The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-02-13
LCBBY'S BATTLE To
MODIFY TAX BILLS
------------
A Partial Victory is Con-
sidered Likely.
ODELL is NOT SANGUINE
This Weeks Fight Will Doubtless
Result in Reduction.
LOBBYING HAS NOW BECOME AsYsTEM
WELDING Powerful Influence, it is Carried Oh
Through the Two Political Organizations,
Having Altogether Displaced the
Old Third House.
Especial to N. Y. World. }

Albany, Feb. 10.--The real fight over
Gov. odell's bill taxing insurance and
trust companies and savings banks is
scheduled for the coming week and
promises to be Lively. The most note
worthy feature Of the contest will be
The Improvement in the methods of in
tluencing legislators as compared with
those which in by gone days character
lied the "Black Horse Cavalry"
Under the new system the opportuni-
ties once afforded those rough riders
have pissed away. giving place to the
syndicate process, which is every bit as
close corporation as any organized
trust in the country. Individual artists
in the lobby line no longer have any
show. Nowadays they are quite as igno-
rant as to what is really going on as the
casual observer. Under the new school
the actual operations to promote or, pre-
vent legislation are conducted behind
closed doors and with greater secrecy
than ever before knGwn.
In the present instance the identity of
the manipulators who influence legisla-
ton can scarcely be traced. Their agents
at the capital are men who are in the
Senate or Assembly. and there is reason
10 believe that much of the profit that
for neIly rewarded gentlemen of the
Third house, now falls into the Golfers
OF tire two political organizations. Evil
dence is not lacking to show that the Re-
publican State Committee has virtually
contracted with certain corporations to
care for their interests.
SAVES A LOT or MONEY.
This scheme obviates the necessity for
the corporations to maintain expensive
agents at the capital and saves a lot of
money that vas formerly wasted on men,
hers CT the Legislature, and that often
resulted in extravagant displays which
attracted public attention
The two political organizations, through
the officials OF their State Committees.
make contracts to protect certain inter-
ests. No attempt is, made to restrict the
introduction of bills affecting such cor
poTations, the party leaders assuming a
cOntemptuous Indifference to any legis-
laton proposed by Senators or Assem-
blvmeE. Any bills that the State Com
mittee desires passed are introduced as
party measures" thu gh they may re-
late to CHRISTIAN SCI hce or to the sale
ures" are passed y Ithout any trouble
Bills introduced attacking corporations
which the State Committee has agreed
to protect are simply sidetracked. and no
matter how meritOrious one of these
measures may be. or how much outside
influence may be brought to bear on leg
islators to compel lis passage, it has no
earthly show of getting through Wise
statesmen before they take step go TO
Headquarters" and find out if the pass
age of certain bill will be permitted.
About So per cent of the measures in
troduced are what are known as strike
or chance bills. They represent only
the individual opinions of their authors,
and n large percentage OF them remain
on the flies, to be swept out of the CAPT.
toll with the rest of the rubbish at the
end # the session. Without the support
Of the chiefs who make contracts with
the corporations they represent simply q
waste of white paper and type and are of
profit only to the Tammany Republican
printing ring which has the contract for
printing State documents.
THE TELEPHONE MONOPOLY.
No better illustration of the new condi-
ton can be cited than The manner in
which the interests of the telephone mo-
nopoly are cared for at Albany. Two or
three years ago the telephone company
had to keep a large number of agents
here. Now there is not single agent
or the telephone company at the capital
from the beginning until the end of the
season Yet the monopoly is more thor
ouehly protected and at less cost than
ever before. The Republican State Com
mttee acts as its agent, passing such
bills as the monopoly desires and put
ting a quietus on thos3 that the monop-
oily does not want to become laws.
In the fight over the Governors tax
bills the influence of the lobby is not
visible TO the casual observer. though It
is undoubtedly just as active and potent
as in the old days. The corporations at
tackled are making spirited fight but IL
is conducted through the secret avenues
OF political organization. Gov. Odell is
not at all sanguue that he will be able
10 overcome these powerful Influences,
and it is not improbable tina the corporf
atiors will succeed in obtaining COM
promise in tho form of q reduction OF the
tax proposed on the surplus Of savings
banks and insurance companies, on the
carital stock OF trust companies and on
the capital stock of foreign corporations
operating in this State. These corpora
lions have apparently made up their
minds that the principle involved in these
bill cannot be defeated. and their. resist
ance IS consequently directed along the
line of modification