Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-04-21

ply on grounds OF the public good, because
he was able and honest. Perhaps some OF
these gentlemen wanted the place for him
self or their friends. However that may
be, they needed IL fer political aud party
uses; and were disguised at It's being used
for the advantage of the nation.
We see in such events as this the power
and the danger of the Ring. Let us now
consider
1.-THE LOBBY"
/ have named the Lobby as second
great danger of the Republic. The lobby
in some form is as old as civil society. The
woman in the Gospel was lobbyist who
kept teasing the Judge TO avenge her OF her
adversary. The lobby means a combina-
ton of those who have personal objects to
carry through Legislature who combine
their power TO influence members TO vote
for their projects. Men are hired as lobby
lists who are supposed to have influence
with the district represented by member
of Congress-or with the Executive, from
which he hopes an appointment--and when
appeals TO his reason fail, they appeal TO his
hopes or his fears. Whenever any of these
questions come up for debate or decision,
members of Congress have already had
their minds filled with reasons why they
should vote for it, They cannot approach
1t with unbiased minds.
Now the lobby becomes, in this way, an
outside and Irresponsible body, which de-
cides, to a considerable extent, what meas
ures shall be passed or rejected. 1t il nee
essarily aetuated by purely selfish motives
1t cannot, from the nature of the case, think
of the public good, but only of that of the
parties it represents. Tie lobby is hired
and paid TO get the appropriation lis clients
need, and that is all it looks at.
1t is irresponsible it works in secret its
doings are not reported. Yet 1t becomes,
by this very singleness of aim and ire.
spo nsible will, mighty power, inGuenc-
ing legislation and tuning it from public
into private channels. This evil is grow
ing so rapidly that il corrupts society. The
lobbyists at Washington combine their
forces and agree among themselves what
acts shall be passed and what postponed.
Women are there as lobbyists, selected for
their powers of fascination. They are well
dressed, with attractive manners, and very
winning in their ways, and the average
Congre ssman easily falls victim to their
wiles. The money of the nation is squan-
dered on atrocious statutes and wretched
pi cturcs, on endowments and pensions, TO
please these agreeable women. The most
| astute and able men, familiar with the ways
of Congress, adopt lobbying as trade, and
earn large sums by putting measures
through.
The cure for this evil is TO be found in our
Massachusetts plan of giving public hear
ings. Members should refuse TO listen in
private to any solicitor concerning ques-
ton which IS 10 come before COngress-iust
as judge refuses TO listen in private to arg
uments and reasoninss on any subject
| which is 10 come before the tribunal II n
me mber of Congress wants information he
may send for the man who has II but he
should refuse TO be approached by any
claimant who comes without being sent for.
The Supreme Court of the United States
has decided that IA lobbyist has no legal
claim for his services on the ground that all
such contracts are contrary to public poll
cy and morality. Public hearings accord
ing 10 fixed rules, all such proceedings be-
ing made matter Of record, will go far TO
abate this evil of the lobby. But The best
cure will be found in putting out OF our
Legislatures special bills aud private legis-
lation, for these are what are carried by
good dinners, fascinating women, and that
much coming which wearies the average
member into giving his consent TO the pas
sage of bills which he knows nothing about.
THE CAUCUS.
The third enemy of the republic is the
caucus. Now the caucus, like the ring and
the lobby, began innocenily. 1t was nat
ural that voters, before an election, should
meet together ard consult concerning the
best candidate for whom to vote. But now
II has come 10 pass that all such meetings,
from the primary meeting upward, have
fallen into the hands, not of the voters, but
of those who are TO be voted for. The ring
of politicians has taken possession of the
ca ucus. Thus, two or three years ago,
til ough the majority of the Republicans in
his district were opposed TO the nomination
of certain noted politician to Congress, it
was found impossible to prevent the eau
Gus from nominating him. He and his
agents had secured the primary meetings
which sent delegates TO the district conven-
ton, and nothing remained but TO organize
a bolt on large scale. The bolt defeated
him, and was a deadly bolt to him. The
other day, though George William Curtis
is one of the leading and most influential
states men in New York, ii was difficult TO
get him sent to the Republican State Con-
vention. He was opposed in the primary
meeting in his own town on Staten Island,
opposed ia the district convention, and the
attempt was made TO put him down in the
State convention, and 1t was only by his
energy aud that of his friends that the eau
Gus was defeated and he was sent TO Cncin-
natl as a delegate from New York to the
Presidential convention.
There are certain number of persons in
every party TO whom politics is business.
They get their living by it. They are al
ways either seeking for Offices, or else they
are paid for helping others to get Office
They are not always paid in money, but in
contracts, and by getting positions in which
they can make money. They can afford to
spend largo part Of their time in manipu-
lating the caucus, and making it what they
want. They arrange "slates," harmonic
quarrels among competing politicians,
promise their help TO this man and the 9th
err, pull all the wires and set all the polt-
ical aut omaia in motion. They regard the
caucus as their property and think it very
improper for the people themselves to come
into it to derange their calculations. COM
pare the regular Office seekers 10 people