Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1895-02-21
More Rings Than Saturns.
CHAMP CLARK TELLS OF THE
Willy WAYS OF TUE PUBLIC
SERVANTS IN WASEINGTcN.
They Work For Mutual Interests, But
it is a Mistake to Tank They are
Bribed, Generally Speaking
Champ Clark on Special
Interests"
From the Hannfb, Al lMo.l ! Times

| From the Hannibal MOI Times
To the Editor of the Times.
WASHINGTON, D c., Feb. 6.-You
request me to write an article for your
paper and to choose my own subject.
A man could if he had time, write a
readable article ON the reasons why
special interests get all they want here
and the great body of the people get
very little.
When Henry A. Wise, of Virginia,
made his first run for Congress, he
charged in public speech that Gen.
Cooke, his opponent, was running as a
federalist in one end of the district and
as an anti-federaIist in the other
Cooke gave Eim the lie. Wise knew
| where there was letter written by
Cooke which would prove the truth of
his statement and Cooke also knew
where it wasJ. So as soon as the quar-
rel ended, Wise started after the letter
and Cooke sent his body servant after
| it also. 1t was a neck -and-neck race.
Wise got there first and as he was
| walking ont of the house with the let
ter, he met the negro going in. He
said to the slave: "Go back and tell
your master that when he wants a
thing well done he had better do it
himself.'' AS a matter of history it
may be stated that the letter elected
Wise. He and Cooke fought off duel
in which Cookies elbow was shot and
Wise, began his meteoric career.
But bis message: "Go back and tell
your master that when he wants a
thing well done he had better do it
himself" contains world of wisdom
and applies to many other things in
this life besides political letters. 1t
applies here. 1t accounts for many
things which happen in this delectable
city, which people at a distance can't
understand. If every citizen of the re-
public could stay here month and
would keep his eyes open, he would
soon learn the trick it is done with.
Theoretically Congressman are elected
to represent the people. Really many
of them do no such thing. Many of
them represent coal mines, iron mines,
lead mines, tin mines, shoe factories,
cotton mills, wooden mills, glass facto-
ries, etc., etc., ETC., world without end.
These stand together like stone
wait: They work like beaver, for the
interests of each other. There is sort
of Free Masonry among them and they
all readily recognize the sign of dis
tress.
They all keep their lobbies here.
Like the poor, they are always with
us. Many of these lobbyists are ac-
compiished gentlemen, wise as SER
pents, if not harmless as doves. They
are men of the world and understand
how to display its seductives glories to
those who are willing to look and list
en-. Ex-Senators, ex members of Con-
gress, ex-Governors, retired Generals
and other grandees may be seen al
most any day importuning members to
vote for this or that proposition.
The representative of special inter
ests do not constitute majority of the
whole house, but they manage to get
| most that they want. How? Why?
Go and tell your master that when he
| wants a thing well done he had better
| do it himself.
They have allies. This city has it in
more rings than Saturn boasts. There
is the army ring, the navy ring, the
departmental ring, the revenue cutter
ring and the good Lord knows how
many more rings. The officers of the
army and navy, many of them, have
married into the families of Senators
and Representatives, and in that way,
in addition to the sheer force of num-
bers, have considerable pull.
Again, the town is full of claiments
and jobbers of all sorts and sizes, con-
ditions and graces. They waylay MEM
bers on the streets, in the corridors,
in the hotels, in the street cars
everywhere. They are kind, gracious,
interesting, complaisant-but persist
ent as Old Nick. Each has his own axe
to grind-but they are all to be ground
on the same grindstond. have heard
that slppers, cigars and other delic-
ious galore may be had at their
hands Some members undoubtedly
agree to vote for questionable meas
ures on the same principle the woman
married the Objectionable suitor-to
get rid of him.
Most people are influenced by kind
ness-most insensibly. It's an old
saying, full of truth and wisdom, that
more flies are caught by honey than by
vinegar. My experience and observa-
ton both in the Missouri Legislature
and in Congress, teach me that it is a
great mistake to believe, as many peo-
pie do, that any considerable number
of Representatives and Senators are
bribed directly or even indirectly by
money consideration. Very few
are bought by hard cash. Neyerthe-
/ iSoS Az II AiH Hho "OA1Ai
knock a lobbyist down or cut his throat
if offered a bribe outright, have been
led into devious ways and forbidden
paths by pleasant tete-a-tetes and lit
tie suppers, s25 a plate, at some swell
restaurant.
Many others are overcome by social
influences. Like the Lotus eaters,
they forget home, kindred and friends,
and finally go with the tide. II is SC
much easier than to fight jobs and
make people mad and to be abused by
the newspapers and scowled at by
half the folks you come into daily
contact with A man does not ortfi'
nariIy like to be on bad terms with
those whom he must meet constantly
and this leads many into casting vote'
here which. when first elected, they
could not have been made to believe
they ever would cast.
The special interests are mere on tbs
ground to attend to their own busi
ness and they attend to it diligently
and no mistake. Finally, they double
teams with all private claimants o
any consequence and all pull together