Wichita eagle., 1889-11-27
aails eagle
SECRETS OF THE LOBBY.
CONFESSIONS OF A MEMBER OF
THE THIRD HOUSE,"

CONF SStONS Or MCmOEh Of
THE THIRD HOUSE."
"sizins Up" the House of Representatives
for $500 and the Senate for S25o-Waste
No limo on Your Friends-yaIue OF
Cigars in the Lobbyist Trade.
Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, Nov. An month we
shall have congress with us once more. AL
ready the many persons who hang about the
skirts of that body and pick up the crumbs
which drop from its table are making their
appearance in town. Among these camp
followers, conspicuous among them, are the
lobbyists. The lobbyists are preparing for
their winters campaign, and it is no viola
ton Of confidence to say that they are ex-
Pecting lively and profitable season. With
four cities bidding for the worlds fair Of
1899, and congress pretty well divided in its
preferences, it would indeed be strange if the
professional lobbyist did not get in few
good ticks for himself There is not a profess
sional lobbyist in town who is without hope
of being employed by ono or other Of the
cities which are competing for the worlds
fair. With one of these professional lobby
lists, a man of good reputation In his line Of
business-for even lobbyist may have a
good or bad reputation-a man who has been
employed by various corporations, have had
a very interesting conversation.
81 have worked IN Washington off and on, y
said he. ''for eight or ten years. It does not
do for man in this business to stay here all
the time. He wants to 60 and come. II a
man were to stay all the time in Washington
he would soon become known by everybody,
and that is just what be doesn't want. The
successful lobbyist, at least in my line Of
work, does not want to be a marked man.
He must be able to go and come In the
city, visit members at their rooms or be seen
walking with them on the avenue, without
having the word passed along, there goes
SO and SO, the lobbyist Three years ago 1
had on hand very important and delicate
operation. During the whole winter / never
left my lodgings till after dark I never
went out except in a closed carriage And
during the whole Of that winter was never
at the Capitol.
1.-The common notions about lobbyists and
lobbying are very erroneous. The general
belief is that lobbying consists Of the use Of
money directly. l venture to say that there
has not been a congress in the last ten years
which contained more than half dozen men
whom it would be safe TO approach with
proposition 20 pay money for their votes.
There are a few such men in every congress,
and one or two of that sort have managed to
secure reelection time after time. But these
men are as well known as the names of the
streets, at least to men who are engaged In
the business Of influencing legislation. Their
influence Ia worth nothing, and they are
never bothered with except in cases where
the vote is likely TO be close, and a few friends
are needed, no matter where or how pro-
cured, Or in the few instances in which It is
found necessary to buy such man out of bis
opposition to your measure.
while there are but a few men who can
be approached in person with actual brides
there are many who can be reached indirect
ly. A professional iniuencer of legislation
Like myself, has little to do with the con-
sideration which is held out to members Of
congress. That is the work Of others who
come after US. Our part is ascertalning how
the ground lays aud in preparing the pre-
liminaries The first thing O man in charge
Of measure wants to know Is how it stands
he wants TO know how many friends he has,
and how strong aud loyal they are. Then he
wants TO know who his enezafea are, what
motives or feelings influence them, and how
they can best be reached. II is in this work
thai professional ike myself finds his great
est field of usefulness. l have sized up con-
gress six or @ght times during my work in
W asbington, and it usually takes about a
month of patient, hard work. My terms for
SIZING up the house of representatives are
$500 and for the senate ESQ. The senate has
not one-haf 50 many members as the house,
it is true, but the senators are harder to
reach. As rule you can get at member
Of the house in about half the time it takes to
Bee a senator, and after you have reached the
latter the chances are he won't give you an
inkling of what his standing is ON the ques-
ton in which you are interested.
Managers of bills often make the mistake
of going 10 work without knowing who their
friends are | well remember western rail
way case. The manager was a lawyer, as
smart steel trap, but without experience
In this particular line of work. He spent
several weeks here, and did not seem 10 be
making much progress. He was somewhat
when friend sent him TO me-
| talked with him little while and very
soon discovered that the trouble was he
didn't know his friends from his enemies, and
that he was working too much in the dark.
AS like as not, said ], you have been
wasting your efforts on your friends, who
are all right, anyway. That is mistake
often made here A man wastes his time in
taking care Of men who are with him. and
W ho ere bound to stay with him, at the same
time nsglecting the very men who hold the
fate of the measure in their hands
FINALLY he asked me what would size up
the house for, and told him $500 and the
cigars. He wanted 10 know what the cigar
part Of it meant. and had to explain 30 him.
Actually that man, in charge Of an import
ant bill here, did not know what I meant
when / said he would have to pay for the
cigars. he found ont whsn ! sent him bill
for 500 for 1000 cigars. which l needed in
my work. How could / make use of SO many
fine cigars on a mission like thati In this
way. Every evening | ordered a carriage
and drove TO the houses of members. Inever
was seen at the capitol or about the hotels or
other resorts down town. | had several e1-
cuses in hand TO offer for my calls One
excuse would be more appropriate In one
place than in another, and | tried to cut my
excuse 10 fit the customer.
There was no difficulty on that score. The