Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-19

written Tor The Evening Ssar.
There has always been a mystery about
that elusive body commonly called the lob
by. or the third house" The term as gen.
orally accepted has come to embrace all
the persons who make a business OF at
tempting TO promote or influence legisla-
ton. OF course. there are a good many
ways OF influencing. or attempting TO influ-
snce. legislation. A good deal Of this kind
Of work is done openly by attorneys. who
appear before committees and make argu-
mentS for or against measures. This, of
course. is considered as perfectly legiti-
mate practice and not regarded as lobby
Ing so far as that term Is applied ofen-
sively. Then there is popular notion that
there is a class of men who work upon in
dividual members of Congress in various
ways to secure their interest in measures.
These men are supposed TO use many wiles
to accomplish their purposes Lunches and
dinners and entertainments of various
kinds resorted TO. it is said. to induce an
amiable and complacent mood in Congress-
men, Then there is talk now and then of
the use. or attempted use, of money directly
In securing votes. rumors about great lob
bies organized to represent vast interests
and having hundreds of thousands OF dol
lars to spend in buying votes. Disclosures
might Indicate that there are some persons
ready to undertake to corrupt Congress.
Pauline Pry'' recently made a practical
experiment for The Star to ascertain the
methods followed by those who take charge
OF matters before Congress. None Of the
men with whom she came in contact would
admit. Of course, that he considered him
self as a lobbyist Some of them were prac-
ticing attorneys who were willing for fee
to do what they could to secure an amend
ment to the tariff bill They undertook to
do what attorneys a rule would regard
as perfectly legitimate business. There
were others who proposed to make use of
personal influence. Pauline Pry's" story
Is full Of graphic interest, as portraying a
phase OF life much talked OF, but OF which
little is really known. To the credit of Con-
gress. as well as of the men who undertook
the work of promotion" there was scarce
~ any suggestion of bribery. or. indeed. If
anything worse than the use of money in
lunches and theater tickets; m fact, when
the use of money was proposed these men,
supposed to know all the ways on Congress,
declared 1t impossible. But let Pauline
Pry' herself tell how she attempted to get
an amendment on the tariff bill and got a
glimpse into the third house"
To arrive at the actual facts Of lobbying
l inserted In the personal column of The
star the following advertisement: sF4|
A CHICAGO LADY, HAVING AN IMPORTANT
matter TO bring before Congress, would like to
engage the services OF familiar with
me processes OF legislation For further particu
lars address CHICAGO LADY, Star Once.
A large number of replies heaped up in
answer to this Observation-Disclosures rang
ing in form from scrawling assurances of
ilice-ate shysteTs to the elegant tender of
their services from prominent attorneys
who inclosed handsomely engraved refer
enceS by permission" to Just about every
rOtable man in the United States.
In substance, these letters covered every
thing in human nature, including woman's