The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1911-02-10
FREE PASSES AND
NEWSPAPERS.

The Jacksonville Metropolis complain;
because of the law which prohibits rail
road companies from granting passes &c
newspapers in exchange for advertising
space.
st was," says the Metropolis, "Simply
a case of fair exchange and plain bust
ness proposition, and having the priv.
lege taken from them has injured many
papers in a business way, making travel
for the managers and employees, at rcgu-
lar rates, impossible"
The Metropolis further says that "the
fact that Legislators are prevented from
using free transportation is wise and
commendable, for what tight have they
TO accept gifts from the transportation
companies"
By the same token we might ask,
"What right have newspapers TO accept
gifts from transportation companies"
The Metropolis admits that many pa
perS have been injured in business
way, in that the law makes Gravel for
managers and employees, at regular
rates, impossible"
Why impossible? Must these news
papers receive gifts in order 10 make
their business possible" or profitable?
And why should a railroad be ex-
pected to give gifts TO the newspaper?
What do they expect in return?
The legislature that made that law
knew that one of the important func-
tons of the newspaper is the making OF
public sentiment, and there are times
when even railroad companies have
stood in need of that very thing. What
more reasonable than that they should
ask its creation at the hands of the news
papers who have been riding the Gree
horSe?"
Free newspaper passes, the legislature
thought, had a bribery cast of counter
ance; had tendency TO Stifle the free
CAplCoolOu Vi OplulOu'
The Legislature in passing the law pro-
hibiting its members from accepting
free passes virtually said:
The acceptance of railway pass is
the first step in bribery"
OF course the little legislator indig
nantly declares that he is not influenced
by passes, because he would vote for
what he considers right, passes or no
passes.
Some of us have observed, however,
that men who consider their virtue SO
secure as this commonly have peculiar
ideas of right and wrong. They vote
for what they consider right, true
enough, but with them right is usually
with the railroads. If no wrongs were
inflicted upon the public save through
public officials voting for what they &C
tually believe 10 be wrong, this would
be happy land. 1t is through the warp
ing and twisting of the officials sense
OF right, by batteries and favors, that
most evil legislation comes.
The legislator with railway pass in
his pocket may learn 10 look through
the railway companies eyes, uncon-
Sciously perhaps, but none the less ef-
fectivcly.
What did these little members of the
legislature suppose railway companies
sent them passes for? Did they think
their own personality so irreSistibly
charming as TO command that diStinc-
ton? If that was the case, the wonder
is that the appreciative railway mana,
gers did not discern them and show
them personal lavorS before they became
public servants.
For legislator" substitute "newspa-
per manager or editor" And then ap-
ply the same argument.
Does any reason whatever exist why |
such favorS should be extended beyond |
he value OF the advertising space, ex-
2ept the desire on the part of the cor
DorationS to create friendly feeling TO-
ward themselves? The recipients NAV
lumbug themselves, but they deceive
10 one else when they affect TO be unin
luenCed by such favorS.
There is really no more reason from
he business standpoint why legitimate
newspaper enterprises should expect I'M
United courtesieS from railway compa-
les than any other business The free
ass is never given without expectancy
I return. 1t is the railways way of l
lSting bread upon the waters. >
Under the present law the railway a
ompanieS pay cash for their advertising a
lie same as other business enterprises, G
I'd when newspaper editor travels he +
ayS cash for his transportation like d
her men. |;
The News is one of the papers that is 0
erfectly satisfied with the present bust, n
eSS-like system. {
And ii thinks the Metropolis solici.
de for the small papers" is misplaced St
-
With Senators Root and Burton argu- a
g for his reputation, it really begins Il
look as if Senator Iorimer'S mama p