The morning news., 1894-09-02
The WOMAN LOBBYIST,
She Still FlOuriSheS and FTOSpeTS in
Washington.

Aocomplished-The Capitol Still Of
fers a Rich Field for Insinuating
Feminine Schsmers.
From the St. Louis Republic.
Washington, Aug. 9.-The woman
Iobbvist is necessarily a character of in
tense interest. Her deftness or her bold
ress-the delicate secrecy or the innocent
oneness of her movements gives to what
she accomplishes or attempts a peculiar
fascination.
She moves in various ways her purposes
to perform. Sometimes she wins by her
beauty the attentions of the representa-
tive whom she wishes to influence and
transforms his reason into her way of
thinking by logic that is fair and proper.
Sometimes she enters the committee
rooms and, disdaining personal influence,
appears as a legal advocate to instruct
and to convince. Again, in the privacy of
the home circle, where the test of wits is
50 subtle that it results in natural agree
ment and does not appear a test at all
she weaves an invisible web in which the
unsuspecting legislator rejoices in being
ensnared.
Oftentimes, when a members vote can
not De secured for a particular measure,
the woman lobbyist will secure an inter
view before the vote is cast and keep him
merrily chatting in the restaurant below
over a glass of lemonade or a Manhattan
cocktail, while on the floor above the
measure is voted upon and passed because
Of his absence.
LOBBYING AS A FINE ART.
Most frequently, perhaps, the influence
Of the lobbyist is exerted, not directly,
but through third parties, VINO, for old
friendships sake, or other reason, are
able to control the easy-going congress
man. This is always plausible, because
the influence that does the work is
known to be disinterested, while the
primary influence that pulls the
string behind the scene is not known at
all
Lobbying, you know, is the
process of influencing members
of a legislative body to vote for
a particular measure or to carry
out particular purpose. The measure
or the purpose may be altogether right
The influences that accomplish it may be
as open as sunlight,
Every transaction that takes place in re-
gard thereto may be ecommendable. Lobby
ing in good cause is good work But a
good cause seldom needs the art of the
lobbyist. This art is most frequently
applied, therefore, in the interest of per
sonal plans, corporation schemes, REIN
bursement for expenditures of every kind
and all of that funny class of legislation
generally known as Jobs"
The lobbyist most seen at the Capitol
lobbying in its simplest ferm-is for posi-
tions. The ottice-seeking public regard
congressman as the political Jimmy that
breaks into the departments At all
hours of the day and at all days of the
session the fair seekers after place besiege
their representatives.
There be those experienced women lob
byists, also, who conduct an Office broker
age business securing through their
special pulp the influence of this or
that representative or senator, while the
consideration TO themselves is certain
per cent of the salaries secured by their
prOteges.
There are many innocent souls who
gladly offer money to anyone who will
secure them position. Very often dur
ing transactions of this sort, and during
all the continuous struggle for favors of
influence or legislation, the atmosphere
Of strict propriety bristles With interro-
CATION points.
HER WORK IN THE PAST.
lODUNlDR
Washington by women for large stakes in
matters of legislation has well nigh
passed. The time was when an explosion
at the capitol would have killed whole
droves OF them. Now one is rarely seen
Those few who lobby at all do so in the
quietude of the home or the social circle,
doing what they do with such careful
adroitness that hardly anyone realizes
that it is done at all.
During times gone by women aided in
securing the passage of all sorts of pri-
yate and public schemes and enterprises;
the payment of extra charges in expired
mail contracts, reimbursements to ship
builders and other contractors for extra
funds caused by the rise of material
after the contracts were made; payment
for all kinds of property destroyed by the
war, and subsidies of many kinds The
Gardiner claim and the Galpin claim,
about which much has been written, were
both manipulated through the influence
of women.
Away back in the sos one of the instru-
mentalities of brilliant lobbyist was the
game oi viugt-et-un, which was dealt at
her home. She was prominent in Wash
lngtOn society, belonged to a very inhu-
entail family and lived imam elegantly
furnished mansion. Upon the sideboard
near the players were displayed all kinds
of wines, cigars and other things to tempt
and delight the taste.
The appointments of the apartments
were such as would have graced first
class faro bank in the days of Pendleton,
Brlndlev and Billy Marquis, who were
kings of the green cloth in the ante-bel-
lum days. Here might be seen almost
any evening senator's, representatives,
Judges and other high government Of
hclals mingling in the throng of hand
some and brilliant women. At the table
the hostess dealt the game herself, and
her winnings, it was said, furnished the
revenue for keeping up her princely estab-
lshment. She did not lobby herself, but
she gathered together the expert women
lobbyists of the time, who at her home
phed their vocation upon the conscript
fathers with admirable success
The outbreak of the war stopped, for a
time, the occupation of the lobbyist. Dur
ing the war however, very large sale to
the government of worthless guns i'm
ported from France and Belgium was
secured by the adroit manipulation Of a
woman
After the war congress was literally
deluged with war claims of every descrip-
tlon. For the payment of most Of them
no law existed A large proportion of
them fell into the hands of claim agents
many of whom were eX-members, who
were fully posted in the machinery of
congress, and who knew well that a
Shrewd woman lobbyist was the most
potent influence that could he brought to
oear upon many Of their former associ-