The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-12-28
MEN AND MEASURES AT WASHINGTON.
from Our own Correspondent
WASHINGTON Dec. 26, 1868.
Tho AlaaIxa .IOb.

from Our 0tOn Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Dec. 26, 1868
The Alaska job.
The investigation of the Alaska job by the
House Committee on Public Expenditures has
turned public attention to the manner in
which legislation is pushed through Congress
by the aid OF the "lobby." The only facts OF
importance developed thus far are that Robert
J. Walker received S28 900 in gold for his sup
posed influence with members of the House,
and d. O. Forney, publisher of the Chronicle,
$1,000 In gold for similar power presumed to
be possessed by that paper. What other COR
rupt practices maya be unesrthed before the
Committee finishes its labors remains to be
seen. II Congress has come TO the conclusion
TO ferret out all the lobbyists, and to put
stop to their operations. 1t had better appoint
Standing Committee on the Lobby, with a
dozen or two sharp detectives
The Existence of the Lobby.
Persons at a distance from the capital are, no
doubt, disposed to regard the existence of
lobby as something of myth. 1t so seldom
that any of Its operations are exposed that
when case like that OF the Alaska job is pre-.
sented, even the public press directs attention
to IL as II IL was something unusual or extraor.
dinary. Mr. Robert j. Walkers $4,000 and
Mr.. d. O. Forney's $4,000 represent but a small
portion of the money made In lobbying II
must be understood that lobbying is not con-
fined to Congress alone, but Is daily practised
In the several Executive departments of the
Government including the White House. rhe
existence of q lobby here, as at the capitals
nearly all civilized nations, is fac
which no one at all conversan
with public affairs doubts. Previous
to the war, the operations of the lobby, which
was then comparatively small in numbers
were confined to obtaining offices. The i'm
mense amount of claims OF various sorts against
together with the almost innumerable schemes
for internal improvements of public and
private character, projected within q few years,
have increased the number of lobbyists to an
almost incredible extent. 1t must be said, in
Justice to the Southerners, that whatever other
faults or failings they may have had during
their domination here, lobbying was compare
lively unknown. This was probably owing, in
great measure, TO the fact that their legislation
was confined principally to the interests of the
"institution" that distinguished their section.
The leading men of the South were not
warm advocates of internal improvements,
nor were their ideas comprehensive enough to
take in much besides slavery. But yet some
thing of the absence of lobbying was due to the
personal and official integrity of many of the
Southern Senators and members. He would
have been a bold man who would have ap
preached John G. Calhoun with the bare inti
would be personally interested. am afraid
that as much cannot be said of all who fill
public positions to-day. This fact makes IL
possible not only for a lobby to exist, but also
makes its operations profitable to all concerned
1t is easy to that If all Government officials
were possessed of that Roman virtue for which
too confiding people gives them credit, there
could be no such thing as lobbying.
Who are the Lobbyists?
inna tyn inxro INIT fint,o a1
have noticed that several newspapers have
accused the special correspondents at the capI-
tai of constituting the lobby. Such a blunder
could only be committed by persons who have
seldom been here, and who do not understand
the relations which must necessarily exist
between the lobbyist and his friend in Congress
A discreet Government official would no more
trust a newspaper correspondent in such busi-
ness, than q Master Mason would reveal the
secrets of his Order 10 an outside barbarian
The thing would not be safe. Any one SO close
to the public ear as a newspaper correspon-
dent Is an unsafe lobbyist, and would certainly
be unsuccessful. II must be said, to the credit
of the special correspondents here that profess
sional lobbyists avoid them as thief
would q detective, and take special pains
to conceal from them net only their
operations, but their very existence. Lobbyists
here consist Of two classes, men and women.
and unostentatious than the former. You never
find them in the barrooms or In the corridors of
the hotels. nor Is the better class OF them fire.
uuently seen about the halls aud corridors OF
the Capitol. Occasionally, when some pressing
emergency exists. sey at the closing hours of
session, they haunt the Senate reception room
and throng the ante-rooms of the House. Blu
ordinarily. If they want to treat their Congress
sionai friends to glass Of WINE, VnSy uo ~ a.
their own apartments or homes, elegantly
arranged for the reception of distinguished
visitors. On these occasions the justness
the claim which the lady lobbyist
10 prosecuting, the public Importance of
the bill in which she is interested, or the
abilities of the party whose confirmation she is
urging. are set forth with the most exquisite
feminine persuasiveness. Few Congressmen
who allow themselves TO be caught in such
spiders webs ever escape without first promis-
ing to grant the lady's request. To be success
ful, female lobbyist must be not only hand
some but. to q certain extent, accom- plished'
Your distinguished Senator or your prominent
Represen tative may bluff an importunate male
lobbyist, but they are seldom proof against the
Establishments OF handsome, accomplished,
well dressed women. For this reason, persons
having claims before Congress prefer putting
them into the hands OF female lobbyists. The
amount of money which they make is almost
Incredible. / have heard of cases where
they have received as much as $4,000
In q single session. The men who are In the
lobby are for the most part the brothers
brothers-in-law. nephews, cousins, or intimate
personal friends of Senators and mem bers II