Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-01-21
LoBBYING At The CAPITAL.
a SnbJect which Has Been Greatly EN.
Hgxeraied by Correspondents.
O., 81

| Hgxerated by Correspondents.
| Special 20 the Register.
| WASHINGTON, January 20 "A vast deal OF
nonsense hiss been said and written about
the Washington lobby and the corruption
f members Of CJngress. is sale 10 say
| that while these have been examples OF
seducipg lobbyists nd easily yielding. nem-
! bers, most that one hears is tissue OF
direct falsehood or grossly exaggerated
! truth. Stories go out which, II they had
! even the resemblance OF fact to sustain
| them, would seriously affect The reputa-
| tiOn OF individuals and suggest grave
doubt in the public mind as to the exis-
teDce Of honesty aud patriotism to degree
sufficient to preserve the character OF rep-
resentsiivs government from universal
condemnation. know a number OF msm-
| bers Of long service here, who can recall
10 instance Of having been approached oy
! the lobby. directly or Indirectly, upon any
/ question of pending legislation. Ous gen.
Ileman said to me- recently that in eight
| years Of Congressional life.
Neither word, Sign nor Intimatiou
from any source had eve. suggest to him
a9 idea that lobbying was pursuit or
| profession here.
do not mean to say that there are not
men in Washington who are paid 10 pro-
mote or prevent various schemes OF legisls-
uun. But macy OF them are open and
| svowC6 advocates or opponents o; partcu-
lar measures and are allies rather to the
ClsSs of parliamentary lawyers, recognlz-o
IN Eng and IS containing some oil the
strongest members Of the British bar, than
| 10 be numbered with the irresponsible
crowd which compOSes what Is called the
third house OicoGrse there are some-
a. have Hcen many-Sho merit all the
oblCuuy which has been cast upon them
hy the press and its correspondents. la
toe days of railroad grants, the Credit
MUbi!ier and the guarantee OF corporation
| bonds. one can not doubt that money, and
! 3 great deal OF il, was put where IL would
| DO the Most Coed.
! But for some reason the atmosphere has
| been cleared and purified, ana it did not
/ need the Huntington and Cotton cores
| vOndence 10 make any improper influences,
| If attempted, subjects Of tae keenest oo-
! servation, both in and out Of Congress.
| In illustration OF this il is &c be remarked
| that while the proposed revocation vi q
| number of railroad land grants affect very
| seriously various corporations, and the
| whisky extension scheme certainly con.
| Germs q large business lnteres', no signs oil
| BOBBY" are 10 be perce ged-in the
| sense, of course, OF an organized effort to
! corrupt or control legislation. IN one OF
| the land grant cases an argument was made
| before the committee by Mr.. Roger \
| PRYOR, but il was uCh as wOU,d have been
in place before the Supreme Court. And
| iu regard TO the Sh sky bill there seeus
| reason 10 fear that whatever merit II nay
| possess
VIII be Lest Sight OF
in the desire # some members to make
safe record with reference to the temper
| spCs phase Of cO'empOrsry politics; while
Others will stand 30 straight aud uprightly
yir,uous that they will lean backward.
| Without troubling you with further de-
| tails on this sutj,Ct, let ms mention one
OF two possible explanations OF the con
dit:Ons to which [ have referred, In the
| Hrsl p!aca, Washington has large class OF
| rCl.rs who have NO visible employment.
Mauy Of these have pride enough to pre-
,,ud to be doing something aud they inys-
| e. .iousIy hint that they belong TO the
| lhbv.' On the other hand 1t is the haolt
( sume very ,od but not especially well
informed people to Consign every man to
| III lobby IL no other account can be given
of him. | knew one gentleman, some
wears $40, who was spending winter here
TO escape the
severe Climate Cf His Home,
who went almost daily to the Capitol, re-
| rurriuc to his hotel TO late dinner. He
VAS yery much amused to learn that he
was cettlng decided reputation for deep
ness, shrewdusss and thorough knowledge
| of the lobby. In point OF fact ne was a
reticent scholar and sjU lent engaged IN
| srue literary work which made dstiy access
| 70 the Congre. sionsl library both couven-
| rent and pleasant. In the second place,
| tie men TO whom | have referred, as kno VI
rpgrest natives of interests before Con-
srtss. ere fully equipped with arguments,
N's..,srIcs and facts bearing upon the proPo'
/ ,itions they preaeRt, and th-y are respon,
,ibe for the accuracy Oi tIriI r@nEe'su
] riors, They deal with questions which I4,
I syersEs i4smbsr has u2t tine 70 study-lN
| the details Of which even an industrious
committeeman can not fully grasp without
reglecting other duties. And thus 1t has
come 10 pass that
Arxuments are Made Before Com NIT
tees,
ryo ard c,u, which are as thorough. digni-
fed and responsible as those before the
| highest Of our courts.
| | will only add that nothing but beneht
has resulted from this change; and II bust
ness befC = Congress is conhded to SUCH
hands in the future We shall hear little
| N'--o-f - . 1,bI, TENr