The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-14


tlonal reputation. He owned paper in
Washington at the time and was paid
$4,000. Another editor got s., 900.
The persons on Mr.. Irwin's list appeared
one after another and admitted that they
had received these munifcent sums. Some
had divided with others. But one and
all swore vigorously that not dollar had
been pald by them to any member of con-
gress. AS far as supposed bribery of
congressman was concerned, the inquiry
was dead failure. AS revelation of
the ways and profits of the lobby, it was
startling success.
Irwin came to Washington in Febru-
airy, took a house which he made the
headquarters of the lobby, and in three
months spent $40, 900 in entertaining
This was his statement to the committee,
He organized lobby and spent 100000
in maintaining it until the bill became
law. Then he came into possession of the
S15OO0O, which had been made contingent
on success, and proceeded to redeem the
promises made before the bill passed,
man named Averill, who had been a
collector of internal revenue in the inte-
rlor OF New York state, was in Washing
ton at the time for the purpose of pro-
noting several enterprises. He received
note at his hotel asking him TO call upon
Mr.. Irwin at his headquarters. He did
so.
He told me, ;" said Mr. Averill, "that
he had received letter from New York
suggesting me as q good person to assist
him in a certain work that he wanted
done. He said that / was probably aware
Of the character of that work; that had
seen from the papers he was here for the
purpose of procuring the passage of the
Pacific Mail steamship subsidy bill 1
told him had seen it. Then he said:
- want you to take hold of this matter
and assist me in what want done here.
l think YOU can do me great deal of good
here Mr.. Stockwell (the president of
the company and myself have both be-
come convinced that there is a very ex-
tensiVe combination here to defeat the
passage of this subsidy, that money is be-
ing used for that purpose. l want to find
out, IL | can, who the men are that are
here for that purpose, and what they are
doing, and, if possible, want to check
them in every direction. Their efore,
want you to take hold of the case ana do
all you can to assist me-
81 said to him that if did take hold of
it should have to neglect my other bust
ness.
Said he: You are pretty well ac-
quainted here aud in New York, and YOU
know exactly what l W ant
Il then said that if did take hold of it
at all, | would dol upon certain condi-
tions-that should receive 80, 600, 81, 900
down and the balance when the bill
passed. Mr.. Irwin agreed to that propo-
sltlon, and he paid me 81 900. l put my
self, in the course of day or two, in q
position to know what was going on with
reference to the adverse influences.
talked with parties about the hotels and
at the capitol, and learned in q quiet way
everything that l could on the subject
AS soon as learned, as | did on almost
every corner and at every turn, that there
were men here opposing the bill, and that
1t was question of who had the most
money, l informed him of the fact | felt
my way along as well as l could, and
whenever heard any name of any i'm
portance, reported it to Gov Randall |
understood that Gov. Randall was pre-
pared to deal with these parties and get
them out of the way. The other money
was paid to me in nine 81 900 bills 1t is
but just that l should say that l never
spoke to amember or officers of the House
on the subject, except in some general
way as, What do you think the pros
poets of the bill are2 or something of
that kind"
Averill's story illustrates very we'll how
the lobby was organized and how it
worked. The Gov. Randall to whom he
reported was the ex-Postmaster General.
He had charge of that branch of the work
WIiCu StAbuCCu LIlC ODpOSlLIOu sentiment
to the bill. In carrying out his plan of
campaign Gov. Randall distributed about
$3.50
In the course of the Pacific Mail legis-
lation there was a $780, 900 transaction
which had much of the queerness and
mystery of the lobby about it. Lyman
Gilmore was lawyer at that time, having
offices in both New York city and Wash
ington Mr.. Elmore had no connection
xvtfh - ofR 40 40
never employed in the interest of the sub
sidy, and never handled a dollar of the
money. Yet he told this pulling story:
CAT my office in Washington there were
from twenty to fifty people calling, and /
met and was introduced to a great many
people at saloons and elsewhere. In this
way was introduced to a gentleman by
the name of Gen. Smith. | met him prob
ably three or four times during the
spring. One day while l was passing
from the treasury down F street, he was
talking with group Of gentlemen. He
called me and came up to me in the mid
die of the street. He asked me if knew
the attorney of the Pacific Mail Steam
ship Company. | said that it was Mr..
Irwin. | do not know him except by
sight.
"'No,' he said, he is the agent. mean
the attorney in New York You have
New York Office, have you notl'
Il said that probably knew most of
the attorneys in New York. He said:
They are to send over their attorney
to pay me some money. Have you any
objection to identify mel'
II told him certainly not. I went
along down the street. Three or four
days passed, when one morning John G..
Schumacher came into my Office and threw
down a check for $50, 600 saying:
g 4 was instructed to give that check
to YOU.
II did even pick it up. l saw it lie
there. | said, Not for me; you are mis-
taken
No. said he, the Pacific Mail Steam
ship Company told me to pay that to you
or TO somebody whom you were to iden-
tify.'
Il told him that I knew who the gen
tleman was and would see him during the
day probably and would let him know.
~ remember making this remark:
you are not going to pay in check, are
your
at has got--even without any neces-
sity existing for it, probably-that men
rather object here in Washington to re-
ceiving checl xs-even checks payable to
bearer-espeelally If the checks are in
connection with legislation, for fear of
suspicion attaching TO them. / allude TO
the uneasy timidity which exists for fear
there might be suspicion attached to
the receipt Of a check. 1t runs through
out almost all transactions although II