The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-02-24

themselves 10 the perilous business of bribery
and corruption, whatever may be the tempta-
ton proposed
1t ia the trick Of the lobby Peter, "a with eve
ry other vsgabcnd in the last resort, to cry out
''stop thief" and to start in pursuit of some
imaginary offender, when he is himself the
rogue. The positive accusations of Congress
sional corruption made by lobby man named
Simonton, one of the editorial corps o. the New
York Times, resulted in that very com
mittee BY which Simonton himself was
condemned. Called upon to make good
his newspaper allegations, he bad at
first nothing to say; he WAS confidence
man, and would not betray his friends But
being pinned TO the wall, he swallowed his own
words didn't know anything to criminate any
member Of Congress, and was thus dismissed,
as sneaking cur is elected from the kitchen,
with his tail between bis legs
1t was said of Matteson, in the same investi-
cation. that he had declared it would be neces-
sary 10 buy some twenty-five members of the
House to push through certain bill Of spoils
and piunder 1t was perhaps upon some such
hint, from the same quarter, that company
interested in the business of ocean steamers put
into the hands of Mr. Matteson, as we are in
formed, a subsidy Of s25, 900 to carry through
desirable appropriation. But, as with every pro-
fessional lobby operation, the money thus invest
ed was dead loss to the contributor, though
clear gain to the recipient We doubt not that
the bewilderment of poor Greeley concerning
that mysterious draft of one thousand dollars
and how it came into his pocket, and how it
slipped out of his pocket, will admit of pre-
cisely the same solution. 1t was lobby draft
and the lobby man pocketed the cash for it,
The Middlesex Congressional subsidy of
Ss7 900 is q striking case to the point Eight
thousand dollars of that sum have been traced
10 one or two newspaper offices of this city;
and another item of $4,000 has been tracked
into the pocket of the disbursing agent, VOL
colt, where all further traces of it are lost
Certain inqusitive people pretend that it can
be tracked into the new Boston banking house
of Gardner, Wolcott i Co.; but we are entirely
satisfied in suspending the inquiry at present at
the breechts pocket of Mr.. Wolcott. The fact
that the money cannot be accounted for beyond
that point is conclusive that it was not dis
bursed to Smith, Jones, Brown, Red, Black,
White and Green, of the two houses of Congress.
We dare say, too, that Mr.. Campbell, of Ohio,
can give very rational and satisfactory ac-
count Of the influences which passed the Tariff
bill Of 1857. without the slightest alusion to the
1o1, Inv q hot.
the great agricultural and manufacturing in
teresis Of the Union and for the reduction Of
what then appeared to be most uncomfortable
surplus in the public treasury. Mr. Secretary
Guthrie complained Of it, and would give Con-
gress no rest until they relieved him. He had up
wards Of twenty millions surplus on hand and,
without relief, this incumbrance would be, he
said. at least forty millions in another year. He
was relieved, and Mr.. Cobb has required relief
in another way; but the briberies of the lobby
had about US much to do with the bill of relief
in the one case as in the other.
Ii is only where the lobby gang are directly
interested in the profits Of an act Of Congress
that they may be depended upon to work for it,
as in the matter of the public printing, for ex-
ample. In such cases, however, party expe-
dents and political bargains do the work
among the members of Congress, while the lob
by pockets the money. AZ for the wisdom Of
those contributions to the lobby intended to
buy up members of either house to vote for
any general measure, we leave Mr.. Matteson,
Mr.. Simontcn. Massa Greeley and Mr.. Wol:ott
to answer. The great danger to Congress is
not from the briberies Of the lobby (for the lob
by birds get all they can and keep al they get),
bat from the false pretences and swindling de-
vices which they employ TO accomplish their
dirty schemes. In this way Mr.. Taylor. we
suspect, has been taken in and done for with his
new Patent bill Hence, while we would ad-
monish all outside parties that moneys handed
over to the lobby for the purposes of Con-
gressional bribery are funds thrown away upon
Peter FuDks, we would also adDonish the mem
beers of the two houses Of the tricks and false
pretences upon which the lobby really depend
to carry through their schemes of plumber.
And thus endeth the third Lesson.