The National tribune., 1899-08-31

THIRD HOUSE OF CONGRESS.
There are many by-paths leading of
from the broad road of legislation, and
sometimes the most honorable and level.
headed men in Congress have found them
selves thwarted by some unseen force, and
bills carried or defeated in spite of facts
and figures that should have brought
the opposite result. And there have been
occasions when these very men, upon whom
the people do rely for correct legislation
for the country is blessed with many such
in Congress,-have successfully carried a
measure through, and have found it made
dead letter after it left their hands "by
ways that were dark and tricks that were
vain"
/ recall an instance of the kind that
occurred during the Worlds Fair Exposi-
ton. The Legislative Committee, with
Mrs. Potter Palmer of the Board of Lady
Managers, came to Washington to further
the interests of the women on the JurieS of
Award-not only that the Board should
appoint the women Judges, but that such a
proportion of the money should explicitly
be given into their hands to pay the women
Judges.
lLiS "oS Dltttlly Sleih
man of the Committee of Awards and some
Of the members of his committee. In due
time Mr.. Springer telegraphed Mrs Palmer
that the bill had passed and gone to the
President. Ere many days whisperings
were rife that the Chairman had been tele-
graphing some of his friends that the bill
had passed Congress, but it was a dead
letter-"they still had some friends at
court"
1t was on Friday that Mrs. Palmer re-
ceived this information. The President
must sign the bill by Monday. Mrs.
Palmer was very uneasy. l left Chicago
Friday night, coming by the Chesapeake
& Ohio Railway to Washington. Some
where after dark, in the mountains, we left
the cars for supper Face to face as we
sntered the dining-room we met one of Mr..
Thatcher's committee en- route for Wash
tngton. We Were both somewhat con-
fused. We did not meet again until Mon
day in the corridors of the Capitol.
saw Senator Allison, and told him my
story. He said: your bill is all right.
Telegraph Mrs. Palmer say So"
then saw one or two of the members.
All said the same thing-that there could
left, and went to the State Department,
and took the Chief Clerk into our conf
dence. told him we had every reason to
believe the bill had been tampered with,
and requested that he let me see the en-
crossed bill. We read, and lol it was
small matter, but there it was-only the
changing of one small figure that placed it
in the wrong Congress.
The error was Immediately telephoned
President Cleveland, and the orders were
quickly given what to do. / sat there until
the error was corrected and the bill had the
signature of the President, and then the
telegram did go to Chicago that the bill
was law. 1t would not be strange if, after
all the Vaccinations for defeat had been
thwarted, and the Board of Lady Managers
had come off victorious in just cause,
they should feel a double obligation to the
friends in Congress who had fought this
bill through, in spite of a third house op-
position. But where or on whom to fix
. the blame after the bill passed Congress we
do not care TO know; it is enough that the
opposition knew on whom to depend, and
had they not been so sure that they could
not keep it to themselves, the trip would
not have been made to the Capitol, and the
bill would have been a dead letter.
Il Is not so many years ago that the
widow of a naval officer began a series of
dinner parties. There were numerous
men in Congress who, sooner or later, were
wined and dined at this house, and so
when the day came for bill to be voted
upon that would place almost princely
fortune into her hands for naval inventions
OF her husband while in the United States
service (every one knows the law on that
point, could these men, who had been so
elegantly entertained, vote against bill
that would benefit their fair hostess? Not
bit of it. And i am almost glad they
did it, le=. because she is a woman-if it
had not been against the law.
Weese it is not always the high priestess
of the third house" nor mine host" alone in
whsse hands gastronomy has become a
Gne art.
The question is often asked, Why do
these lobbyists use so much money? In
the first place, they do not work for moth
Ing, and the next place, il is put where it
will does the most good. We believe there
are scores Of Congressman that a lobbyist
would not dare approach with bribe
And yet it is known in many cases money