Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-26
THE KING OF THE LOBBY.
Something About Sam Wards Career

something About Sam Wards Career,
Mr.. Sam Ward, whose death in Italy
was announced last Monday, says
Washington special to the Baltimore San,
was for some years one of the most noted
men about Washington, and was perhaps
as well known in social and political cir
cles as any public man. Although his
vocation as lobbyist was a matter of
common nOtOriety, and he always took
much pleasure in assuming the title of
"Nestibuli Rex" which was first applied
to him by brilliant journalist, such was
the atfability of his manners and the at
tractiye style of his conversation that
Senators, members and leading public
men IN all departments of official life as
sociated with him on terms of the closest
intimacy, and were quickly responsive
to his Invitations. AS host he was
said to have had no equal IN his day,
either in the rare and delicate character
OF the liquids and substantials which he
spread before his guests, or in the Won
dertul tact with which he gathered con-
genial spirits together and supplemented
their conversation with contributions
from his own rich stOrehOuse of expert
ence and reminiscence. The era which
included the four years of the war and
the ten years succeeding was known here
as the days of the empire" Schemes of
every description were successfully
pushed, the public money literally flowed
like water, and no green bay tree ever
hourished like the lobby. The king of the
lobby was popularity and doubtless
properly credited with the receipt of fab
ulous gains, and could very well from his
bursting Golfers dispense a hospitality
far more profuse and expensive than that
OF any other person who kept open
doors in Washington. All the big
fish and all the little fish of the
lobby were prOpOrtionately prosper
Gus, and it was rather considered as the
thing to be known as of the lobby. But
as things settled down and war practices
and war eXtraYagancies went out of
vogue, the power and profits of the lobby
shrank most perceptibly. The press
began to turn its searching eve upon it;
public men became alarmed and hesitated
at accepting its favOrs. The king of the
lobby was the first to foresee itsapproach-
ing decline, and often was heard to eX-
press his sad regrets. He was also the
first of those who had been so prominent
to disappear from the scene of his former
greatness, being resolved as he cOmmuni-
Gated TO some of his confidential friends.
not to stay and see his prestige and his
position slip away from him. In the
years which have passed since then his
familiar face and form have been seen
at the longest of intervals at any of
his accustomed haunts, and for con-
siderable time have been missed alto
gether. AS he had no equal, so he left no
successor. The lobby is still in existence
and always will be in existence, but it is
not the lobby which it is was when Sam
Ward stood at the head of it. So timor-
GUS OF criticism have some members of
Congress become that they will vote
against measure which they believe to
be just if there is a suspicion that the
lobby fayors it. The lobby dares no longer
TO conduct its operations openly. except
perhaps when the plea can plausibly be
made that che measure advocated is for
the public benefit. Lobby hospitalities
are not now paraded publicly, but the
endeavor is to invest them with all possi-
BILE secrecy. Few of those engaged. in
the lobby are now anxious to have the
fact matter of notOriety, and all the big
lobbyists are members of the bar who
hide themselves under cover of their pro-
fpSSiOn