Omaha daily bee., 1888-01-26

NO Otner country Is so prOllnc III con-
ventions as the United States. Almost
every separate interest feels called upon
to present its claims to public attention
at least once a year through conven-
tion or conference. This method of set
ting forth special wants is always most
fully developed during the first few
weeks after the assembling of congress.
and it has been resorted to with unusual
freedom this year. Last week WASH
ington was the scene of what has not
inaptly been called n carnival of con-
ventions. There was more than one
for every secular day in the week land of
course each was regarded by its promot-
ers as representing an object of the great
est Importance to the general welfare,
The advocates of ship subsidies were at
the national capital in force and formu
lated under the eye of congress their
shrewdly devised plan for building up
the shipping interest of the country by
system of bounties from the national
treasury. The wool. conference was a
somewhat imposing and not altogether
harmonious gathering which finally
agreed that the government should
take a step backward in the matter Of
tariff taxation, and started contro-
versy which is not likely to improve the
chances of this proposal. There was a
gathering of tobacco growers who,
strangely enough, had no suggestions
to offer congress, n convention of
bottle-makers, presumed to be seek
ing more protection for the Amer
lean bottle, the national board
of trade, which had something to
! say, most of which nobody paid
| any attention to, on a number of sub
jects, and pure food convention that
was more remarkable than any of the
others for the dissensions among its
members and the disposition of the dele
gates to prefer pleasure to business.
The inalienable right of American
| citizens to convene when and where they
| please, for any object they may deem
| proper, will not be questioned, but as to
| the value of such conventions as those
held in Washington thus far, and of the
others that are to follow, SO far as relates
| to their prime purpose of influencing
| legislation, it may fairly be doubted if
| they have any. They may have a meas
ure Of usefulness in disclosing to the
country the special claims and de-
sires of the interests represented,
and thereby stimulating public discus
sion of the matters with which they
| concern themselves, but there is some
reason to doubt whether the men who i'm
| agine this to be the best way to get what
| they want do not make mistake. The
| influence of the method diminishes as it
becomes more common, while in most
cases the devotion to pleasure quite as
much as to business of those who attend
conventions at the national capital is
not calculated to deeply impress con-
gress with their solicitude for the cause
they represent. 1t is not always the
case, either, that these conventions are
composed of men whose ability is such
as to give them claim to very consid-
crate attention. The most Jealous
may easily have their zeal ex-
planned by strong personal inter-
est, while others have availed
themselves of an opportunity for enjoy
ment. Under such conditions it is not
surprising that members of congress
look upon the average convention at
| Washington as an organization having
much the same purpose US the morgan
| lied lobby.