Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-07-26
LOBBYING As A FINE ART.
The Dark Side Of Congregational and
State Legislation.

New York Times.
Among all the fourishing trades Of mod
ern times there is none equal to lobbying.
The parSnns vino follow it claim for il COR
siderable antiquity, and they are always
endeayOring TO impress upon the public
mind that the business of politics never
was carried OH without the aid Of lobbyists,
and never can be.
There are lobbyists who are never guilty
of dOablc-dealing or Cheating. But we
have never heard of these men making for
tunes. One does not see them with town
or country residences, or hear of their driv-
ing fast trotters. The square sort of lob
byist has little political influence, and Ger
tainly is not able to plant all his rela-
tionS and dependents comfortably in public
offices. The truly fiOurishing Lobbyist plays
his cards in a different way. His plan Of
operations IS generally something like this:
lie manages TO obtain oontrOl-hy fair
means or foul-usually by fOul-of 4 news
paper. This is his first step. Country mem
bers of the Legislature are apt to attach
much Importance to seeing their names
in a newspaper-it does not mUe1
matter what sort of newspaper it is.
Upon this weakness the rising lobbyist
takes care to play, with what judgment and
skill he may possess. He praises his pa
irons, and abuses all who refuse to intuIst
to him their business" He FORCES letters,
invenrs ISLANDERS, and is particularly expert
in accusing his enemy of being involved in
some disreputable intrigue with a woman.
The lobbyist who owns newspaper knows
that this is a sort of charge which scareS
nine men ont of ten ont of their wits; for
there is generally no way of disproving it,
and the world is always ready TO believe
the worst of a man. That is a character
istic Of human nature which the lobbyist
turns to excellent account, so far as his own
interests are concerned.
1t is clear, then, that a 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 adyan-
tageOus it will he 10 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 antagonists on. of the Held.
We have no libel law worth mentioning,
and the lobbyist makes the most OF tins
Convenient circumstance. He accuses one
man of starving his children, and then Of
| carrying on intrigues with somebody else's
is not ready to charge against anybody
| who preSumeS to interfere with his opera
tionS. Two persons who are slandered
might enter suits for liJel, but. they cannot
| bring their cases TO final hearing in less
than five or six years at the very earliest.
| In the meanwhile, the lobbyist can 60 on
repeating filthy calumnies as fast as Inc can
| invent them. The result, in the majority
| of instances is that the victims gknuckle
| down." 1t begins to be said by the per-
| sons who are attacked, .-So-and-s0 is a
| dangerous man; he does not care what he
says about you. Il is best to let him
| alone" And so he is let alone, and goes
| on rolling up 4 fortune which honest
and hard-wOrking professional men seldom
have a chance of acquiring. One OF the
| Albany lobbyists is said to be worth S4OO,-
/ 600; another has made at least S3OO,OOO in
the course Of a few years, and there Is
nothing to prevent him doubling it-unless
we undertake TO expose him throughout
each session Of the Legislature. And this
We certainly intend to DO. lie will stake
it out of Us" in his newspaper" but We
are used 10 that.
The lobbyists regular source OF income
is, Of course, derived from his supposed
knowledge Of the art Of putting out money
.'where iJ will do the most good" lie
knows who will take a bride, and bow
much the amount must be. If a company
wishes TO get bill passed, or TO prevent
some Objectionable bin from passing, ii
summons the lobbyist to its assistance.
But. outside of this kind of work, there are
numerous devices for reaping a large in
come. When trade IS slack, the lobbyists