Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-11-21

of his time in many respects. His
memory is, cherished by thousands OF
his countrymen until this day.
Women lobbyists have had their
day. Time was when they fairly in
tested the lobby. Women pushed h
Galpin claim, the Gardiner claim, h
Corpening claim, the Comanche claim,
and many others which were famous
or notorious. The C~orpening claim is
yet wildly remembered.
During the second administration
of President Grant a claim was pre-
sented for a large sum of money for
carrying the mails through some
western states. The claim was in
creased by the cost of stock that died
in the snow. Extra expenses of all
sorts were appended to h claim.
Mrs. ~Corpening was back of this
claim, and she had a number of wom-
en- to aid her. So s~killfully was the
claim presented that it passed both
houses of the congress and was
signed by President Grant, thus be-
coming a law. The postmaster gen.
eral ordered it paid. But one of Mrs.
~Corpening's assistants became pre-
tId JdDItdht LIN oAhO "
much. The postmaster general was
informed hat the claim was a fraud.
He withheld its payment. There was
a congressional investigation which
resulted in a disclosure of the fraud.
| ulent nature of the claim, and it was
declared void. The payment was per-
manently stopped. But it was a con-
gressional disgrace that the bill had
been passed.
During the twenty years succeeding
the civil war the capitol was a swirl
of ~corrupting influences, and women
were predominant in all of the
schemes. Sam Ward, the king of the
lobby, had women working for him.
He was a liberal man, and paid them
well for their services. But the ma
iority' of the women were claim
agents working for themselves with
out any mar for a master or en-
ployer. Gambling fiourished in those
days, and some of the best appointed
and most alluring of these dens were
conducted by women. When any sem
~atorial or representative spider
walked into their parlor they en-
meshed him, not merely in their
games, but in their legislative
schemes. Many a statesman in those
days entered those parlors at night
perfectly sober, with no other pur-
pose than to gamble-and drank a
little-for drinking was quite COM
mon. But they would awaken in the
morning to find themselves in such
compromising positions that they
were Enthusiastically in the tolls of the
merciless. Their votes were not their
own after that.
It requires not a great stretch of
memory to recall the fact that a sem
ator who was the presiding officer of
that great body, and a mnch-talked-
of presidential possibility, fell into
the depths of disgrace in the Nation
al hotel because of the wiles of a
young woman and her scheming
mother. Maybe he was no worse than
others in that day. But he declined
to allow his vote and influence to be
hawked about. In that, at least, he
was honorable. His political purity
caused his downfall. When the moth
err found him uncomfortable she
caused her daughter to compromise
the senator; then she raised a hue
and cry so that everybody in the ho-
tel was made aware of the existing
conditions. The senator was ruined,
and died in poverty, ~obscurity, brok-
in health and broken-hearted.
But the gambling days are over.
Women no longer serve the wine.
Women no longer serve the cigars.
Women on longer appear in droves
in the lobby. Women no longer APP
pear with uplifted finger and threats
of exposure, to compel legislation.
The causes of temperance and moral
ity have ~triumphed in the national
1t is fair to presume that
these Announcements indicate national
advancement along those lines. Rep
r~esentatives of the people are usually
representative of the real conditions
of their constituents.
But the new members are here
The professional legitimate lobbyists
arc here, ana the petty claimants
their agents are also comiun
They are the palpable harbingers of
coming of the congress-. 1t win
be a great congress-, for it is to be
by good men of great expert
ence. 1t will not rave the influence
If our m~artyred president; but there
s in the white house a mar whose
and principles are honorable
noble. SMITH d. FRY.
Continuous Performances.