Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1916-01-22
Deny They Have Violated
Law in Issuance of Free
Transportation.
SOME HOT SHOT FOR LUKE
Charge That His Own Friends
Have Used Many Free
Passes.

Nashville, Tenn, Jam 19-Deny-
ing that it has issued free passes for
the purpose of corruption or bribery, |
or that it has violated either laws of
the United States or of the State of
Tennessee in the issuance of such |
free transportation, and charging
that the petition of Senator Luke Lea
was mot filed with a view of sub
serving the public good, but from
malicious and improper motives"
the answer of the N. o. C St L. Rail !
way has just been filed with the In
terstate Commerce Commission in
Washington by the attorneys Of the
road. At the same time the answer
of the L. G. N railroad was filed with
the commission.
The petition filed with the COM
mission some time ago by Senator
Lea attacked the legality of the issu-
ance of passes in Tennessee by the
L. C N. and the n c. C St L. Rail-
way, and charged that such issuance
of passes was for the purpose Of cor
ruption and bribery, and also that it
was directed against the L. G n, and
N. c. &c St. L. roads operating in
Tennessee which are'and have been
issuing intrastate passes, and that if
Senator Lea is sincere in his petition
he should not have mentioned only
two roads and omitted the others.
The answer Of the roads also refers
to the recent Senatorial primary and
the attempt of the petitioner to make
railroad issue in that campaign; of
his utter failure to make such an is
sue, and of his reputation by the
polls. In referring to repeated at
lacks made through the columns of
the Senator's paper directed against
the L. & N. and N C c. roads, the
answer characterizes then as false
statements intended to arouse the
prejudice of the people against re-
spondent and in favor of petitioner. "
The answer also reproduces let
tiers showing that from December
1910 to January /, 1914, the paper
owned and published by Senator
Lea requested" free transportation
and such transportation was furnished
to the the Tennessean and American
Just as it was to other newspapers
over the state, daily and weekly
One letter which is request for
book of fifty trip passes bears date Of
Dec. 8, 1913, thirty days after Sena-
tor LEAFS resolution was passed in
the u. S. Senate. These letters are
given, the answer says, to show that
in the issuance of free passes all pa
pers were treated alike notwithstand-
I ing their editorial attitude, and that
certainly no effort was made to Cor
rupt" the paper of petitioner or TO
influence it in any way.
The answer admits the issuance OF
! free passes to farmers and educators,
to preachers and to representatives
of various charitable institutions. 1t
maintains that through the co-opera-
ton with the Department of Agricul-
ture, Department of Education, ETC.,
that much good has been accom-
plished to the state by enabling the
farmers to gather in institute meet
ings and by making possible the
gathering of the public school teachers
in educational meetings. The answer
also says it has given passes to news
papers, particularly the country press,
'to encourage such newspaper enter
prise. II has believed that prosper
GUS newspapers of this character are
of great advantage to the develop
ment of such communities, and il has
been willing to aid those engaged in
such enterprises by a moderate
amount Of free transportation.
4 The answer also refers to the fact
that for twenty years the railroads
Ihave given free tansportations TO the
governors and other public officials OF
the state, who request it and that it
remained for Senator Lea te charge