The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-30

Big Bill. and Prosperity.
Probably the public is not generally
aware of the fact that when Congress is
ybout to assemble there is always n strong
demand for hank notes Of large denomna-
tions. In ordinary yesrs the haies and
packages which are sent 10 or obtained In
Washington sea kNea aetii needed IN
handy safe aeaestt vaults DC eet contain
hundred or oae Thousand dollars sPseee-
h is; . plea.saa~ commentary eeea tse
hrigaB srasRee;ss ies 8 htsels ard wide,
open Legislative season. sa.ee the present
5eniand fos big 4oles IS almost e.tfeslx
confined 70 tho 1--WE and Ten Thousand aet>
Tar ienoini Nations. the ise hundreds ARA
thousands being enlg reSsAret TOR esa-
vsrie1ce ia making change.
wnstasr- this phenomenon has. II ess
ret. arTeht1g To DO with the determines
tte1 Of Business Interests to slaughter the
Nicaragua Canal project TO LOOT sns
Treasury Of ninety EfIlfoa dollars Of sub
sidy money, to unload the Panama Canal
scheme on the United States, or to buy
of some OF the war taxes, we are unable
TO say. But it is regarded as matter OF
course that every man whose voice in
fiuence, or vote can be utilized in promo
ton of all or any of the various Jobs and
steals which are to be considered BY Con-
gress during the next three months need
not hesitate to contract ahead for a new
country place a schooner Yacht and a
rim around tho world while they are
building
The game n, legislation next winter is
to be without a limit. II will be one at
which only the banker can lose. The
players are bound TO win. Willy old pro-
fessionals. such as head committees and
use young members to pull -heir chest
nuts out OF the nre for men, may try 10
convince their juniors that there Is noun
'ns III u -or s1ae pliia .hat IL Is party
measure anu mus. NC az.
io' "i'nou. ~ A.
e
p0'. y. 90.
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r. ~.ro-
.,,,,;,,., =, .o,a,ras ,,.+ mn Cam
.,or Nv Mer,her should .,lov HE action
unon anv given hill or resolution to be
dictated nv hoss ar caucus until he has
en;oyed an opportuuity TO hear all the
oral written. printed or engraved arsu-
ments that the benefciaries or their lob
byists have to offer.
If there are to be combinations In re-
spect of important questions OF public
policy or private loot. the combining ought
to start with individuals and groups, act
ing for their own interests, and not with
the rounding-up and branding Of SO many
ayers. 1t is true that where that can be
done the lobby would rather deal with a
job lot of statesmen than with single in
dividuals. In addition to this corsidera-
tion, an organized clique OF dozen or
twenty can usually make better terms per
capita than single person could secure.
The risk, too, of the negotiation is much
less in the case of the larger unit 1t
must appear strange to foreigners who
visit Washington and study our institu-
tions that the commercialism connected
with our politics, which is perfectly well
known and recognized as among sound
business Methods is yet frowned on by
The letter Of the law, SO that there is
a Snug pretepce that bribery and cor
ruptfon in one form or another are not
part and an honored part OF our legisla-
tive system.
There is a possibility that even some |
Re presentatives-we will not say Senator's |
are among those who do not know why |
certain public men grow rich on salary /
of FIVE thousand and family expenses Of |
fifty thousand dollars a year. II there \
be such innocents, they should reflect |
hat they may themselves have contrib
i,cd TO that prosperity by furnishing the
votes for which their party bosses got
he reward. Indeed, there has been alto
gether too much of that sort of thing.
rhe few have become miIIicnasres. while
he many have had hard work TO find
themselves a railway pass ahead at the