Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-08-22
RasCaIi1y nj wn.hing,on.


ures through Congress. 1t was intimated
that members We're i'll the habit of taking
brides, that the lobby was far more potent
than the House, and that nothing was so cur
rent at Washington as brazen rascality. The
surest and most direct method to reach the
end protessedly in view, would have been to
appoint Col. Benton to write the secret history
of the Nebraska bill, with power to call for
persons and papers. He would have unveil-
ed the hidden mysteries of Congressional
wickedness in wholesome fashion. But this
was not done. Colts effort to secure a renew
al Of his patent was made the occasion of rails
ing this Committee, of which Mr.. Ietcher,
of Virginia, was chairman; not that Col Colt
Was deemed sinner above all others who
We're seeking to control the action of Congress
by means of lobby agents, but the methods of
his agents had been directly assailed in the
House.
The Committee were not able to explore
all the secret ways of lobby management
Their report does not show any case of direct
bribery They describe the lobby agents as
shrewd, cunning fellows, and say, g dealing
with such men, it is exceedingly difficult to
get at the exact state of facts" Neverthe-
less, it was discovered "that money had been
literally used by the outsiders. Their re-
port, although the investigation had been i'm
it ought to be resumed when Congress comes
together again, shows that an astonishing
amount of secret corruption prevails at Wash
ington, and that the system of lobby legisla-
ton now tolerated and encouraged there is no
less base, and unscrupulous than it is danger
Gus. 1t was ascertained that Colts lobby
agents had been furnished by him with $l5,
900, which they had used. When question
ed by the Committee, they would not say how
this money had been used But here is one
account of the various methods employed by
these lobby men. The report says =
The money has been used, as the evidence
shows, in paying the costs and charges in
CURED in getting up costly and eXtravagant
entertainments, to which ladies and members
of Congress and Others were invited, with a
view of furthering the success of this meas
ure. The ladies having been first duly i'm
pressed with the Importance Of Colts pistol
extension, by presents of Partisan gloves, are
invited to these entertainments, and the evil
dence shows that while there, members of
Congress are appealed to by them to favor this
particular measure. In the language of a
Witness " a dead set was made at Hon. Gill
bert Dean, to induce him g to go for the re-
newal of Colts patent" Whether the same
sort Of social influence and appliance was
brought to bear upon others, who were in
vited to dine or sup at that handsome estab-
lishment, we have no means of ascertaining,
as Mr.. Dickerson has not given us the names
of his guests, and has not therefore furnished
us with the means of getting at the facts
Mr.. Dickerson seems TO have adopted the
rule, that
"To reach the heart or get the vote
The surest way is down the throat"
Colt had small army of agents around
rxt-lo ~,
port were Messrs Dickerson, Levin, Glenn
ems, Ashmun, Chase, and Thompson and
there were others whose names the committee
| could not ascertain. Every monopoly, every
| clique, every man that has money and an
cake to grind" is there with lobby agents
and all the appliances of corruption. In read
| ing this report, one naturally remembers Mr..
| Stanton's confidential statement of the money
making facilities of seat i'll Congress; and
| calls to mind the lobby visit in the Potomac,
| of one Of the Collins steamers, some two or
three years since. There was a great dinner
! given on board this steamer to Congressman
and other political dignitaries, and before it
was some wading i'll punch. Some of the
guests didn't go home until morning. >
Soon after this, Congress made an extra APP
preparation to the Collins line.
These lobbymen, it seems, fully appreciate
| luS lunuSltCC VI ldIlSS dIlu6u Will dFiSldu
gloves, in a 'dead set at certain members of
Congress. But their methods are endless
They tamper with the correspondents of
newspapers they gain over influential party
men the report says, " Ambitious views are
| held up to tempt some; pecuniary considera-
tons have their influence upon others and a
third class, who possess, in high degree, So
cial qualities, who cultivate and enjoy the
| pleasures of social intercourse, have such
temptations spread before them in the greatest
| abundance and with the richest profusion."
If members of Congress did not prove sus-
| ceptible to these corrnpting appliances, this
| system of corruption would not have grown
to be 50 gigantic. Is it surprising that every
session OF Congress has so much evil with so
little good: And can any reasonable man
hope to see a reform, while the old party ma,
chimes are kept in operation, to suppress the
manhood of the people and keep it ont of pol"
itics, in order to leave the conduct of public
affairs in the hands of intriguing political adj
venturers - Commonwealth.