The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-03-29
"TIIE THIRD House."
It's Good and Bad Membeps-The Remark
able Experiences of Close Observer
of Its Workings During
Long Residence at
Washington.

No city upon the American continent has
larger floating population than Washing
ton. 1t is estimated that during the ses-
sions of Congress twenty-five thousand
people, whose homes are in various parts
of this and other countries, make this city
their place of residence. Some come here,
attracted by the advantages the city offers
for making the acquaintance of public
men; others have various claims which
they wish to present, while the great ma
Jority gather here, as the crows flock to
the carrion, for the sole purpose of getting
q morsel at the public CRIB. The latter
class, as a general thing, originate the
many schemes which terminate in vicious
bills, all of which are either directed at
the public treasury, or toward that reve-
nue. which the black-mailing of corpora
tions or private enterprises may bring.
While walking down Pennsylvania ave-
nua the other day met Mr.. William NJ.
Ashley, formerly of your city, whose long
residence here has made him unusually
well acquainted with the operations of the
lobby.
Having made my wants in this particu'
lar direction known, in answer to an in.
terrogative, Mr.. Ashley said:
Eyes, during my residence here l have
become well acquainted with the 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 body,
vicious, do you?'
mot necessarily so; there are good and
bad men comprising that body; vet there
have been times when it must be admitted
that the combined power of the Third
House has ovewidden the will of the peo-
pie. The bad influence OF the lobby can be
seen in the numerous blood-bills that are
introduced at every session."
But how can these be discovered?"
Easily enough, to the person who has
made the thing a study. l can detect them
at glance"
Tell me, to what bill do you refer?"
"Well, take the annual gas bills, for in
stance They are introduced for the pur-
pose of bleeding tue Washington Gas
Light Company. They usually result in
an investigating committee which never
upon the public treasury for the eXpenSeI
of the investigation. Another squeeze is
the GbattOir bills, as they are called.
These, OF course, are fought by the butch
ers and market-men. The first attempt to
force bill of this description was in 1877,
when prominent Washington politician
offered fabulous sum for the franchise"
Anything else in this line that you
think of, Mr.. Ashley"
Eyes, there's the job to reclaim the Po-
tomac flats, which, had it become law,
would have resulted in an enormous steal
The work is now being done by the Gov
eminent itself, and will rid the place Of
that malarial atmosphere of which we
hear so much outside the city"
During your residence here have yos
experienced the bad results of living in
this climate?"
"Well, while have not at all times en-
joyed good health, | am certain that the
difficulty which laid me up so long was
not malarial. 1t was something that had
troubled mo for years. A shooting, sting
ing pain that at times a tackled different
parts of my body One day my right arm
and leg would torture me with pain, there
would be great redness, heat and swelling
Of the parts; and perhaps the next day the
left arm and leg would be similarly af-
ec,ed. Then again it would locate in
some particular part ofmy body and pro-
duce a tenderness which would well nigh
drive me frantic There would be weeks
at a time that would be afflicted with an
intermitting kind of pain that would come
on every afternoon and leave me com
paratively free from suffering during the
balance OF the twenty-four hours. Then
would have terrible paroSysms of pain
coming on at any time during the day or
night when would be Obliged to lie upon
my back for hours and keep as moionless
as possible. Every time L attempted to
move chilly sensation would pass over
my body, or | would faint from hot flashes.
| suffered from a spasmodlc contraction OF
the muscles and a soreness of the back and
bowels, and even my eyeballs became sore
and distressed me greatly whenever |
wiped my face. l became ill'tempered
peevish, fretful, irritable and desperately
respondent"
''Of course you consulted the doctors re
garding your difiicultyW
Consulted them? well l should say ]
did. Some told me | had neuralgia; others
that | had infammatory rheumatism, fol
which there was no cure, that would be
afflicted all my life, and that time alone
would mitigate my sufferings."
"But 0idn't they try to relieve your mis-
| cries? '' 'Yes, they vomited and phySicked
me, blistered and bled me, plas cred ana
| oiled me, sweat, steamed and everything
but froze me, but without avail"
but how did you finally recoverN
81 had friend living in Michigan who
| had been afflicted in a similar way and
had been cured. He wrote me regarding
| his recovery and advised me to try thu
remedy which cured him. l procured
| bottle and commenced its use, taking a
| tablespoonful after each meal and at bed
| time. ! had used it about week when
noticed decrease of the soreness of the
| joints and a general feeling of relief.
| perSevered in its use and finally got so
| could move around without limpins, wheE
| | told my friends that it was Warmers
Safe Rheumatic Cure that had put me or
my feet"
land do you regard your cure as perma
| nent?
Certainly; haven't been so well in
years as l am now, and although | have
been subjected to frequent and severe
| changes or weather this winter, Ihave not
felt the first irtimation of the return oil
my rheumatic trouble"
"Do you objsct to the publication of this
interview, Mr.. AshleyW
"Not at all, sir. l look upon it as a
| dutv / owe NV fellOw-CreatIIreS to alleviate
their sufferings so far as l am able, and
any communication regarding my symp.
toms and cure that may BE- sent TO me at
5O6 Maine avenue will receive prompt and
| careful attention"
Judging from your recital, MIR. Ashley,
there must be wonderful curative proper.
ties about this medicineP
"Indeed there is, sir, for no man suffered
more nor longer than did l before this
remedy gave me relief"
-" To go back to the original subject, Mr..
| Ashley, | suppose you see the same famil.
lar faces about the lobby session after ses
sion"
"No, not so much as you might think.
| New faces are constantly seen and old
ones disappear. The strain upon lobby.
lists is necessarily very great, and when
you add to this the demoralizing effect OF
late hours and Incorporate habits and tho
fact that they are after found out in their
steals, their disappearance can easily be
accounted for"
WHAT proportion Of these blood-bills
are successfulD