The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1916-01-21
Free Passes.

ing person, is free to admit that
the abuse Of the free pass sys
tenn ia flagrapt wrong, and .
great evil that ought to be sup.
pressed. But there 10 such q
thing as going too far, and es.
pecially when the motive behind
the act is far the purpose of re.
venge. Senator Luke Lea is do
ing himself no good in the at.
tempt to have national legisla.
tion enacted that will prevent
the issuance Of free passes under
any and all conditions. Senator
Lea is aiming his 42-centimeter
gun at the Louisville & Nash.
vile railroad, and ito subsidiary
branches, and it must be admit.
ted that the Louisville & Nash.
vile railroad is an old-time sim
ner that has abused the free pass
system in the past. The issuing
Of passes should be limited and
strictly censored, but not entire
" abolished. The term free
pass is q misnomer when it il
applied to the editors of country
newspapers. It is by no mean,
. free pass or gift, because
these newspapers give value re-
ceiyed for whatever favors are
vouchssfed them 10 publicity
and in advertising the railroads
concerned. To deny them this
privilege would be to take from
them something that justlys be.
longs to them, and in fact, about
the only, thing Of : complimen.
tary or compensatory charactel
which. many OF them receive,
The country editor, while rea.
sonably prosperous and confor.
table at home, gets little OF
nothing out Of the gratuitous
work he does for his community.
and for the railroads entering
bis town, but q pass over the
road, on which he may ride to
join his CO. workers at the annu
al meeting of the state or local
press associations. This is his
vacation and bonus, and it il
about the only enjoyment that
is given him for the loyal and
la borious work that he does free.
ly and cheerfully for the public
good. The enactment Of such .
law as Senator Lea proposes, OF
such q ruling by the interstate
commerce commission, is said tc
be far.reaching, and it would
prevent the issuance even Of
complimentary street car passes
or the free carriage Of GremaI
and policeman, which is the Gus.
tom at the present time in most
Of the cities. The street cal
company is q corporation organ
lied and conducted for the puf.
pose Of making money for it'
stockholders, bat it is also . con
servator Of the peace and a pro.
tective agency Of law and order,
Of life and limb, and when il
hauls policeman or a fireman
free, it Is not only serving the
public, but protecting its own
far.Aung and widespread inter
ests as we'll. For sometime past
Senator Lea has been very bitter
against the railroads, because
the Louisville 4 Nashville owns
. very large amount OF the SO.
cnrities issued by the corporation
which was taken over by Sena tor
Lea when he consolidated the
two morning newspapers in
Nashville. He may have reason to
condemn the actions Of the rail
road in question, and he may
have ample and just cause for
resentment, but he should not
carry it to the length Of interfer-
ing with the privileges and pre-
rogatiyes hitherto enjoyed BY
tho newspaper editors Of the
state. and the flrs and police de-.
partments Of the several citiss.
The desire to get evsn'' with
the railroads may be 8 potential