The tribune. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-02-03
LOBBYING. IN WASHINGTON.

what sam Ward, the King of the I,obby
toid the Investigating CommIttee--Good
Dinners.
Sam Ward, noted as the "Lobby
hnS, was before the committee inves-
tlgating the Pacific Mail matter. In his
evidence he said he received $500 as a
retainer In the case, and was to receive
$1,000 more if they succeeded in getting
the subsidy bill through. He said he
retained all the money given him, and
added: "I must say that it was a very
Liberal compensation for the moderate
amount of work which that subsidy
seemed to require"
When asked to state the nature of the
services rendered by him, the witness
replied "Simply stating on all occa-
slons where it was proper to do SO that I
was in favor of the measure; that /
thought it good MEASURE" etc.
During his evidence the witness said
This business of lobbying, as it is called,
is as precarious as fishing in the He
brides. You get all ready; your boats
go out; suddenly there comes storm,
and away you are driven. Everybody
who knows anything about Washington
knows that ten times, aye, fifty times,
more measures are lost than are carried;
but once in while pleasant little wind
fall OF this kind recompenses us, who are
always toiling here, for the disappoint-
ment of the session. I am not at all
ashamed. I do not say that am
proud, but am not at all ashamed of
the occupation. It is very useful one.
In England it is a separate branch of the
legal profession. There they have Par
hamentary lawyers, who do noother bust
ness. There the committees sit all day
to hear these lawyers, and they SIT in
Parliament all night; whereas here COM
mittees are only allowed to sit for an
hour and half, and so it is very hard to
get through 4, 200 bills in session. The
dlsappolntments are much more numer-
GUS than the successes. I have had many
very pleasant contingent - knocked
away when everything appeared prosper
GUS and certain, and would not insure
any bill if were paid 80 per cent. to
secure its passage. That is the general
rule in this subsidy matter. / think
that the gentleman CNIr. Iwin) paid
more money than he need have paid.
Mr.. Niblack-And he distributed it
rather badly? Al am satisfied with
what got.
Mr.. Niblack-You got much less than
others got! A. do not know. I was
retained, suppose, because the
Ln.
and am called the "King of the Lob
by" But am not the treasurer of the
lobby; that Is certain. If yon were here
for entertainment could entertain Won
with histories of well-concerted plans
which all disappeared just at the crack of
one members whip; perhaps master of
caprlce, perhaps q matter of accident,
you cannot tell which. We who are of
the regular army know when we are
whipped, but gentlemen of little expert
ence come down here and peg and peg
on till the end of the session, and never
understand why they had better 90
home: 70 introduce bill properly, to
have it referred to the proper committee.
to see that some member in that com
mlttee understands its merits, to attend
to 1t, to watch it, to have counsel to go
and advocate it before the committee. to
see that members of the committee do
not overstep themselves ON the morning
OF important meetings, to watch the COM
ing In OF the bill in Congress day after
day, week after week, to have your men
on hand dozen times, and to have them
as often disappointed, to have one of
those storms which spring up in the
Adrlatic OF Congress until your men are
worried and worn and tired, and until
" eAOAiioclfSSt tAiht Cn6Y Will not
go up to the capitol to-day, and then to
have the bird suddenly flushed and all
your preparations brought to naught-
these are some of the experiences of the
lobby. Another point-the question of
entertainments-is spoken of. There is
nothing in the world so excellent as en-
tersainments Of refined order. Talley-
rand says that diplomacy is assisted 6y
good dinners, but at good dinners peo-
pie do not talk. "shop;", but they give
people who have a taste in that way a
right, perhaps, to ask gentleman a civil
question, and to get civil answer: to
get information which his clients want.
and that can properly be given. Some
times railroad man wants information:
sometimes a patentee wants his patent
renewed; that is a pretty hard fight.
Then broker wants to know what the
Treasury is going to do about certain
measure. Sometimes banker is anxious
about the financial movements in Con
gress, or a merchant about the tariff. All
these things we do constantly, and we do
not make any tcharge for them. We keep
up a certain circle of friends, and once in
whilo an opportunity comes Of getting
something that is of real service, and for
which compensation is due and proper.
But the entertainments are proportioned
to the business of the session: when tbe