of special privilege to look eth
er with approval or with reason upon
any attempt to deprive them Of the
special privilege which has so long
been theirs.
The benenciaries OF the protective
taFih, which has made the few rich
at the expense Of the many, complain
loudly when it is proposed to remove
the tariff on any article in whose pro-
lection they are interested.
The proposal to tax incomes, in or
der to make property which can be
reached in no other way bear its
proper burden in the support OF the
government. raises a protest from
those whom the income tax will af-
feet.
Before the passage Of the inter
state commerce law prohibiting the
issuance OF railroad passes for inter
state travel, ten per cent of the pas
sengers rode on passes while the
other 80 per cent paid their fares.
The auti-pass provision of the inter
state commerce law was the most bit
terly fought OF any section of the bill,
and congress was almost swamped
with kilograms protesting against its
passage. The ten per cent Of the pas
sengeRs who had been riding on rail-
road passes did not want to give up
their special privilege and be COM
PEELED to pay fare as other passengers
did. The protests OF this ten per
cent were so strong that they almost
defeated the anti-pass provision.
So we find 1t In every case. Where
a special privilege has existed 1t has
always been given UP under protest.
AS evidence OF this we quote from our
esteemed contemporary, the Havana
(F7a.) News. as follows:
Brother Mayes OF the Pensacola
Journal is one OF the ablest editors
In the state, but he belongs TO that
school OF thinkers who believe the
common, everyday mortal, coming
IN touch with a corporation Of any
kind, is likely to become contaminat-
ed. He almost gets wrathy IN his re-
ply to our attempt to set him
straight on the newspaper pass QueS-
ton. He surrounds the difference in
point thusly: "As to the kind OF pass
our contemporary desires for the
newspapers, we do not know thai
either the amount or character o. the
STUFF (the capitals are oursl ex-
changed for the pass makes any diff
ference SO far as the public policy is
concerned" For the Journal editors
benent we win state that the railroads
are making the kind Of contracts re-
ferred TO, that is, some are, and the
railroad commission is not preventing
It. But the chairman of the commits
sion Is credited with having lobbisd
/ against the situation being made
clearer by writing a clause into the
law defining just what kind Of a con-
tract could be made. The chairman
| OF the commission would doubtless be
glad to have the inference accepted
| that the newspapers are easily bought
for the papers o. the state are almost
unit IL the opinion that we have
had enough OF such political bun
combe as escapes through the hot air
exhaust from the railroad commits
ston's Office
| We beg to advise that Brother
Mayes" was not in the least bit
''wrathy'' and that he does not be-
long to the school of thinkers to
which his Havana brother refers.
He does not believe, however, Ia
special privileges for anyone, wheth-
er the beneficiary of the special priv
ilege be q newspaper man, a farmer,
a day laborer. or a citizen OF any
other place or station in life.
What our contemporary wanted in
the way Of pass law was a special
privilege privilege that would per-
NIT 1t to exchange its services. or its
stock IN trade, sor a railroad pass
while the same privilege was denied
co every other class Of people. The
facts in the case constitute an an
swer TO every argument without dis
cussing it at all.
As to the chairman OF the railroad
commission. We would simply sug-
gest that the opposition to him would
appear In better taste If It had come
before and not after ne announced
L.