The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-01-14
now MUCH RAILROADS PAY
LOBBYISTS.

| one of the healthiest signs that what
was called Organism in the late cam
/ paign has taken strong hold of the people
was the the action of Congress on the
| Pacific Funding bill in the face Of the
work VI strong railroad lobby, the
House defeated the bill chat the railroad
owners had spent thousands of dollars to
pass. This shows that when the light of
investigation and publicity is turned on
| such schemes, the lobby is confounded.
Mr. Huntington very boldly admitted
that the companies spent two millions Of
dollars i'm employing lobbyists, or agents
as he calls them, to appear before Con-
gress, legislatures, and other organiza-
tions and explain their interests to the
lawmakers, and admits that he spent
money in Washington in explaining his
interests TO the members of Congress. In
his examination before the Senate com
mittee this colloquy took place between
Senator Morgan and Mr. Huntington,
viz:
Senator Morgan: IL do not want TO
try to prove that you paid money to mem
bers of legislatures or to members of the
House or Senate | do not think that has
any particular bearing on this particular
case Mt his particular time"
Mr.. Huntington: "Still. | would like
to say as q witness, when that question
comes up, that never did pay any money
to anybody directly to influence his vote
OF course l might hire somebody to go
and explain a bill to q member of the
Legislature or TO a member of Congress,
and get him to vote for it by giving him
all the facts in the case. | understand
the trouble to be that legislators have so
much to do that they can not examine
every subject; and while | can not get
to talk with them, almost every member
has somebody in his district who knows
him and who can sit down beside him
| and talk the matter over with him. |
can not do so if / would, and ] have to
get it done by others. l see that the
great London and Northwestern Rail
way spent 100000 to get their charter
through Parliament, and nobody sup
posed that they bought a vote with it.
Senator Morgan IF they did not buy
votes, they violated the English custom.
We have not yet got to that as a regu-
lar business"
Mr.. Huntingdon "T suppose that it was
paid TO attorneys"
Senator Morgan: This report of the
commission states that you had paid out
very large sum Of money in this way"
Mr.. Huntington; 'They state it Mt over
| $2,000,0O0. | told them that it must be
more than that"
Senator Morgan You told them so in
your deposition?
Mr. Huntington: II think | did. One
railroad man told me not long ago that
in Albany he always calculated to spend
| $3.50, 900 a year for attorneys to go there
and explain matters"
Senator Morgan: did that $2,000,000
which you spent come out OF your private
| pocket"
Mr.. Huntington: NO"
Senator Morgan: Where did it come
| fromg
| Mr.. Huntington: From the Contract
and Finance Company, l suppose"
| Governor Russell did well, to follow up
| his argument in favor OF annulling the
ninety-nine year lease of the North Caro-
| lin, Railroad by a vigorous assault on the
| lobby. He said:
Among the evils that beset honest
| legislators is the system OF lobbying.
But let it be remembered that fire.
| quently legislative Hobbies swarm with
| concealed and hired representatives
| of corporate and other interests who
| seek to promote or prevent measures
| in which their concern is purely pecu-
/ MARY. These men are frequently
| trained politicians and lawyers. They
| represent one side, and often the side
| that is antagonistic to the real well
| fare OF the State. The people have
| no lobby. These old bearers Of bur-
| dens, the common people, are never
| heard except through their selected
| representatives"
| Already there are and have been lobby
| lists here working to prevent any action
| looking to the annulment Of the lease.
More will come.
| Ii they are Democrats they will come
in the guise of guardians of the Demo
cratic party, protesting against permitting
| the Republicans to undo the work Of
| Democratic Governor. IL they are Re
| pubIicans they will tell their friends that
| the lease was made by the Democrats,
and that it will hurt the Republican
| party to have anything to do with 1t.
| If they are Popuists they will say that
/ everybody knows their party would be
/ opposed to the lease as an original pro-
| position, but that it is none OF their bust
ness to undo what has been done. Every
| one of these lobbyists will come here
on free passes, and very few of them
will tell the legislators they are here as
paid lobbyists. They will be visiting
| statesmen" working for the public veal,
and all that But they will not deceive
| any except those who want to be de-
| ceived.
| The Committee on Railroads ought to
invite hearing, so that the advocates
of the lease can present their argument,
and at this hearing the attorneys can pre-
sent, without subjecting themselves to
| criticism such facts and figures as they
rest their case upon. Beyond this, the
lobbyist ought not to be heard.