The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-02-26
The Legislative Organ and
Who Crinds It.
SKETCH OF THE LOBBY. PAST AND PRESENT.
The Real Law Making Power.
IHURL0W WEED---HIS RISE AND FALL.
&c. &C. &c.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE or THE HERALD.

Article g. section l. Of the constitution Of 1s46 opens
with the declaration that the legislative power Of this
State shall be vested in Senate and Assembly, and
people undoubtedly fancy that such is really the
fact But they fancy thing that is not and indulge in
q most stupendous delusion Tho legislative power Of
this State vested in obby" the constitution TO the
contrary Notwithstanding Tho lobby is the real law
making power, while Senators and Assemblymen are
mere ornamental figures, like the little wooden
minstrel. which are set In motion by cunning
mechanism hidden from the spectators sight
The musician turns the handle OF bis organ sets the
figures hopping and jumping about, and grnds the
TO the delight OF the eyes ears Of his specta
tors AS the musician is to the organ the lobby the
Legislature The lobby turns the handle of the man.
moth legislative organ this brings into play variety OF
springs and complicated contrvances the figures
up stairs and down stairs to apparently in very
lfelike and serious manner, and grinds out your
law for YOU in the most natural looking style ina.
ginablc.
1t is very delicate performance and quite entertain.
ing at times. As operation exhibiting hrh degree
OF mechanical skill il is wonderful and might astonish
the famous carpepter-mason or Sabris himself OF
whom Victor Hugo tells us In his seToers of
the Sea-" But is it the correct thing after all this
cheating OF the people out Of their most sacred
through their legally chosen representatives. 1t not
only correct but gross violation Of the proyi
of the constitution. If the lobby Is the real gov
ernng power. OF what is 1t annually 20 through
with the expensive luxury of eeciing members to the
legislature? Better to omit the custom abolish il Alto
geher and transfer openly the entire awmaking power
TO tho lobby, which now exercises IT secretly. That
would at least have the merit OF being no cheat.
But 70 treat the subject seriously. II all
At Albany ns by few Se sn
OF whom the public knows little or nothing. and
VINO nave little or no interest in common with
the public No bills Of private corporate natarc
can be passed without the assistance OF these few nu
entail men about thirty In nnmbcr and their good will
and services are only 10 be obtained a valuable con.
sideraon Sometimes the consideration is friendship;
sometimes it is an interest in the subject matter Of
legislation, and sometimes It is money These thirty
influential profess to be the conscience keepers
of members, their intimate and bosom friends and in
many PROJECTORS or their bodies and souls They
boast that they make unmake bills and regu-
larry engaged frequently TO make and unmake Some |
are the recognized aud paid agents of millonaires in
OF legislation. Others represent small corpo-
ration or private claimants; still others como |
on their own hook aud hover about here,
like Wilkins Mrawber, s'waiting for something to turn
up" They seldom go away without turning up
thing or somebody 10 their own satisfaction The best
hotels and the hghes: rates OF board patronzed by
these cnterprsing adventurers They live we'll gener-
ally, smoke and drink much but sleep very homeo- |
pathicaliy. They make themselves ubiquitous during
the Legislative sessions logging members closely
shadows. In 1859 Governor Morgan, in his message
referred to them briefly thus
The duties OF legislators always arduous and perperng
have been rendered more dlstasefa and rksome Of late
the ss q
ay ,sem x aer Tss . with and
Interest Is involved These agents gam the ss
general annoynai practice that lobbying has
sssc%e trade often spntg su, srsdaSs rs
nance e all bills involving private interest claim or
planned and by the person or party interested
Y q 4. a n Ssss wn
mees having IN charge ne measure question Beyond
70 their private apartments. and inrades upon hours
sSr sdyns and preparing reports in
praccc. and dsapproTc bills which shall have good
reasons TO believe have been passed bv such means
THE LOBBY
don't know that anything like regular, connected
history OF the New York lobby has ever been written
and do not intend TO attempt the task But q short
sketch OF the institution with little photographs Of IFS
leading ornaments of the present day will not be |
where lobbying had its origin I am unable 70 |
state Perhaps II always existed where legislative /
Ba us :,
than some twenty ago Thurlow Weed is the man
who butt il up and kept IL together for many years
managed his cards how often he carried the highest
trur,ps and won the game in dashng STYLE II Is hardly
necessary to dwell upon. Thurlow for years tho
absolute despot or the lobby He ruled with almost IN
disputed sway and held the rcins OF power in his hand
viii WITH an iron grip All who entered hts domnions
and oocyed his commands like loyal and dutiful sub
tects In those days bis associates wore such men Is
Commissioner and Brgadier General, and now Com l
missioner OF Chariiiesl Farmer Avell OF Livngs.
Smith OF syracuse Palmer " Kellogg, or Utica; O. B.
Mattson, OF Urca; sheriff Holiness of Penn Van Oliver
Lnass' Of Little Falls Austin Myers Of Syracuse and
Into another sphere but most OF them st live no
doubt look back to the glorious days OF Kline Thurlows
Ayei was recently appointed Collector OF Internal |
Revenue by President Johnson but rejected by the
Senate.
IL would be wrong TO represent all the parties have
named as regular lobbyists. They 50 strictly
within l, me meaning o. the word but camc whenever
good will some oil them expected large interest IN
jobs others stipulated for money consideration some
hand in merely for ting love OF the thing considering
u honor enough 10 be summoned by the old mani or
Albany. No before or since excr- |
rised the Same amount OF control as Thurlow; |
put IKE al o,nes sGvere s,n, no matter how
disputed Occasionally there would be detection and
some ambitious lobbyist would strike out his
hook openly secretly, but tho influence Of Thurow
Md his satellites would squeoh the rash
mortal who dared attempt competition with the willy
manipulation. The squelched mortal would be happy
broad mgis Of King Thuriow.
wEEDs POWER the WAVE
II is very common but true yng that 'every dog
las his day, and has every human, not excepting
wen lobbyists Thurlow's day q very long and a
rom his hands never, perhaps TO return About lisa
here the scene figure which was destined
play very important part in the history OF the New
York lobby. This was pretty tall and pretty smart
hgure known
ADRIAN VAN vEcHrEv
or "a he is popularity termed among the boys Of the
capital Abe" Brought up In the wit-sharpeniug
school OF the law, Abe commenced life as attorney
ana counsellor practscd regularly for some time, and
made hs debut In political life as Adutant General on
ne s'ans OF Governors Hamilton Fish and Washington
nuns Mhilc filling this honorable position he was
neccsariy brought into contact with the leading spirits
o. ne opoy ana thus picked up crumbs OF curious
isoimshon az 70 It's ways and means. when the term
o. ms e9utant generalsnp expired he went out wiser
NO. oe..er man. and took 70 the lobby, Of which he
soon became one OF the bright particular stars He Is
entitled 70 come first among those intend TO sketch
because be was the first man that succeeded in gaining
an independent foothold in opposition 10 the power OF
Weed Co., and may be said to be the pioneer OF
the present guerilla system OF lobby ing van
Vechten made his specially New York citv matter
taking charge OF tho interest OF banking and other
corporations which he engineered with much sl,, ma
He was ~ often engaged to kill legislation as
20 promote H. and was about equally reliable in either
line Van vechten comes Of one OF the Oldest and most
respectable Knickerbocker families the State and
traces his the time of the hr se,,