St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-03-02
Sabin, Nelson, Rice, Wilson
and Macdonald VIII ALI
Be Remembered.
How the Lobby Generally
Manages to Get What.It
Is Looking For.
The Mugwumps in the De-
partments Despised by
Everybody.


Sabln has been a strong man in the
senate. His personal worth has been
appreciated here, and his colleagues on
the Republican side of the chamber es-
peclally will sincerely regret his de-
parture from their midst. Knute Nelson
IS undoubtedly strong man. He is
bright, pleasant, agreeable, and pos
sesSed Of many friends Oh both sides of
the house of repr eSentatiVes. Having
been a close student of the rules of the
mouse, he has become an adept in par
liamentary practice, and was therefore
exceedingly valuable to his state as
well as to his district. Hon. Edmund
Rlce is one of the most polished, courte-
Gus gentlemen ever seen in the house.
He has been a faithful public servant,
and, despite his advanced age, has
been constant in his attendance upon
committee meetings as well as
upon the regular sessions of the
house. Too much cannot be said in his
honor and praise. Hon. Thomas Will
son Is an inciSive mind. He is an intel
lectualiSt, and therefore scholarly. Nc
man ever studied the interests of his
constituents more carefully. and norep-
resentative ever laDored more diligently
to accomplish the greatest good to the
greatest number. He is Democrat of.
Democrats. and yet his partisanship has
never been offensive, because it is
Droad-gauged. Hon. John L. MacDon-
aid has also been a hard worker. He is
one of the Democrats who cannot
readily see any good in Republican.
he is Scotch, and Strong-minded; not
N ri hnodnd Ilah ac
hard Office work, probably. than any of
his colleagues in the Fiftieth congress.
His correspondence has been enormous,
and he has never allowed any letters to
go unanswered. The gentlemen who are
coming into the Fifty-frSt congress to
take the places of these dear departed
are reputed to be able, experienced and
conscientious. That they have merit is
evidenced by the fact that the people
chose them TO represent them. But, be
they ever so able, they must hustle to
fully I'LL the vacancies made by their
predecessors. 5si4
The people don't know how legisla-
ton is accomplished. They never will
know, The great bill mill on Capitol
hill is simply an enlarged and cOnSe-
Grated state Legislature. Bills are intro
duced by the thousand. Each wear they
increase in number. One in hundred of
them become laws. The representatives
and senators are automatOns. They
are wound up by their CONSTITUENCIES.
They are like the ''drop-a-nickel-in-tlIe
slot" machines. A constituent has a
grievance. The fetch OF the law alone
can relieve him. He writes to his SEN
sater or representative and tells him all
about it. The result is bill is intro
duced. 1t goes into the committee, and
dies there. A big corporation wants
legislation. 1t has a bill introduced
1t employs a man or men to push
it. This man or men constitute the
lobby. That is, they stand in the lobby
and call out representative or repre-
sentatives every day, and urge action.
The bill is fastened through a commit
tee, and is reported favorabiy TO the
house or senate. 1t gIides through
easily Or else has stormy time The
fellows in the lobby are persistent. The
congressman want to be reelected.
Thep are obsequious. They oblige.
They smile and curry favor. The out
side hangerS-on, in the lobby, see that
there is money in the scheme. One
member can make dilatory motions, and
kill legislation. Unless the outsider is
let into the scheme, with Doodle TOR his
acquiescence, the bill is killed. For ex-
ample. During the congress which
has just closed there was the
French Spoliation claim. 1t in
wolves 100000 900. 1t is lust, But
there ale outsiders who have not had
their ''slice" of the plumber. All could
not be taken into the inside of the
scheme. The bill was killed. There
was the Union Pacific funding bill. Ii
was worked on promises. ''If the bill
passes," certain fellows would pet
something. But promises did not do.
The bill died. There was the Okla
hOma bill. 1t was worked hard, but
certain fellows kicked on the promises
ana the bill died. There was the Mic
aragua canal scheme. 1t was properly
handled; and it passed. There were
scores of private claims. The lobby
was not satiated, and many bills were
permitted to die. 1t costs cash to pro-
don't understand it. Representatives
and senators are honest and weIi-meap-
ing. The lobby uses them in spite of
themselves. 1t is a great country. A
few more men like Holman and Kill
gore, who shout, Il object" are worth
their weight iii gold to the honest yee-
many of the country.
Congressman Morrill,, of Kansas. is
one of the mildest-mannered. cultured
gentlemen ever sent to congress by apy
constituency. Those who know him
can hardly imagine it possible that he
should ever be angry. Congressman
Durham, of Chicago, is nervous. hill
ious fellow, who looks as though he
might fight at the drop of hat. An
pearances are often exceedingly decep-
tive. One night last week Durham
went around among the Republicans
making so many suggestions and de-
manding SO many things that even
kindly disposed Mr.. Morrill, became in
censed, and he said, with considerable
emphasis:
''Dunham, why don't you take the
Republican side of this house on yonr
knees and spank it? You have more
sense, more ability, more parliamentary
knowledge and tact than all the rest Of
us. l think we might all Just as well
stop thinking and let YOU direct ns
You have wonderful genius
Instead of becoming cantankerous1v
hot in the collar at this sarcastic TRADE
Durham sat down beside Morrill, and
said:
Morrill,, you're dead right. I never
knew you to strike a good gait before.
l am derned sight smarter than this
whole gang. l wish you'd do me 1fha
favor to go around among the bows and
tell them about it. ] believe YOU'RE fbe
only Republican member here that's
got sense enough TO realize how smart
am.''
The result was that Morrill, eon-
menced to smile, and soon all the fell
lows around him got into such a broad
laugh that the speaker had to rap them
to order Morrill, and Durham have
always been good friends, and they are