The Washington times., 1894-03-25
WHERE THE ENTERPRISING
LOBBYIST is LOBBYING,

Outside pressure on Senators and members
is actually terrible. Sugar, iron and whisky
are pretty well cared for but the California
and Florida fruit men are by no means salts
fled, and the wool men of Ohio and the
South and West haye buckled their
armor on anew. They are not so conf
dent as they were week ago, but still
they do not have the appearance Of being
cast down in an undue degree. As soon as
the fate of the Bland bill is determined the
stock exchange lobby will be ready for new
deals with some of the other trusts to secure
help against any further silver legislation.
This is one Of the shrewdest lobbies now in
Washington. 1t ramifes every state and
through the various boards of trade wields q
powerful influence. The sugar, whisky and
iron trusts plead only for themselves, but
the exchange lobby makes specious claim
Of being interested only in legislation as it
may affect the whole country for good or
evil. This gives them powerful leverage,
and through the concurrent action Of the
various boards Of trade they can make it
readily apparent that the concensus Of opinion
among business men is that any proposed
measure will have very injurious effect on
business. They add to this line of argument
the other little devices, like banquets. stock
speculation, etc,
The lobby against the income tax feature Of
the tariff bill is under the direction OF the
board of trade, and that part OF the Wilson bill
yrfll he MT a ct ad utb tarrihIa ara~,,. x,;.h;n
the next ten days. An effort will be made to
secure from The President veto of the whole
bill II it finally contains that feature. 1t is
known that he is at heart opposed to such a
tax and the lobbyists claim that the income
tax cannot be passed over his veto and that
the Democrats of the Senate and House
viii strike it from the bill rather than let the
whole fail. But they propose to kill it in the
Senate, if possible, and not take any unnec-
essary risks.
The Pacific railroad lobby has been very
active during the past two or three days, and
the proposed s4o,OOO,OOO suit by the govern
ment will very likely die an early death. The
government has never yet been able to defeat
this influence. In connection with the Pacific
railroad lobby is the general railroad interest.
The plea is urged that the interstate
commerce law has almost paraiyzed railroad
building and wrecked many of those
in operation. They claim that fully four
ffths Of the railroads now in the hands of the
receivers have been driven there by the oper-
ations Of the Cullom law, and that but very
few of the lines in the country can be sue
cessfully operated under the provisions OF
that act. They also have figures to show that
this condition operates just as iniuriously on
the farmers. The railroads are fighting as
much for the iron and coal combines as for
themselves.
New light is being shed each day on the
operations Of the various trusts and combines
here in Washington, and little by little their
devious tracks are known. Congressman are
beginning to fight shy of known lobbyists. A
night or two ago some friends sent their cards
to the room of a certain prominent Congress
man at one Of the uptown hotels. They
were somewhat astonished when the answer
was returned that he was not in, as one
Of them had seen him go up but moment
before. They waited little, and again sent
up their cards. The same answer was re-
turned As they turned away, well-known
lobbyist sauntered up, and requested that his
card be taken up to the same room. Soon
the bellboy returned with a request that the
lobbyist walk up. All this took place in the
pre- sence Of the gentlemen who had been in
formed the Congressman was out. They
concluded to stay about awhile. During the
evening the Congressman, who was not in
to his friends, managed to find time to hold
lengthy conferences with the representatives
of three different trusts.