Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-05-17

the Lobbyists Hired by Mr' M 49,
Tor city CouneII,.to Infiusnee Lea
isIatIon az Dover.
The erposs, made In Council last night, /
Of the recent lobbying operations At Dover,
is q rich one. The city desiring SONS
legislation which could no, be readily bad
the Chairman Of iis Finance COmmistse,
Mr.. H. +. Pickles, employed counsel
70 secure the passage, Of the bills
bills, BY the way, let rs remark,
good In themselves, and which, were
the people of this county fairly
md honestly represented In the law
making body, 1t would have required ne
tfInauence TO pass. Powerless, how
ever, TO gain Its rights by honest means,
he elty's representative, or rather The
majority of them, resorted to tho hirint
Of lobbyists to get the measures through
he legislature, on the prlocipls, We sup
pose, of doing evil that good might come
The City Council not having the knowl'
edge necessary to whom 1t was best to
secure for the purpose, employed counsel
Dover lawyer, Geo. v. Massey, whe
hired the proper number Of lobbyists ane
rendered his bin for sT75 for services rem
dered in securing the passage Of the bills
which ives paid. Very naturally The
minority In City Council wanted to know
~here this morey went to, and they went
30 vigorously TO work that disclosure
was unavoidable, Mr.. Massey not having
the nerve TO bear the onus Of the trans
action IN silence, and threatening to for
ward the names Of the lobbyists hired TO
the minority OF Council II the majority
did not disclose them, accordingly last
night the names were made public.
They are an interesting lot and belong
TO an interesting crowd. First on The
list comes Col. Edward Martin, Of SUSSEX
county, one Of The State Fish Commits
sloners an aspirant for Congress, fcrmerl,
Clerk Of the State Senate, and brother
Of Dr. Hugh Martin, member Of th'
House. He received $3.50. Next we have
John b. Pennington, Esquire, late Clerl
Of the Senate, once Clerk OF the House
and Andrew Johnson's U. 8. Dlstrlc
Attorney, who received $3.50. It may b
that Johns influence in the Kent delega
ton was worth that sum, but we think
, smaller sum, say two dollars and half
would amply pay for all the influence h
would exert with any body of intelligen
men.
Next In order Of influence comes on
curly. headed FREUD, DR.. r. O. Ellegood, Q
Sussex sounty. He was elected State Aud
tor two years ago, and had enough iunr
euce to get himsefre-elected this year fc
two years more, so we suppose maybe tb
800 paid him was not too high d valus
ton. Following him comes Mr.. Benia
> Watson, P. N, formerly Clerk {
i the Senate, the son Of Senate
d Curtis S. Watson, Of Kent county, an
Il 1ne of the most blatant 1 n the ismoI
n Polly McNatt movement, which was
'r revolutionlze politics in Kent count!
y some thirty months ago. II Mr.. Watson
Is influence with the legislature did NJ
RI surpass that he exerted In that campaiR
Is on the people, he ought not compla
e that the comparatively small sum ofsevel
Is ty-fye dollars was all that Mr.. Mass
ID allowed him. We presume Mr., Masse
la was most competent judge in the ma
TO ter, as he was not unfamiliar with Il
st Pollies nor their plans. For Mr.. Massey
~ own services in organizing this choi
VT body Of influential personages and ms
shallng them TO victory he only recely
re the modest compensation Of 400. '
~ think ii cheap and know men who wou
en- not do it for twice the money. We /
Ill lleve the object of this is to give US Il
CT proved facilities for supplying the eI
sr- with pure water. Well even pure sci
oil water flows out Of the dirty ground,
oe maybe pure basin water may flow out
zee some dirty legislation.