The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-02-06
THE PACIFIC RAILROAD LOBBY
How the Monopoly Has Be-
sieged Congress.
Millions Spent by Huntington and
His Agents.
Huntington Kept on "High Ground
How Elevated It Was IL Revealed
by Hts Statements.

| fifty wears longer have maintained their pow
| er by persistent lobbying at Washington ana
by occasional dealings with state Legislatures
and officials.
The Dynasty of chief lobbyists at Washington
| for the Central Pacific and Southern Pacific
has been, first. Theodore d. Judah; secono'
| Coils p Huntington, who has had supervising
and often immediate charge ever since Mr.
Judah's death in 1863; tn I'd, Richard Fran
! chot. who died in 1885, fourth, Col c. II. sher-
rill. who died about the beginning OF 1857
| fiji h, John Boyd. present incumbent
HUNTINGTON DEFINES LOBBYIST"
Mr.. Huntington doesn't accept the title OF
lobbyist. Here is his own definition OF the
| term (see testimony, etc, p 3730):
| lobbyist is a man who stays around the
capitol and picks up any sort of work he can
get A man who goes there as the regular
agent for some legitimate business and attends
| to that business and nothing else, do not call
a lobbyist.
| Sach a one, in the interest of a great corpora
ton. seeing members, arguing with them
doing what he can to promote its interests, is
''an agent of the company" very delica e
distinction, please note.
The absolute honor and trustworthiness
at least two OF the excellent gentlemen is
vouched for by Mr.. Huntington, who begins
by vouching for his own. In a letter to Cen
eral Cotton, January %, 1876. he says, refer
Texas and Pacific railroad scheme.
Scott is askine for so much that he can prom
Use largely to pay when he wins t$4OUOou oO
he says in another placel, and you know l
keep OH high ground
Perhaps he thought that, like coon up a
high tree, he couldn't be got at In this in
dorsement of his own check on the moral bank ::
keep on high ground so that we cannot be
hurt by any Investigation.
IT. a.
is TO lie lamented; but it is charitable to sup
pose that Mr.. Huntington intended to avow a
lofty morality as his style of action in lobby
ing.
There arc. however, other more positive
statements of delicacy of feeling as to dealings
with public persons. In explaining to the
commission of 1887 one of his letters to Gen.
Cotton, Mr.. Huntington said
always told our people to keep on 'high
ground " as expires ed it; to fix them all as
well as they could. but never to buy vote. l
was always firm on that point. Under no con-
sideration would we give. money for vote.
even if votes could be obtained, because that is
not right. and it was easy to demonstrate that
| our propositions were all in the interest of the
public. 1t costs money to fix these things all
the time.
This last proposition seems a little discon-
nected, but it is clear that Mr. Huntington
means that nothing in the world would inauce
him to do anything wrong.
COMPELLED TO EXPLAIN"
He recurs little later to his ex PLANTATION
about fixing" or as he usually calls 1t, lex.
planning" He says he had not expected that
so much of my time would have been taken up
as has been for the last few years in explaining
to congress Still we have to rise and
explain, and explain, and explain. What for
do not know
Mr.. Huntington said further to the commits
sion Testimony, p. 3715) that he and his peo-
pie had never used money to influence legisla-
ton "in any way whatever" adding:
1have given instructions to my people never
to use any money in any immoral or illegal
sense. but to bring proper influences to bear to
get votes, and only proper influences.
Having thus boosted himself upon high
moral ground, Mr. Huntington proceeds to
show by praising General Franchot, what vir-
tuous men he employed at Washington. 1t is
certainly true that his praises might BIO con-
strued as equivalent to old Dean Richmond's
famous definition lit was for railroad lobbying
who will stay bought " But Mr.. Huntington
would not admit this. He said Testimony, p
24J:
FRANcHoT's EXPENSES.
Franchot always had great many expenses
in Washington, and when he wanted some
~ whom 70 hnd
known since was a boy, and he had my entire
confidence, and there were a thousand things
to attend to That is, there were many; do
no say exactly thousand.
How touching this scrupulous numerical ex-
actitude land again:
He was a most beautiful, clean man. He
never used dollar i'll his life hat the law, in
its most sensitive sense, would not bear him
out in.
General Franchot's salary was $4,000 a
year and he received besides Mr.. Huntington
saws, about $50, 900 or $4,000 a year, which
he thought iii and for which there were no
vouchers.
Colonel Sheriff., who succeeded General
Franchot had only $1,000 year salary.
and about $50, 900 or 1000 to be paid out
and not accounted for. These unvouched
items were entered as illegal expenses or
"miscellaneous expenses" proper inhu-
ences" would have been good entry for them.
MORE "ExPLAINING. "
Mr. Huntingtons explanation of these unde-
fined expenses is discouraging, as it indicates
extremeohickne,s of head in the average con-
gresham. He says Testimony p. 38l:
We had TO get men to explain a thousand
things A man who has not had the expert
ence could hardly imagine the number OF peo-
pie that you have to explain the matters to-
And again (testimany, p 3s):
You have to explain. Now, this committee
can 60 aud build three or four thousand miles
of railroad and thew will attack you from ev-
crv direction, and you have got to explain. and
YOU have to pay for the explanation. Not to
| buy votes, but to explain and bring influence
| moral influence-to bear.
O. In addition to explaining with words, do
| YOU not suppose they explain with champagne
| and expensive dinners?
| A. Very likely. l rever gave dinner in
Washington.
O. / am talking about the use made Of your
| money. Was not a great deal of it spent in
A. / think Not so much. but perhaps
nf n ~ n
| dosn aud explain in the broadest sense what
| we. wanted done.
| Messrs Franchot and Sheriff. were head
"explainers' in Washington from 1862 to
! 1886. In this period OF twenty four years. ii
| we accept Mr. Huntington's larger estimate OF
| $4,000 wear. they spent $96O,U00 in Tex
| planning" besides their own salaries, 1920,
| 600 In all this was 81, $3.50, 900 worth of ex-
| planation'' alone. This indicates great con.
| gressional thckheadedness, surely. And it
does not include $l,sOo,o00, generally
| supposed to have been p.id out to de-
| feat one single rival ente rprise-Mr. SCOTS
| Texas and Pacific railroad.
CHIEF ExPLAINER BOYD.
| Mr. Sheriff. was succeeded as chief tex
| palmer" by John Boyd, who at present fills
| the chair. In order to keep up his high stand
| ard of lobby morality Mr. Huntington has Sc
| lected in Mr.. Boyd man Of eminent virtue.
| He is a prominent member Of Calvary Baptist
| church IN Washington and Is punctnal at
| PRAYER meetings and constant and gifted in
| prayer. How important piety and prayer
| fulness to good-that is n noral--lobbyist is
| ,,o,1 oho,pp in Mr. Royd,s A falIow IN o M