The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-04-27

of sidetracking measures, and causlfS
them to be lost sight of for long time,
and it is impossible to 90 anything but
to keep track of them and watch your
chance. You have to use discretion as
to whether to try Cancellation or the
axe with your opponents, and so II
goes. and if you do get your bill through
the House you have got 1t all to do
over again in the Senate; it goes to the
committee, and there are perhaps
thousand other bills on their calendar,
You maneuver and scheme to get it as
high up on the calendar as you can, and
after YOU have got it through the Sen
ate you may have hard and tedious
time getting the Presidents signature
to it. You will try hard to get your
measure at the top of the pile of bills
that are awaiting the signature of the
Chief Executive, and even the messen-
ger that carries the bills to the White
House must be watched, so that he will
not leave your bill behind. Thus you
will see that eternal and tfrefess visi-
lance is the price of legislation. And
there are many particulars that 1 have
not even touched upon, such as the
method of getting votes You cannot
"a
ard you have to surround your meas
ure with a stone wall, for you can't
rely on the most assured appearances.
You must secure your votes and keep
them continually rounded up so that
they won't be found wanting at the
crucial time.
I'm this it is emphatically true, how
ever, that he is thrice armed who hath
his quarrel just Good legislation will
win every time over bad legislation if
the man who Is at the back of it is
earnest and anxious to get it through.
Much depends upon the personal quail
ties of the delegate, as well as his sa-
gacity and tireless persistency That
is where the power of the lobbyist
comes in; he knows how to make friends
and cultivate supporters of the meas
ures he wishes to have passed. There
was a delegate from Oklahoma who
settled the question of what was the use
of a delegate, some months ago. He
went without a vote, but by his own
personal qualities he made friends in
the House and Senate, and became the
most popular fellow among them; it
was said that he could control greater
number Of votes in Congress than any
one else, with the exception of per-
haps ten leaders. He was a powerful
factor for legislation, and 1t was by the
influence Of such delegates that much
legislation Is accomplished or hindered.
81 have given you this brief outline
of the situation at Washington in law
making time, with the hope that 1t
will at least give you some idea Of the
methods by which we get our laws
passed. 1t is merely an outline, and
behind 1t are multiplicities of troubles.
Mayhap, and / hope it will be so, that
the outline I have given will make you
more charitable towards your delegates
If they seem little slow to accomplish
desired legislation
Cordial applause followed Mr.. Boyds
address, and Mr.. Rhodes thanked both
Mr.. Wilcox and Mr.. Boyd, in the name
of the Research Club and the visitors
for their words.
| Upon motion of Mr.. Crawley, a vote
of thanks was rendered to the Y. M. c.
A. for the use of the hall for the meet
ing and for one held in the hall be-
fore. and Mr.. Rhodes dismissed the
audience.