Wichita eagle., 1889-11-27

point. Nine congressman out OF ten smoke,
and the vast majority clxim to be connois-
seurs. Mentioning that lad 1uss received
handsome prsseat from friend in Havana
in the shape Of box Of very fine cigars,
asked the gentleman to sample one and give
me his opinion of it, There is nothing like
the passing out of fine cigar to help along
a conversation.
mot once did I ask member how he
was going to vote on the bfA in question
Some people have an idea that Il you want
to find out how a membar stands on a bill all
you have to do is to go and ask him. That
won't do at al The member won't tell you,
and il be does tell be doesn't ten you straight
The only sure way is not TO- let him know that
you csre a continental how ha is going to
vote and then Judge BY what he says and
what man says chat you have to go by, but
BY his manner. his side remarks and his &C.
Qok1ntanceship. For Instance, you know all
the agents and pushcrs who are working on
the other side The member doesn't know
ton. Il you can gently steer the converse
ton to that subject, the chances are that il
the opposition has been after him he will
mention the name Of one Of your rivals, or at
least make use Of the same argument or e1-
preston used by them. In fkis manner I
have sized up more than one man, and gen.
orally correctly.
There are fifty or seventy-fve men in the
house, men like Randall and Holman, who
have to be approached through third partiea
They are habit1al1y 80 close mouthed that
you can't get thing out of them. To sound
these men we have to use other members Of
congress, or q senator, if you are lucky
enough to have one on your side. A senator
who is earnestly for you always proves a
great card. He can not only sound the SEN
ate, but he is just the man to send after some
of the CLAIMS in the house. Here and there Is
q man whom we have TO work through his
committee clerk, or his private secretary.
There are plenty Of secretaries who think it
all right to take a ten or twenty dollar bill
for telling Us how their employer feels about
a certain measure. And why shouldn't theyi
He is public man, and his thoughts and his
opinions are paid for by the public They
must be made known sooner or later, and il
he Is an honest man what business has he
with secrets concerning the pubhc's affairsl
at takes hard work TO size up the house in
a month. To see four or five men ia a night,
and sat down and talk with them, requires
lively hustling and the keeping Of pretty late
hours. Some men you have to 60 and see
three or four times and strike up friendship
with before you can worm a word out Of
them. You know it is a thing which you
cannot force. Your familiarity with mem
Der, and his inclination to talk Of what he
thinks and what he doesn't think, mast he Of
60
you will spoil it all Then, you have to talk
on every conceivable subject, and engage in
all sorts Of family amusements and discus.
sions. At one congressnan's house had to
play whist with himself, his wife and daugh-
ter every time called. /, took lots of time,
but had to stand it. One night between
deals, l managed to draw him out 10 my
satisfaction, and as 1 was pretty hard pushed
for time l did not stay 10 finish the game
With another old fellow l had to sit down
and play checkers a game which / abomi
nate.
"a religious member from New England
insisted that should come around and go to
church with him. He had a pew, and was
very fond of his pastor, and took me for q
stranger in town, as that was what l had
told him waA he was very courteous, but
had to squander $40 On his clerk before I
could find out how he was going to vote.
made it rule to call ON the old man early in
the evening, while there was still a good
chance OF catching them out OF bed. The
young men | reserved till later, often till
after the theatre. With these have had 10
play poker, drink whisky, eat late suppers
and get into carriages and make the rounds
of the town. Prayer meetings and wine par
ties were all the same to me, Just 50 found
out how nay mon stood on the railroad bill
well, in the case of which l am telling
you, found it necessary to buy 600 more
cigars before the end Of the campaign wac
reached When I had finished my canvass,
and reports had been received from friends
who bad undertaken to look after certain
members, it was fouad that l had been cor
rect In my surmise The bill actually had a
majority Of the house for Its friends, and tbs
had been wasting his time and
money. On my sizing up of the house the
bill was left to its fate, and it passed by q
majority"
How are members reached in a case where
must be won over by fair means
or foul9n
There are thousands of ways of getting at
men In such cases. As soon as it is decided
that certain number of votes must be had,
a canvass is made of the enemy to see where
his weakest men are. Each mans character
and career, political, financial and family as
viii be carefully studied. Now
and then something may be gotten hold Of by
which a congressman can be scared into CON-
Ing your way. More often you will be able
TO discover who owns him. and as like as not
the man who owns a Congressman viii Be
found TO be railroad president the president
Of some big corporation, or q political boss.
The managers OF the enterprise decide in what
way tho owner can be easiest reached, and the
first the congressman hears of the matter is
on receiving letter from his hacker advis-
ing him TO vote in a certain way. You would
De surprised to learn. and the country would
be surprised, il 1t knew, how many congress
uen there are who cannot tFuthfully call
themselves their own men, who have no in
dependence of action in cases wherein their
patrons choose to exert themselves / some
lines think that the congressman who has his
political opinions made for him by q party
,aucus, and his opinions on private meas
ares often formed by capitalist political
eader whose good opinion he must retain in
rider to hold his seat, has not a very enviable
OF after all.
Getting back to congress is the buSaboo
# the congressman. be is not much more
han settled in his seat till he is called upon
o defend it against number Of rivalA He
must fight of various aspiring gentlemen Of
lis own party who want to get the nomina-
ion away from him, and after he has sue
eeded In this he must beat at the polls the |
andidate of the rival party. All this takes |
nonev and q ccpCrs~x,nsn lives in constant