The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-02-14
Origin Of the Lobby In Washington.

I'D habitues of the Capitol have
somehow or other got the idea that
what is known as the Washington lobby
was established some time between 1880
and 1886, when Jackson was making
his attack upon the United States Bank.
1t may be true that what is properly
understood under the term of the lobby,
that is to say, body of men regularly
organized for the purpose of carrying
or defeating certain measure pending
before Congress, was, indeed, estab-
lished at the time mentioned. No mat
ter how this may be, it is a matter of
record that ever since the foundation of
the Government, even during the Ad-
ministration of the Father of his Coun-
try, undue influences of one kind or
another were brought to bear upon
members of Congress and upon men,
bers of the Administration. Shortly
after the commencement of the present
century, Senator from Ohio was ex-
PEELED because of corrupt practices
which seemed to have been proved
against him, and at more or less fire.
quent intervals ever since, Congress,
the capital, and the country have been
startled by allegations of corruption
made against prominent officers. Many
of the most widely-known men of the
time, if tradition speaks truly, were
in the pay of the English tariff
lobby of 1924 and the succeeding
years, and during the administration
of President Taylor one of his Cabinet
was, upon very good ground, reported
to have been too intimately connected
with the notorious Galpin claim.
Shortly after this came the expose of
the great frauds committed by DIR.
Gardner, in connection with claims
growing out of the Mexican war and
the seemingly well-substantiated state
ments that the then Secretary of the
Treasury had benefited by the swindle.
Gardner seems to have been one of the
most remarkable men of his class who
ever appeared in Washington. He was
thoroughly gentleman, man oflarge
information, brilliant conversational
list, and generous whole-souled COM
panion. Endowed with these quali6ca-
lions, he became very popular in the
Capital, married one of the bellies of
her time, and was known to be or terms
of the closest intimacy with the then
Secretary of the Treasury. Aided by
these powerful influences, when he de-
manded, on his own behalf and on the
behalf of others, large sum of money
from the Mexican Government for
losses 10 himself and them, caused by
depredations of Mexican soldiers, no
one doubted that the claim was in
every way q just one; at all events it
received the warm support of many in
fluential people in Washington, among
them the Secretary of the Treasury. and
in due time it was paid. Subsequently
however, it was discovered that the
brilliant and versatile Gardner was a
swindler, and his so-called claim gil
gantic fraud. He was arrested, threwn
into Washington Jail, and there died
miserably by his own hands. What he
did with the large sum of money OBJ
tanned by the means described was new
er ascertained, 1t is only known that
after his death his family was reduced
almost to poverty.
In connection with the same general
subject of Mexican claims it is interest
ing to recall the then famous, though
now almost forgotten, dispute which
arose in regard to the claim for $l0,-
00O, 900 which the Government of Mex
leo had against the United States. By
the terms of the agreement made it was
stipulated that the money was to be
paid to the then existing Administration
of Mexico. By an arrangement with
that Administration, which was sadly
in need of money, Hargouse & Co. had
for themselves and other bankers bought
the claim at forty cents on the dollar.
Subsequently, and before the money
was paid by our Government, the Mex
lean Administration existing at the
time of the agreement was overthrow
by revolution. The representatives of
the United States held that because of
this the agreement was null and void,
and Hargouse & Co., with their friends,
saw themselves on the verge of ruin. In
this emergency, the services of a most
powerful social lobby was called in
play. 1t is not charged that money
was used-there are numerous ways of
corrupting public ofiicers-but by din
ner-giving, by lavish wine suppers, and
entertainments of all sorts, the bank
ers tried to curry favor with the Gov
eminent and secure the payment of the
claim. In addition to this, distin-
guished counsel was employed, the At
torney General gave an opinion in ia
vor of payment, and ultimately the
bankers won.-N. Y. Times.