The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-04-23

"THE LOBBY" IN WASHINGTON
One of the vetern lobbyists, who ha:
eked out a precarious existence arounG
the capital for the last quarter of {
| century, remarked to the writer few
| days ago: There is no money for US
in all this wind jamming' about
Puerto Rico and the Philippines. The
talk about the constitution following
! the flag and expressions of sympathy
| for Monaghan poverty-striken races
| do not pvt any money in the pockets
| Of professional Legislative attorneys "
"a dignified term applied to the mem
| bers of "the lobby
"Our business" continued the veter-
an, 'iourishes when there is a hot
fight on in Congress over important
financial legislation, railroad franchis-
es, steamship subsidies, and new tar
lift bills. On those occasions thou
sands and thousands of dollars are in
circulation in Washington in the in
terest of these various schemes, and
members of the lobby who have valu-
able congressional acquaintance man
age to earn a snug income when such
measures are being agitated in Con-
gress,''
THE lobby Is not as well organized,
nor is 1t as dignified or influential as
it was in years gone by. 1t will be re-
membered that during the Credit Mo-
bilier scandal, which resulted in the
Impeachment of several prominent
members of Congress, "the lobby
maintained at the capitol an almost
perfect organization. There were va
rious grades of lobbyists. Beginning
with leading railroad and bank presi-
dents, extending down through the va
rious grades to commercial and politi-
cal society, down to the most degraded
and INSCRIPTIONS type of hanger-on
around the national Legislature. In
those days the late Sam Ward was the
recognized king of the lobby
He will be remembered as a man of
medium height, faultless dresser, a
well-rounded and carefully groon1ed
form. an exquisitely shaped head, with
shining bald pate, with little fringe
of silvery white hair extending from
his temples to the base of his fertile
and active brain. He wore a carefully
kept white moustache and imperial
goatee, so that his general appearance
rendered his striking character in
any assembly of men or women.
Pleasant. affabe gallant, shrewd and
ever on the alert to subordinate bust
ness for pleasure, Sam Ward ruled
the lobby" for many years with an
iron hand, and left behind him a re-
cord OF success which has never been
surpassed. He established his throne
in the room then occupied by the
House committee on appropriations,
and his reign remained undisturbed
day in and day out, except when he
occasionally abdicated in order that
the regular meetings of the appropria-
ton committee might be held to con-
slider the legitimate public business.
1t is said that Sam. Ward established
a regular scale of prices, which he and
his associates charged for certain
kinds of legislative work to be done.
There were high rates for the high
toned and low figures for the low
toned seekers for congressional intlu-
ence, and Sam Ward usually managed
to size up his victims and regulate his
fees according to the amount of cash
or other consideration they We're like
ly to part with.
To-day 1.-THE lobby is a free-for-all
composed largely of former
former Representatives, law
yers, and promoters of various degrees
Of professional and social standing.
Representatives of the great Trusts,
and corporations vitality
Interested i'm conversational lap;sIa ion |
resent being called lobbyists" prefer |
ing to be known as attorneys" for
he various interests they represent
Correspondence Charleston News and |
Courier.