The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-10-09
The Lobbyist AS He Is.

Washington Letter 20 Philadelphia Telegraph. /
The Washington Lobbyist. He is moth
Ing like he's represented. He is not what
he used to be. The French artist for Har-
per's represents man leaning back in his
chair, with his hat on one side and a cigar
held carelessly between his fingers, while he
coolly blows curls Of smoke up to the ceiling.
A diamond sparkles on his shirt front and
champaign sparkles in the glass on the table,
The Lobbyist" he calls It, 1t suits the
popular idea, but l suspect the subject of the
artists sketch was an NJ. c. from the. Pacific
Slope.
The lobbyist Of today don't wear diamonds
He don't swagger and puff smoke in members
faces. III he drinks champagne it is on the
quiet. 1t is mistake to think that his pock-
cts are bursting witn money, which he spends
with a lavish hand.
Gracious this is no more like the lobbyist
OF today than the stage detective Is like the
genuine article.
The typical lobbyist see every day at the
capitol Is plain man. He Is unassuming.
poorly dressed, not withal meet and lowlyi
He does not treat them to Champagne sub-
pers or champagne lunches. He makes no
display OF wealth. He does not come upon
the tioor of the House to talk with members
much, nor does he walk Through the corri-
aors Win an alr OF ownership. He is a
granger, frontiersman-looking fellow. His
trousers are bagged at the knees and
wrinkled at the bottom, from having been
worn In the tops of his cowhide boots. If he
wears billed Shirt" 1t is soiled, and his
a@S lace Is not snaven often enough to greatly
Congress relates to the public domain. He
Is interested In some way in the Territories.
mo Mans Land" and "0klabama." For
diplomatic reasons he is got up to represent
an actual settler, with an honest desire to
get possession Of the legal 160 acres, and to
dig livelihood for growing family out of
the soil. He manages to stay In Washington
at considerable expense from the first Mon
day In December until the adjournment of
Congress without serious Inconvenience to
himself. He is an anti-monopolist and an
actual settler" His pockets are not ali fnll
OF money they are bulging with petitions
signed by other actual settlers" 1t is 10
the committee that he directs his attention.
and u IS matter OF precaution not to make
He Is generally quite clever at figures
and he furnishes members Of the com
mittee in which he is interested with facts
and statistics they might not otherwise OBJ
tain. He does not look especially bright that
Is not his business. He is simple, plain
honest settler.
He divides his time betwsen the committee
on territories, over which the versatile Mr.
springer preSldes, and the public lands COM
mlttee, wherein Mr.. Holman sits sin retreat
Tor his objections in times past. Both these
gentlemen have tender spots in their hearts
for the simple citizens of the far West who
conquer nature ON the plains.
The lobbyist that popular impression de-
plcts could never overcome the prejudices of
these men.
The "actual settler" disguise is the most
successful of the day.
One of the best all-rouDd lobbyists now
operating at the Capitol looks like an honest
fat farmer of friendly disposition and guile
less soul. No member or Senator feels the
least danger OF being compromised by being
seen in his company. They all like hin, and
in fact he is not generally spoken of as
lobbyist yet he has been at the Capitol every
day during the last six or eight sessions
The man who now takes care Of the Interests
of the Pacific railroad at the Capitol since
their famous king of the lobby died IL q
modest looking little man, past middle age
who dresses very plainly and speaks but III
tie. He would not attract especial attention
and he desires not to. One would not notice
anything striking about him unless thew oh
served MIN very closely. Then thev mieht
remark that his face was clean cut and e5ns
ming, and that his eyes-almost too small 10
snow tneir color-were very penetrating
lie, too, confines himself TO committee wors
and Is ready reference bureau of statistics,
wear diamonds and give dinner parties AO'