St. Paul daily globe., 1888-02-19

Es.nANsAs go. there are many con-
Fss>s s3SsA 4a.s%lI3 greSSmen who deal in
tzIsAiNS5sR &IiSSS futures. \ number, L
am told, make more
EoRS$e<sT than their salary i'll
& rs al ri this way, and there is
ElR N Hsa no doubt that legiSla-
6ElsSaAE&n -2sP ton has often been
influenced by congressman holding
stocks, says the Washington correSpOn-
dent of the New York World.
a leading member of the last con-
greSS, who, by the way, is now dead,
was much praised for the fact that he
was a poor man, though he had long held
public office. His poverty, however,
came from bad investments rather than
from his honesty. If he bought West
ern Union it was sure 70 go down, and
if he tried to 'bear" Northern Pacific
ii would rise like a rocket. 1t is the
same with other honest but poor con-
greSSmen. The blue Jeans which they
wear come from the lack of the money
investing tact. They are always on the
wrong side of the market, and they
make their miSfortuneS the capital as
evidence of their honesty.
Nearly all of the leading brokers of
Wall street receive constant infOrma-
ton from Washington as to finance and
legislation. They have their agents on
the ground, and these, in some cases,
are newspaper men. Through them
they are kept posted as to whether a
bill retiring trade dollars, for instance,
will be passed. whether any of the land
grant railroads will be affected by the
approaching action of congress and as
TO how the tariff will be arranged in re-
gard to certain articles. 1t is said that
some members of the last congress
made money in buying options on trade
dollars, and those who have dealt in
wheat, grain, oils and other things are
numerous. One member from Indiana
had, some years ago, a number of
bucket-shOps all over the country,
through which he speculated upon the
knowledge he gained in congress. All
along through the history of legislation
it will be found that our states
men who have been more or less inter-
ested in the subjects upon which they
have legiSlated, and that not few of
them have taken stocks in payment for
their votes, or have bought stocks that
they might cOrruptly make money out
of their knowledge acquired as con-
gressmen.
The World exposed the Pan-Electric
scandal and showed how its stock was
scattered among certain members and
offered to others, and the Credit Mo-
bilier scandal has long been matter of
history.
THE PACIFIC RAILROAD SCANDALS.
Speaking of the Credit Mobilier, the
Pacific railroad was the offspring of
congressional corruption, and its ac-
tiOns to-day show that it gets its lobby
ing tendencies by hereditary descent.
The investigation of the Credit Mo-
bilier resulted only in the expulsion of
Patterson in the senate, and OakeS
AmeS and James Brooks in the house,
but it showed that the greatest states
men of the day were interested in Credit
MObilier, and there are a number of
men sitting in the house and senate to-
day who were more or less tinged with
it. The money spent in affecting legis-
latiOn here ran into the hundreds of
thousands of dollars. and if verdict
had been given against all the defend
ants, it is said that it would not have
been less than S25,00O.000. Now, Oakes
AmeS is dead, though his SONS live and
are well off. John 3. Alley, who was
also mixed up in the scandal, is a rich
man at Washington, and the connection
of all the others of the statesmen who
still appear in public life with the scan
dial is practically forgotten. 1t is said
that 100000 were spent to get the sub
Sidy, and that 100000 of this went di-
rectly to men who were holding seats in
the house and senate.
BIG SALARIES FOR LOBBYISTS.
Since then the Pacific railroads have
kept their agents here at Washington.
and there have always been number
OF eX-cOngreSSmen who are supposed to
be in their employ. A man named Fran
chOt acted as the agentOf the Central Pa
cific for time. and he received. it is
said, $4,000 year. He had access to the
floor by virtue of his having been a
member of cOngrese, and he could 20
boldly in and talk Pacific railroad stock
to the members while they were sitting
IN their seats. The same can be done
by the numerous eX-congresSmen who
act as lawyers-so-called--here, and you
may see in the house almost any day
men who {: ::e interested in claims, as
attorneys, sitting on the floor of the
house while it is in session. They
have, ahrough this privilege, much
better chance to get at the members.
They can see dozen men during the
day in thecloak-rooms, and there can
be as much privacy in their talk as
though they were closeted in private
room in the hotel.
Returning to the Central Pacific.
Franchot died after time and Charley
Sherrlll came here, and it was under
him that this man Boyd, who was as
saulted by Thomas, was emploved
Sheriff. looked like statesman. .He was
a tall, grave-loOking man, with stooping
shoulders, white side whiskers and a
rather cultured, SallOW face. He ALWAYS
dressed well and he seemed to know
everybody. He did not make much fuss,
moved about quietly through the lob
bies of congress, entertained well at a
good house in the fashionable quarter
of the city, and he kept, it is said, G. P
Huntington thoroughly posted on al
matters which related to railroad legis
ton. He probably got a salary as big as
that of FranchOt, but his assistant, Boyd
was, imagine, not very extravagantly
paid. Sheriff. died a year or SO ago. bui
Boyd still keeps On, land doubt whether
he does much more than report to the
Central Pacific railroad managers as tr
what Is going on.
Huntington sometimes comes here
hlmself, and Senator Stanford, whether
he attempts to influence legislation ol
not, would not have made the money Inc
has mad he not kept his eyes upon his
own interests. Jay Gould has been here
IN the interest of certain schemes, anC
Tom Scott, during his life, was sue
cessful manipulation of legislation.
Speaking of the Pacific railroads call:
itiou " CitS aCiuc MAIL SCedmSnlI
company--which has been, by the way
a sort of sister to them--and in 1872 it i.
said that the lobby, for subsidy fol
this, spent more than $4,000 here. O1
this, 100000 went to an ex-cOngress
man, and the remainder was divided
among lobbyists and others. The subsid,
was passed and it provided for an an
nual sum of 100000, but the grant wa:
repealed two years later, and the com
mittee on ways and means reported, or
investigation, that no money was founC
to have been paid to any members ot