The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-19
LOEB VISITS.
Who They Are and How They Work at
Washington.

Among those who visit the Capitol as lobby
lists, the most persistent and the most danger
Gus are ex.members OF Congress, who have the
freedom of the floor. In fact. this privilege
enters largely into the qualifications OF the
men selected by corporations or individuals to
urge their measures upon Congress. And the
thing is carried TO an extent which Is utterly
disgraceful to the House. In the Senate COM
paratiVely little of 1t is done. Then the Senate
10 q smaller body, and the members can be
seen" better at home But the floor Of the
men, which they visit daily, exactly as the
merchants of our city 90 on Change.
II IL proper that ex-members should be enti-
tied TO the privileges OF the floor as an act of
courtesy, but when this privilege is used
IL becomes disgrace TO the House TO tole.
The Alaska case is one in point. Measrs.
Walker and Stanton were the "attorneys" for
those who wished to effect the sale. They have
the ange OF the members desks, the conve-
nience OF the sofas for 'eX Xplaining," and the
privacy of the cloak rooms for those who would
rather talk In quiet. A cause which pays It's
attorneys $24 COO has other inducements TO offer
to those who are not retained, ana the adVan.
t8ge OF being able to ''see" all the members to.
gether, and have their ear when their coustitu-
ents cannot, Is valuable capital in professional
Another case in point is found in the attempt
TO break down the House in the position IL Is
taking in regard to fraudulent sales of Indian
lands to great monopolies. Those Interested
In what Is well known now as the Joy pur-
chase of Cherokee neutral lands are here In
force TO broWbeat those in the House who are
attempting to stop this and like abuses. or
course the LOBBY, lnOugn strong one, WOulu
not be complete without an ex-member of
Congress, and so MIR. -, who Is also an
Interested party, and who was one of
the former manipulators Of the scheme, was
sent on. He can be seen every day among
the desks of members. and found every
night Uncluding Sundays) making the
rounds of their rooms. He by no means con-
fines himself 10 the facts in the case. Indeed
his business is to conceal the facts, and so oil
the scheme tnat his former associates will
swallow 1t. Every member of the House who
has conversed with him knows what his busi'
ness is. knows that he is using the floor to
privately debate the position taken by the
Committee of Public Lands, ana to combat
other legislation TO prevent the swlndllng OF
Indians, and yet no member seems 20 think u
an insult to the dignity of the House-and
perhaps 1t is not. MIR. - case Is but an $50
latd one among those constantly occurring
1t Is, however, q marked one lh
this, that he openly uses the courtesy
extended to him as an ex-member 10 LOBBY
among the desks of members for the delest OF
legislative measures reported to the House by
one of its committees. The representatives. OF
the press in Washington cannot oplaln seaI
in the Report ers' Gallery tney nave slgoea
an agreement that they Will not be interested
in any project before Congress. Aud Ghls ls
right II ex. M bers, who turn loobyls,s,were
allowed 10 prosecute their schemes in the gal
ieries there would be little cause OF complaint;
mi to olive them not only the freedom, but the
protection of the floor is certainly slight
sstretch of cou rtesy,- Wash. Cor. ON. G0@ette.