Litchfield enquirer., 1871-11-02
THE LOBBY.

bors.
 THE LOBBY.
 Since the adjournment of the Legisla- ture, Hartford and New Haven have been busy proving how little either city deserves to be the capital of respectable State, by exposing the means they have each en- ployed to influence and even corrupt its General Assembly. Prominent country politicians and lawyers, candidates on the State ticket, members of State Central Committees, and even the clerks of the Senate and House have received sums va- rying from an hundred to near two thou sand dollars each, for services rendered to one or the other of our capital cities ill the late contest Of the $26, GOO disbursed by New Haven alone, at the last session, over $,0OG went to three prominent Democrats of this debatable county. Few editors adorn the roll of the Third House. Of these fhe most nrornirln.>A-s- ----->y1r sIUu of the Norwalk Gazette, who has at last been goaded by the Hartford Post into the publication of justification, such as it is. the gist of which is to be found in the fol- lowing paragraph 4
 We have no variance with Mir. Bromley in any war he may wage against corrupt and villainous lobby-one which operates by the purchase of votes, and corrupts, and debauches members and officers But MT. Bromley knows that in almost all important measures persons are employed and properly, to watch their progress and attend their passage through the legislature, When such aid is uprighty rendered, 1t facilitates pub hc business and promotes the public welfare. He says such service is proper for lGscyers If it IS proper for lawyer, then it is proper for a minister doctor, editor or blacksmith. The question of individual fitness may properly be left with the persons interested What lawyer or dozen lawyers for that matter, could have rendered the signal service to the Air Line rail- road that honest tarnaer David Lyman did--all touched his reputation, and yet David Lyman was conspicuously what Mr. Bromley would stigmatize as a lobbyist
 But how are outsiders to distinguish be- tween the corrupt and villainous lobby'' and the rest? We can only judge from the amount received whether the lobbyist took pay for himself alone, or for friends in the Senate or House, also. The papers have drawn very unkind inferences from MT. Victory o. Beers $1,7OO. Might not those. who do not know MT. Byington infer the like from his $1, 200? The lobby of 1871 was of course composed of all grades from the reputable lawyer engaged in legitimate committee business, down to the corrupt go-between, but there is not respectable Litchfeld county man who dabbled in the capital puddle who is not bitterly annoyed when he sees his name connected in the papers with sum of money received as a lobbyist. That shows what he really thinks of the business, and we believe that most whose names are thus paraded side by side with those of known traders in legis- lative cattle will shun legislatures in fu- ture, and that ministers, doctors, editors and blacksmiths" will let the legislature of 1872 somewhat more severely alone than they have done the legislatures of the few past years.
 But while we feel grateful to the New Haven Palladium and the Hartford Post. especially to the latter, for the iudicious and very successful lobby bobbery they have kicked up, we cannot forget that those very cities are the principals in this crime, the lobbyists only accessory. They gave the lobby.a famous start in 1S67-8 on the Bridge question, and it grew to its present proportions under their fostering care in the Capitol war of 1S70-1. Those cities have offered country ministers, doctors, editors and blacksmiths," sums equal to half 8 years income for the servi- ces of few weeks. Some of these were evidently go-betweens whom they have employed to bribe members of the legis- lature-the dirtier the work, the higher the pay-and now, having got the exact service required and paid the wages of such service, they talk much as if three virtuous parties-the legislature of Con- necticut and it's two precious capitals = had been insulted by corrupt advances from commodity of country ssministers, doctors, editors and blaeksmithsr If some of the money intended for the party or the frst part remained in the pockets of these agents of the parties of the second and third part, is the corruption" greater or less than if it had passed on?
 The simple truth is that so long as such corporations as the New York and New Haven Railroadscompany and the cities of Hartford and New Haven have heavy leg lsiative battles to fight, nearly every year, there will be great demand for lobbyists. and we may be sure the supply will meet the demand. The only remedy possible hes Tn avoiding the special legislation out of which those legislative battles arise. It IS to be hoped, too, that the Hartford and New Haven battle is over though if an- other $26,OO0 would bring another capitol appropriation, would New Haven be too vlrtuous to organize another country lob nyg We do not set, either, what more there IS left for the Consolidated New York, New Haven, Hartford and Shore Line railroad company to ask, so that there will proba- ply be Hull in railroad matters, next year. May we not hope, then, that our Litchfeld county representation will be reduced to lss iegitlmate forty-three? ?
 pRoPs IN EUROPE. Reports from Eu- rope indicate a very short wheat crop. srance alone will require about an hun urea million bushels to meet her average consumption. German, Italian and Rus alan reports show an unusually short crop Of wheat, and the English production is below average. There must evidently be heavy call on America for wheat, and the Northwest is likely to receive some compensation for her disastes inaa good market for her crops
 The Mahaiwe Bank Of Great Harrington. Mass, has been robbed of s75.ooo by a defaulting teller.