The leader., 1895-08-20
ARP ON BRIBERY.
One Who Understands the An
Gives Him Some Points.
Lobbyists are Very shrewd Men They Get
ON the Weak Side of People They
Want to Work-A sto-
~ of . Tramp


tricks that are vain" is rapidly in
creasing in the south. Every day the
papers tell of new schemes and frauds
and shortcuts whereby to get money
without working honestly for it, and
most of them by persons who have
good manners, good education and who
wear good clothes. Diamond Charley
10 very much of gentleman, and is
smart enough to make fortune at any
reputable profession. If he would turn
his wits that way he could succeed as a
politician and go to congress--what
perversity of nature it is that inclines
such men to prefer dishonest and dam
gerous methods we cannot tell. AZ a
rule, these swipdlers are not malicious.
They would not rob nor do personal
violence, but will commit forgery or
perjury or embezzlement or larceny
with an easy conscience and all on the
principle that justified cook we used
to havc-"You all don't miss what
takes" The state. the government,
the railroads and the rich are consider
ed by some very respecta BILE people as
legitimate subjects for plumber. The
methods of plunder differ only in kind.
1t may be done by tricks of law in the
courthouse or by bribery in the legis-
lature. l was talking to friend-a
man of affairs-about this thing of bril-
berry, and said ! wondered how it was
done; that would be afraid the first
man / approached with bribe would
haul away and knock me down. "Oh, y
said he, lit must not be done that way.
Professional lobbyists know how to ap-
proach a man. In the first place they
are good judges of human nature, and
soon have a mans weak point. his blind
side, as it were. If he is under cloud
of debt they find it out and work on his
nancial embarrassment Sometimes
there is a woman in the case; some
times it is office the fellow wants for
his son. and the lobbyist shows him
how he can accomplish his desires.
have been in Washington great deal
and watched these big schemers. who
want their bills put through the COM
mittee. I knew millionaire who
didn't mind spending $50, 900 session
for promoting his measures. / have
known him to lose a thousand dollars
q night at poker while playing with a
United States senator. / knew the SEN
ator who won $1,000 from him in two
weeks, and yet he was a far better
player than the senator. He let him
win SO as to place him under an uncon-
scious obligation, for no generous,
hearted man would keep his money and
vote against his bill. The senator was
brainy. gifted, eloquent man who
stood high in the nation and does vet.
but he was poor and needed the money
to keep up his extravagant family. OF
course it wouldn't do to approach such
. man with direct offer of money for
his vote"
This was q revelation to me. read
not long ago an account of the death of
John A. Morris, the lottery king, in
which his biographer. who was his
friend, said that he was a most philo.
sophie Judge of human nature and did
not hesitate to buy juries and judges
and lawyers andlegislatures and men,
bcrs of congress, and that the only tri-
bunal he never dared to tackle was the
supreme court of the United States
And yet he was big-hearted and gener-
GUS and gave away in charity not less
than half million dollars year and
made no noise about it; that when he
died he was educating and supporting
In generous, lavish style dozen or
more orphan girls and among them
were two daughters of General John B
Hood.
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