The New York herald., 1867-01-28
THE STATE CAPITAL.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE or Tsz HERALD.

Correspondents ms Lobby lsts-Fine Fortunes
and Bis suppers-Prospect Of Lively Work
The New school Hill for New YorIx-Bitter
Opposition To IL. &c.
ALBANY, January rs, 1907.
Less than onethlrd Of the legislative session is now
over and yet the active business either house can be
hardly said to have in reality began Hendricks Of bills
ha been noticed and Introduced dozens of resolutions
have been presented referred but perhaps the only
important measure pased yet that which repealed
the law prohibiting free railroad passes and enabling
members to travel 10 and from home without drawing
upon their per diem allowances.
This may strange to the reader considering that
whole month has elapsed since the opening OF the
session. but having the opportunity OF breathing
the pure atmosphere Of this mpeccable capital, and
mixing with the incorupble ornaments Of State street.
the explanation quito simple The fact is il generally
takes three weeks organize the CON-
binations commonly called srngs," without which 1t
would be extremely difficult to accomplish any import
ant piece Of legislation at Albany This year the time
required for such preliminary operations has been
little longer than usual owing to the ardy tactics OF the
lobbyists, or, perhaps to the want Of cohesive power
among the OF philosophers ambitious Of holding
leading positions in the legion Of spoils gaherers But
whatever the cause il is said these arrangements
sufficiently forward until last week TO allow the
wheels OF legislation to revove safely The next seven
days, therefore, may the actual development
OF Of the big jobs up during the session..
These s.rlngsr being of some importance 1t will no
doubt interest the reader to learn something about them
how they are formed how they work and what they
accomplish. cannot promise to afford very much in.
formation this subject. because very much nforma-
ton is not allowed to leak out and the little that does
comes to the seeker at second hand from
third parties, who derive their intelligence from
unknown that may or may not be
oppose each other bitterly, and strive by every means
to oveeach each other they seldom tell tales out Of
school They do not bab each other, preferrng to
swallow the disappoinmens Of defeat and bear the loss
Of the spos than give green people chance Of
getting the secret Their discussions and bicker
ngs guarded with almost Masonic secresy from the
ears Of the general public and they appear to be as
elusive as Japanese in their diplomacy.
have heard Of the formation Of three Of these rings
already, and have doubt have been effect
3D. Tho way they do the thing is thisAter the pre-
lminary soundings, pumpings and skirmishes some
eight or ten legislators discover wonderful affinity for
each other They put their heads together and form
sort OF club for strikes They elect Of their number
chief Of club, and he is to be recognized their
mouthpiece and during the session. He
ducts all the delicate financial operations of the club,
confers with the distinguished members Of the lobby
who the ground TO see" 70 matters and things in
general and gives regular account Of his stewardship
his colleagues stated periods Sometimes IL is said,
this chief gets the lions share Of the spos and does
cut only few morsels 70 his hungry companions This
is pronounced mean and mot in accordance with OF
the cardinal principles Of the rings-"honor among
evng that in the long they realze
more with dishonest chief than by operating in
dividualiy, each on his own hook The advantage Of
this system Is patent The votes OF eight ten men
are secured bv an interview with one man, and the
He has not to 60 about sounding each of the eight
tan men, other~ise he would have to do, and the
sides the price and other details Of bargains are thus
readily and satisfactorily agreed upon. Where
negotiation has to be conducted with individuals your
lobbyist finds uncertain and improbable trans.
action. Men differ so much in their estimates Of the
value in dollars and cents or their honor and good
name. Thus individual might NJ hrs
price At two hundred dollars, while anoth Or
would be satisfied with anything less than
thousand perhaps higher All these
nicely arranged with the leaders Of rings by .1umping
the job as y Is termed and the individual members Of
pss b pn Of
II may be asked how 'approaches are made. and the
answer ie quite simple In the first place the lobbyists
OF the greenbacks mako themselves known BY
signs that cannot BE- mistaken In the next place the
members who intend to fix price for themselves frd
stance. lobbyist meets Of those slippery members
Tho lobbyist opens with the eterna; weather question:
% ss o s c ds
out Of the State Treasury, and xaus 70 know 4 that
contemplate sum going 10 remunerate him for leav
ing his family and business to attend TO the interests Of
his constituents The lobbyist resolutely sNo
and proceeds to administer the balm Of sympathy,
suggesting that under the circumstances the men,
Der has right to do something to make
then the lobbyist opens business BY informing the mem
ber that he wants to have talk with him sconfden-
tally" The two then whisper and humble mysteri.
0usy. II the member be dishonest both end the
ference satisfactorily. not and the lobbyist has made
miscalculatiqn ali danger averted BY the 'connden
p6Achbe members become singled out the FIRST days Of
each ,sesssn 2ga sns rings are subsequently formed
The operations Of lobbyists are not confined 70 men,
bers OF the Legislature only The officers Of both houses
regular reporters also included in the plans
as saunders on their brethren. few OF them, in
fact obtain their positions BY great influences purposy
ana '1o ns susNssNSs ~
schemes concocted By themselves or entrusted to them
for engineering by other paftes This is especially the
with the representatives Of insignificant country
Sheets almost unknown outside the villages in
which they are published, who contrivs some
nate and Assembly as regular reporters, and
employ their time chiefly In "buzzng' members in
are given better facilities than the representatives. q he
most influential journals in the country. Two three
or them have grown immensely wealthy and can AFFORD
TO give prncely entertainments which the first society in
Albany attends and the leading officials Of the common
wealth patronize. Success is talisman that
mand worshippers from every station.
While this subject may well remark, possas,
that 1t is said here that the leader Of Of tho rings
who figured prominently last year Of the i'm
portan committees Of the House. received $4,000 tor
bis services in connection with certain that
came before bis committee tor action THIS handsome
amount divided among four members who
stltuted majority Of the committee. Il said that the
same worthy, who Is member OF this Legislature also,
has made arrangements for rich harvest during the
present session. having secured position on Of the
best paying committees before which many Of the jobs
will have to ripen fully utterly decay. Sometimes IL
pays well 70 smother q bill as TO report IT,
The new bill OF ex-senator Manniere for O complete
reorganization Of the school system Of New York.
giving complete and absolute control the whole
subject commissioners, to be appointed by the
Governor, and aboshng the Board Of Education School
Inspectors Trustees, &c has caused greater stir up
here than almost any other that has yet
before the Legislature II s vigorously opposed by all
the democrats and many leading republicans, most
unjust uncslled for dangerous and sectsrian
The entire bill gives dissatisfaction, but the section that
seems most obnoxious Is the following
Catholic Orphan Asylum School, the schools Half
Orphan Asyums the school OF the Society for the Reforma-