Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1925-02-21
MRS. FERGUSON
PUTS Veto ON
FREEPASSACT
Measure Is Wrong in
Principal, Gov ernor
Says in Returning 1t;
Opponents Cheer
fBy The Associated Press.)

AUolIN, Texas, feb. 2l-Ihe rail-
road free pass bill. passed last week by
the Legislature, was vetoed today by
Governor Miriam A. Ferguson She
gave as a reason that the idea of free
passes was wrong in principle. 1t is
her first veto.
The veto followed an opinion from
the attorney generals department, Civ
en- yesterday, which held that the mile
age granted members of the Legislature
would not be affected by signing the
free pass bill.
when the message was read in the
house there was cheering from oppon-
ents of the bill.
In transmitting her veto to the legis-
lature, Mrs. Ferguson gave the follow
ing reasons:
While ] do not question the SINGER
ity Of those who voted for this measure,
yet ! feel that if this bill was to be-
come law that. the sainted Jim Hogg
has lived in vain. Though | regret to
differ with some of my friends whose
purpose ! do not question, yet in my
opinion the free pass proposition is
wrong in principle.
''As a matter of public policy there is
good reasons for railroad employees and
their families who maintain the rail
roads, and for peace officers who pro-
tect the rights and property of our
citizens to ride upon a free pass. But
the case of members of the legislature
and their families being permitted to
accept free transportation from the
railroads involves "a different princi-
pie.
LET us state the proposition in an
other way and see if the principle stat
ed is not correct. Let it be understood
that nobody wants free pass except
for the reason that it saves to the party
riding the free pass in money consid-
Grafton. If there was no money to be
saved by the transaction. nobody would
give the snap of their finger for rail-
road pass. Suppose, for instance, that
a president of railroad should go to
the members of the legislature or to
the lieutenant governor and say to them
my railroad wants you to accept from
the treasury of my company free
donation, $3.50 in CASH Would any
body then contend that it would be pro-
per for such member of the Legislature
to receive this gift from the railroad
However, innocent of the corrupt inten-
.-tion there might be on either the part
of the railroad or the member of the
legislature, nobody would care to be
represented in the legislature by a
member who had permitted the railroad
to make in this manner a gift of money.
"Now then, what is the difference IN
accepting money and accepting a free
mass which saves money? No matter
from what angle we view the question
we are still confronted with the TACT
that free pass means free money, and
the giving of that which it takes money
to buy Is just the same as giving the
money itself.
"Tbis bill not only permits free
trapsnortation to members Of the legls-
1ature hut also permits it to the FAM
il;es of such members without respect
to numbers. This would lead to abuses
spre and certain. Either too many lam
lilies would ride that ought not De per.
,o;ttad To ride. or the railroads would
be required to cary too many sueh lanh-
,,;os AGAINST their will. If 1T was done
with the approval Of the railroads then
they would expect in some way TO se'
returns for such free service. IL was
done aayinst their will then by o11icia
;ntimiaation they would be forced &c
,,;v. ,hair services without considera
finp2s