Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-05-27
The Triumph OF the Lobby.


The fate of the Worcester and Gardner rail-
road bill was decided yesterday. The senate
members of the conference committee refused to
recede from their position, and the friends of
the road were forced to accept what they could
get, which, though very small part of what
they asked and were entitled TO receive, they
could not afford to sacrifice in the apparently
hopeless attempt to secure the larger privilege
which the senate persistently refused to Yield
The bill as passed changes the name to
the Worcester and Gardner railroad, ex-
tends the time for completing the road,
and permits the corporation to enter
upon the roads of the Vermont and Massa-
chusetts and Cheshire railroad corporations on
the east, or the Vermont and Massachusetts and
Ware River railroads on the west, under agree
ments to be made with these corporations, and
thus reach Winchendon by a circuitous route.
Mr.. Willcomb of Essex, one of the senate
members of the conference committee, before
going into the committee, had a preliminary
consultation with Mr.. Winchester, Mr. Porter
and other lobbyists, who gave him his instruc-
lions, and what moderate indulgence the Wor-
cester and Gardner road has received is there
fore the gift of the lobby rather than of the
Legislature.
The rejection of the most important request
is triumph of the lobby, and no ingenuity
and no protests can make it appear to be any.
thing else. No sane man can believe that if the
senators had considered this matter unbiased by
other motives than desire to promote the pub
lie welfare, and to deal equitably with the inter
ests to be affected by their action, they coult
nave refused to these petitioners what they
granted IN the case Of the Acton railroad, which
had not tenth part of the solid reasons in it.
favor that were presented for the Winchendon
extension. The lobby advocated the one
and opposed the other, and the senate
was the obsequious servant of the lobby. That
Is the explanation and the only one, we are
sorry to say If senators had had any better
re'sons ior their opposition we suppose they
would nave made the most of them, but we
nave yet TO learn that a single argument worthy
OF any respect whatever has been offered nv ,be
opponents of the extension on either NJ III,
occasions when this subject has been under die
cussion in the senate.
The fact is, and it is well known TO eyervbod,
at the state house, that the lobby has neye
been more open and audacious in its behayio
than during this session. 1t has mace the ser
ate its special object of attack, and its member
have been as much at home in the senate chan
Der as the senators themselves. They have ha
no such gigantic scheme on hand as the Har
ford and Eric swindle of last year, but they hav
improved the experience which those operation
gave them, and the relations then established
to work in narrower fields, affectin
smaller Interests, and therefore attracting les
at'enhon- They have been just as arrogant
Just as interruptions, and just as corrupting i
heir influence as ever The men who have a
lowed themselves to be made the tools of tn
loudly should be marked and not entrusted wit
any public responsibilities in future. We 90,
not afford TO risk the purity of our leoislatio
and the good name of the Commonwealth
heir keeping. Tbs relations they have es,al