The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1899-1900, 1899-10-18
M'LEAN AND SILVER.
WHY HE FIRST PRETENDED TO FAVOR
THE MOVEMENT.

A shrewd Schema TO Protect His Enor.
nous Profits In the Washington @ 's
Company AID How He Boosted Of II
TO His Friends.
John r. Mclean is the principal
owner Of the Washington Gaslight
company. 1t is great money maker,
and a monopoly. The company charges
$1.5O thousand feet for gas, and for
years congress has been trying to re-
duce the price to 81. 1t was consid-
cred necessary for the company to
maintain a costly lobby at each ses-
sion OF congress to prevent legislation.
"a couple Of years ago, says the Los
Angeles (Cal.) Times, John took the
lobbying in hand himself. The house
had passed bill reducing the price of
gas to 81 thousand feet. The bill
was pending in the senate.
One day Mclean met the late Sena-
tor Harris of Tennessee on Pennsyl-
Vania avenue. Harris was a bluff,
hard-swearing, straightforward, hon
est and simple-minded man. He was
the ranking Democrat on the District
of Columbia committee, the committee
that has jurisdiction on all legislation
relating especially to Washington. Nc
Lean shook hands with the senator
and told him that he was making an
elaborate study Of the free coinage
question, and that he regarded it as
the future great issue in American
politics.
and" said he, "by the way, l am
told that the Bimetallic league is do
ing some good work. How are you off
for funds to send out documents?"
Harris told him the league had no
funds, and its work was consequently
retarded. Come In here" said Nc
Lean, as they reached a store, "and
will make a contribution. He gave
Harris a check for $1,000. The sena-
tor went off to the capitol, called the
free coinage senators about him in the
cloak room, exhibited the check and
extolled Mclean as patriot. A couple
Of weeks later Harris and Mclean
again met, and Mclean gave the sena-
tor another check for $1,000 to help
spread free coinage literature. Harris
again extolled John to his free coinage
colleagues.
A couple Of weeks later John ap-
peared in the room of the committee
on the District of Columbia, and his
face looked long, and his voice was
sad. He told Senator Harris that be-
cause of his advocacy of free coinage,
some of the rich people Of Washington
were trying to ruin him by destroying
property values in which he was in
terested. Harris became properly in
dignant. Mclean complained the
house had passed a bill that would
cripple the gas company. He was the
largest owner, and the measure was
aimed at him. The bill was now be-
fore Harris committee, and he wanted
to explain about it. Harris, of course,
was certain that Mclean was a victim
OF goid-bug persecution. He swore a
mighty oath that Mclean should be
protected and that the obnoxious bill
should never leave his committee, and
1t didn't After the adjournment of
congress, John, at Chamberlain's one
night, was having fun with some pro-
fessional lobbyists. He told how the
gas company for ten years paid $4,000
to prevent gas legislation at each ses-
sion Of congress, but that when he
took the matter in hand himself It
only cost the company $4,000. This
explains John RS fondness for free
coinage.
John RS plot against Bryan shows
that he is no more sincerely for free
silver today than he was when he '1ob-
bied" with it to continue the extortion-
ate profits of the Washington Gas COM
pany.