The Portland daily press., 1890-03-15
The Third Mouse.

The Hartford Evening Post has COM
menced series Of articles on Lobbying"
From the first of which, the following is
selected,
1t is exceedingly difficult to reduce
the amount paid for illegal purposes, to
members of q legislature to anything like
exact figures Nobody can know them ac-
curately excepting few of the officers of the
corporations under whose auspices they were
expended.
There are three general classes of reeog-
niZed lObbyists-the regular lawyer poll
ticlans, who deserve the most censure be-
cause they are, as rule, the most unscrupu-
lous and powerful; second, the lawyers who
lower a noble calling to disreputable
purpose, and the mere politicians who are
classed last because they have the least in
huence, although very cunning in their
peculiar way. Some direct: some carry out
these directions and do what is called"the
dirty work" But the lawyers are of only
one class-they reason and expostulate and
eXpOund, all with very grave demeanOr and
an eye solely to the law! OF the lawyer
politicians the most successful lobbyists are
those who have won a high reputation in
times past, have perhaps ruled parties or
have been elected to representative offices.
If they have a continued connection with
either great party nationally IL is all the
the better. If they have been senators or
representatives they are doubly equipped
when everybody else is excluded and can
work up TO the very last minute before
result is declared. Even minor ex-officialS
of the Senate or the House, are not, for
these reasons, to be sneezed at. They are
apt to keep fully acquainted with parlia:
mentary ins and outs and with the tricks OF
pigeon holing or losing paper, If the ext
nency demands it,
This kind of lobbyist is also valuable or
despicable-because he Is able to see that,
when the bill Is engrossed before ii is signed
by the governor, a vital clause or sentence or
even word is dropped, thus rendering
strong measure harmless or harmless one
strong,
For the second class there is little or much
to be said as one prefers-little because it is
best to dismiss with few words strong
class of the community who lend themselves
to perverting the fountain Of justice; much
because 1t requires torrent OF strong words
to properly characterize such breach Of
faith with the people. This class Is sort
of respectable figure head among lobbyists
and reserve, to be called up when needed
to break the peoples ranks.
Fortified with a corps Of leading legal
.a.nd. tue COMBINATIONS who deslr@-s ~. ~. ~
can safely snap then Fingers At al opponents.
and depend pretty confidently upon pushing
through their measures, whether business or
the rankest evil be in them. This class Of
high toned lobbyists are very valuable when
1t Is desired to incorporate company to do
something that is not legal or trife SHADY"
and to deceive the public by calling it some
thing which 1t Is not Mere fgure-he law
yers are even in case of necessity called
in to play the honest man, the friend Of
liberty, the protector Of the public purse.
As, in order to ply their trade, they must
have the aroma Of respectfully about them,
they can cry, stop thiefW without detect
ion. For appearances sake they come in the
main. but they have some work to do in con-
vincing dishonest legislators who wish to be
convinced before their conscience will permit
them to take bride for voting, as they
would If it had lot been paid them. Surely
there Is no dishonesty in taking mans
money if you had intended, conscientiously,
to vote this way? This is Lord Baconism
that has favor In high circles; the halo of a
bogus Christianity and bedeviled civiliza
tion is about it.
The mere politician is frequently obliged
to do what is rightly called dirty work."
He flies through the state as travelling
salesman flies to see the condition of the
goods that have been bought, but are not
paid for. He is valuable at card parties lat
dining and winning; at getting members "set
up" and following them at home and abroad
until the pivotal vote is taken