The Republican journal., 1872-08-15
The Washington Female Lobby.


groups about the learned law makers. on
attracting them singly. Some of them
are widows or daughters of the senators,
some are strangers visiting the Capitol
but the majority is made up OF women
pressing claims before Congress-
To oct better look ut these feminine
agents, one must visit the lobby to the
rear OF the Speakers chair in the House
of Representatives 1t is a long. low cor
ridor under the reporters gallery. finished
and furnished in the same ford stvle pc
culiar to the entire building. On the one
side are doors opening to the hall OF the
House, on the other the Speakers private
room. reception room originally intend
ed for the families of members but OF late
so invaded and occupied by the female
lobby that families of members shun the
place, and the Speaker himself is driven
to the Clerks Office when he wishes to
see a friend or write a note
Here we find the female lobby in all its
glory. 1t appears clad in the tints of the
rainbow and fairly dazzleS one with its
display of iewery. Some of this is cheap,
but much of it is really costly. To 4 man
OF the world the dress is 4 shade too vul-
gar and the manner slightly loud and
coarse. Some are young and fresh. but
the majority are on the wrong side of
forty. with a hard look about their faces
and lines that are tracks of tried feelings
and past diSappointments.
The average congrcssmaA is not man
of the world. He malries before he
achieves greatness, and his knowledge OF
| life is limited to Il very primitive social
| condition, where he encountered and we'd
the plain, homelv little woman who shares
his elevation without adding much 10 its
| dignity or grace When such n man
comes in contact with even the more
ordinary specimens of these legislative
| Delilahs, he is somewhat intoxicated by
| the attention, and votes away vast do
mains, heavy subsidies or huge monopo-
| lies. under the influence of two tender
/ eyes or the confidential tap of sandal
! wood fan. The study Of the average con-
/ gresham from 4 social. or. indeed any
| point of view, is not only of interest. but
] important it we wish to appreciate and
/ understand the working Of our free inSti-
/ tutions Taken from the common walk,
! of lite, he finds himself translated out Of
a little office where poverty waits on bus
iness. and an humble home. barely pos.
! sesssed of the ordinary comforts of life
| to the gorgeous magnificence of Il marble
! palace : gorgeous beyond his widest
| dreams. As he approaches its many en-
| frances. Obsequious servants bend before
| him and the magic doors swim" on easy
| hinges, as il conscious OF his rights and
| privileges; nimble pages obey his slight
est wish and anticipate his needs. His
matchmaker suddenly swells to an cnor-
nous extent The average congressman
appreciates the mail-matter. Ii costs him
nothing and indicates his greatness In
! the commltteeroOm, where his delegated
| body reposes in a velvet cushioned chair,
under ceilings where gorgeous trescpngs
weary the eye, he has n realizing sense
of greatness. This is not diminished when
the committee. alter half an hours
heavy labor on public affairs. draws the
bottle from hidden recess of the heavily
carved walnut closet; a bottle with which
to refresh their gigantic minds.
| The average congressman reVclS i'm
stationery. The man who never read a
book with taste for reading, and regard
ed pen, ink and paper rs punishmcntS,
suddenly wakens to u thirst for stationery
He selzes on hot-pressed, satin surface,
gilt edge, French English and Yankee
paper How he does eye and grasp the
snowy envelopes neatly packed and put
1T HIS NINp'lS.li. Ilt II lttiutSllloil
for his stationery in the house, and sends
il to his boarding house to astonsh his
wife. In the nommttee-room the clerk, if
| he is an amiabe man. draws other and
further stationery for him.
Much depends upon this. Once the
Committee on Commerce was honorrd by
my presence as clerk to the same. Some
days after | was duly installed the mes
| MT tho l,,J La,
with stationery, in response to my re-
QUESTION.
'Here Colonel" said the obligng mes
senger, clock this up and don't let the
| congressman have any; they waste il so -
But it is when the average congress
man first comes in contact with the female
lobby, that he realizes his translation
These are to him refined, fascinating and
beautiful creatures. His poor little home
ly wife fades into naught His life seems
to have been barren until then-and now
he regrets the early marriage that shuts
him out from a union with one of these
elegant women!
There are two sorts OF processes through
which fraudulent Legislation is perfected
One is called the wing" which means n
combination OF rognes for some one pur-
pose; the other is called the ''lohby"
and designates agents living here and
employed by rings and individuals to push
their evil schemes through Congress.
have made the acquaintance of several
specimens of these two sorts of .iackals,
and propose photographing them some
day to enllghten my readers AS to the ma
ture OF this branch of our National Legis-
lature, that costs the people more than the
Legitimate making power the ,iudci-
ary and the executive.
| was turning this over in my mind dur
ing the late session, while | sat on the
sofa in the Cave of the Winds, listening
to the blowlngs to and fro about me- when
| happened to cast my eyes to the ladies'
gallery above, and out of the gloom saw
a memory come in the shape of a far face
These galleries were not constructed with
an eve to effect, SO far as female lowell
ness is concerned, as the dim light from
above gives a ghastly paleness that not
only destroys the beauty but seriously
damages the expression. Under the cir
cumstances the face failed to locate itself
and my memory was dim and uncertain
as the flashes of a former life that come
to us at times between sleeping and wax
ing.
was so disturbed and haunted by this
memory, that left my seat and sauntcred
into the gallery, seating myself near my
fair friend, and without rudely staring |
found my mind gradually gathering up
the disiointed fragments of the past, until
the fair face was framed in and located.
1t was a very sweet face, not so young as
it once was. but with a prevailing express
J sion of childlike innocence. Add to this
manner of great refinement, set off and
adorned in the extreme of fashion, but
subdued to the best taste and the most
artistic harmonizing Of coIors, and had
) an old acquaintance before me, Although
l looked my fair friend in the face, saw
that either she had forgotten me or was
| not disposed to renew the acquaintance