Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-03-28
.THE THIRD HOUSE,
Its Good and bad Members-Thc n e-
markable Experiences of Close
Observer offts workings Dur
Ing n Long Residence NJ
Warrington.
Correspondents Rochester Deu,ocrat.y


erious parts of this and other coun-
lies, make this city their place of resi-
ience. Some come here attracted by
he advantages the city offers for max
ng the acquaintance of public men: 9TH
ers have various claims which they wish
to present, while the great majority
gather here, as the crows flock to the
carbon, for the sole purpose of getting 3
morsel at the public crib. The latter
class as a general thing originate the
many schemes which terminate in vic
ious bills, all of which are either direct
ed at the public treasury, or toward
that revenue which the blackmailing of
corporations or private enterprises may
bring.
While walking down Pennsylvania
avenue the other day l met Mr.. vii
liam NJ Ashley, formerly of your city,
"hsse long residence here has made
him unusually well acquainted with the
operations of the lobby
Having made my wants in this par
ticular direction known, in answer to
an interrogative, Mr.. Ashley said:
Yes. during my residence here l
have become we'll acquainted with tn.
workings of the Third House. as it is
termed. and could tell you of numerous
jobs. which, like the Heather Chinee,
are peculiar"
You do not regard the lobby, as Il
body, vicious, do your,
Not necessarily so, there are good
and bad men comprising that body: yet
there have been times when it must be
| admitted that the combined power of
the Third House has overridden the
will of the psople. The bad influence
of the lobby can be seen in the rfumer-
Gus blood-bills that are introduced at
| every session."
But how can these be discovered?"
| Easily enough, to the person who has
made the thing study. l can detect
them at a glance"
Tell me, to what bills do you refer"
"Well, take the annual gas bills, for in
| stance. They are introduced for the
| pur"rse of bleeding the Washington
Gas Light company. They usually re-
! suit in an investigating committee which
never amounts to anything more than
a draft upon the public treasury for the
expenses of the investigation. Another
squeeze is the abattoir bills, as they are
called. These, of course, are fought by
the buthers and narket-men. The first
attempt to force a bill of this descrip-
ton was in 1877, when a prominent
Washington politician offered fabulous
sum for the franchise"
Anything else in this line that you
think of, Mr.. Ashley"
"Yes, there's the job to reclaim the
Potomac flats, which, had it become a
law, would have resulted in an enormous
steal. The work is now being done by
the Government itself, and will rid the
place of that malarial atmosphere of
which we hear so much outside the
city"
During your residence here have you
experienced the bad results of living in
this climate?"
"Well, while have not at all times
enjoyed good health, l am certain that
the difficulty which laid me up SO long
was not malarial. 1t was something that
had troubled me for years. A shooting
stringing pain that at times attacked
different parts of my body. One day my
right arm and leg would torture me
with pain, there would be great rednsss,
heat and swelling of the parts; and per-
haps the next day the left arm and leg
would be similarly affected. Then again
it would locate in some particular part
of my body and produce tenderness
which would we'll nigh drive me frantic.
There would be weeks at time that
would be afflicted with an iatermitting
kind of pain that would come ON every
afternoon and leave me comparatively
free from suffering during the
balance of the twentv-four hours. Then
| would have terrible paroxysms of pain
coming on at any time during the day CT
night when l would be obliged
to lie upon my back for hours and keep
as motionless as possible. Every time
attempted to move a chilly sensation
would pass over my body. or l would
faint from hot flashes. l suffered from a
s,.asmodic contraction of the muscles
and a soreness of the back and bowels,
and even my eyeballs became sore and
distressed me greately whenever wiped
my face. became ill-tempered, peevish
rretful. irritable and desperately despon-
| dent
'Of course you consulted the doctors
regarding your difficulty?
Consulted them? well l should say
did. Some told me l had neuralgia;
others that | had infiammatory rheu-
matism, for which there was no cure,
that | would be afflicted all my life. and
that time alone would mitigate my suf-
| ferings."
"but didn't they try to relieve your
miseries?'
eyes, they vomited and physicked me,
blistered and bled me, plastered and
oiled me, sweat, steamed and every
thing but froze me, but without avail.
But how did you finally recover
81 had friend living in Michigan
who had been afflicted in similar way
and had been cured. He wrote me re-
garding his recovery and advised me TO
try the remedy which cured him. pro
cured bottle and commenced its use,
taking a tablespoonful after each meal
and at bed time had used it about a
week when l noticed decrease of the
soreness of the joints and general feel
ing of relief. | persevered in its use
and finally got so / could move around
without imping, when 1 told my friends
that it was Warmers Safe Rheumatic
Cure that had put me on my feet"
"And do you regard your cure as per
manent!"
Certainly, haven't been so well in
wears as | am now, and although | have
been subjected to frequent and severe
not felt the first intimation of the re-
turn of my rheumatic trouble"
do you object to the publication of
this interview, Mr.. Ashley
''Not at all, sir. / look upor it as a
duty 1 owe my fellow creatures to ale
viate their sufferings SO far as am able
and any communication regar ling my
symptoms and cure that may be sent to
me at 5G6 Maine avenue will receive
prompt and careful attention"
Judging from your recital, Mr. Ash
ley, there must be wonderful curative
properties about this medicine"
Indeed, there is, sir, for DO man suf-
fered more nor longer than did before
| this remedy gave me relief"
To go back to the original subject.
Mr.. Ashley, l suppose you see the same
familiar faces about the lobby session
after session."
mo, not SO much so as you might
| think. New faces are conatantly seen
and old ones disappear. The strain upon
lobbyists is necessarily very great and
when you add to this the demoralizing
effect of late hours and incorporate
habits and the fact that they are after
found out in their steals, their disappear
ance can easily be accounted for.
What proportion of these blood bills
| are successful"
"a very small percentage, sir. Not
withstanding the power and influence
of tho lobby, but few Of these vicious
measures pass. Were they successful 1t
would be a sad commentary upon our
/ sx q. am of government and would vfr-