Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1874-08-08
LOBBYING As ~ .ttIna.ART.
lhe Dark Side of Congregational and
State LeEIslation.

"Pou LHo puOllC mlnu tnAL the business
OF politics never was carried on withou
the aid OF lobbyists, and never can be
There are lobbyists Who are never
guilty Of double dealing or cheating
But we have never heard of these mer
making fortunes. One does not sec
them with town or country residences
or hear Of their driving fast trotters.
The " square" sort of lobbyist has little
political influence, and certainly is moi
able to "plant" all his relations and
dependents comfortably in puolic of.
fees. The truly fourishing LOBBYIST
plays his cards in a different way. His
plan OF operations is generally some
thing like this ; He manages to obtain
control-by fair means or foul-usually
by foul-of a newspaper. This is his
step. Country members Of the legisla-
ture are apt to attach much importance
to seeing their names in a newspaper
1t does not much matter what sort Of Il
newspaper it is. Upon this weakness
the rising lobbyist takes care to play,
with what judgment and skill he may
possess. He praises his patrons, and
abuses all who refuse to iutrust to him
their " business" He forges letters, in
vents ISLANDERS, and is particularly eI-
pert in accusing his enemy Of being in.
volved in some disreputable intrigue
with woman. The lobbyist who owns
a newspaper knows that this is q sort
of charge which scares nine men out of
ten out Of their wits for there is gen
orally no way of disproying it, and the
world is always ready to believe the
worst Of a man. That is a character
istic Of human nature which the lobby
ist turns to excellent account, SO far rs
his own interests are concerned.
1t is clear, then, that newspaper be
comes an important aid to the lobbyist
at the outset of his career, and the
longer he can retain control of it the
more advantageous it will be to him.
The majority of men do not like to have
lies published about them, or to see
their families made the subject Of vile
and cowardly ISLANDERS. The lobbyist
knows this, and seldom fails to drive
his antagonist ont Of the field. We
have no libel law worth mentioning, and
the lobbyist makes the most Of this
convenient circumstance. He accuses
one man of starving his children, and
then OF carrying on intrigues with
somebody else's wife-in short, there is
no crime which he is not ready to charge
against anybody who presumes to III
terfere with his operations. Two per-
sons who are slandered might enter
suits for libel, but they cannot bring
their cases to final hearing in less than |
five or six years at the earliest. In the |
meanwhile, the lobbyist can 90 on re-
peating filthy calumnies as fast as he |
can invent them. The result, in the !
majority Of instances, is that the vic.
Tins "knuckle down" It begins to be
said by the persons who are attacked, |
" So-and-sO is dangerous man: he |
does not care what he says about you.
1t is best to let him alone" And so he .
is let alone, and goes on rolling up a
fortune which honest and Woodworking
men seldom have a chance
Of acquiring. One Of the Albany lob.
byists is said to be worth $1,000 an
other has made at least $500, 900 in the
course Of few years, and there is moth
ing to prevent him doubling it-unless
We undertake to expose him throughout
each session of the legislature. And
this we certainly intend to do. He will
take it out of us in his newspaper"
but we are used to that.
The lobbyists regular source Of in
come is, Of course, derived from his
knowledge of the art of put
ling out money "where it will do the
most good" He knows who will take
| bribe, and how much the amount
must be. If company wishes to get a
dill passed, or to prevent some objec.
ionable bill from passing, it summons
he Lobbyist to its assistance. But, out
side of this kind OF work, there are nu-
nerous devices for reaping q large iu-
zone. When trade is slack, the lobby
SITS get together and concoct a bill aim
ng at the rights or privileges enjoyed
by some company already in existence.
They pay member of the legislature
% introduce this bill, and then go to
he threatened company and tell it the
Measure is sure to pass if money is not
,ent to Albany to defeat it. They name
heir own sum it is generally paid
md the dreaded bill is no more heard
IT. Then the lobbyist has another plan
,f making hay while the sun shines.
company, let us say, applies to him to
let bill passed. He tells the agents
lie shall want at least $4,000. The
money is paid, and he goes to Albany
With it and pays ont say So, 900 among
he bribable members. The remaining
'l5, 900 be quietly put into his own (
,ocket. II the bill passes, the COM ,
,any are satisfied and never ask a ques-
ion about the affair. Ii it does not {
,ass, they may ask questions, but they
will get no information out OF the lob
,yist. Where did you pay ont the
money !" " he may be asked. His reply, {
oppressed in warm terms of indigna-
ion, is usually in this vein "Dou
ecu think l will tell you the names of J
he members whom | have bribed No;
am bound to protect them. What do
.ou take me for? l would have you {
now that l am an honorable man, and g
trust you will never insult me in this
'ay again" The head of the company t
'egins to feel that he really has acted !
cry shabbily, and the lobbyist goes
orth with his rs per cent. plunder
omfortably slowed away in his pock- {
is. 1t is game in which there is c
carcely the least probability of his
eing found out-certainly not one
hance in a thousand.
BY these means almost any man who !
ollows up the trade flor a few years !
nay amass from 100000 to S4O0,O0O
t may involve certain loss of charae- , ,
er, but not very much. People may
ook askance at the lobbyist, but gem ,,
rally they will be too much afraid of :
i'm and his newspaper to say what they
hink of him. And then he has money,
nd will buy almost anythisg, The
obbyist gets all the society he wants
nd even boast-as one did the other
ay--of being asked to dinner by the
resident and by "Mr. George W.
)hilds, of Philadelphia" Surely that
} enough to satisfy any mans social
And even if these privileges
Iere denied to the lobbyist, he would
not take the loss much to ,
cart. From barefoOted and ragged I