Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-01-06
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IN T II z a
SENATE q
GALLERY
By A. H. JOHNSTON
COPYRIGHT 1901, by A. II. Johnston
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q Copyright, 1901, by A. II. Johnston I
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vulgarly, the king Of the lobby was
and is supposed to deal in money-crisp
banknotes of denomination large
enough that number may be carried
in the pocket without bullying, and yet
may be passed over the counter by
representaive Of small resources with
out attracting attention. This Is all
very vulgar, and not here to be dis
cussed. Certain 1t is that the king OF
the lobby never so fully realized until
that day that his business lay not with
banknotes In the analysis, but with
subtle Inducements of human soul
that no plummet fathoms.
He had spent-never mind, the 1g-
ures were nowhere set dOwn-but he
had spent money actually and had
sweat blood fguratively to pass the
canal bill. The canal bill was to come
to a final vote within fifteen minutes.
and If coin had been tossed up he
would have laid even money on heads
or tails. AS he looked out over the big
hall, swinging pince nez idly, not a
muscle of his strong face twitched.
His intelligent eyes narrowed to two
cunning predatory Sits, his glance fit
ting from the pink and white face OF
girl in the gallery to the gray sprinkled
| head Of q man who sat at desk well
| forward in the room below.
Two persons perhaps in the assembly
knew how the vote would turn, he
| thought. One of these was the girl
| and the other the man. On second
thought the king Of the lobby revised
his opinion. The girl did not know, for
| Archibald, with the banknotes burning
| in stuffy envelope in the inside pocket
| of his coat, could not have told her.
| Or if the banknotes were even now on
their way back to the king of the lobby
Archibald was still not the man to have
told her. Archibald did not pose, what,
ever he did. And at thirty and eight a
politician and a bachelor does not get
himself engaged to girl for the pur'
nose of talkink statecraft with her, and
perhaps not even questions Of ethics.
This Is the way that matters stood
as far as the king of the lobby could
know. The oldest senator, and the
memories Of some of them went back
to the days when old Dick Yates, the
war governor. prorogued refractory
legislature and fitted out regiments al
the expense Of his own pocket, could
not recollect a measure that had pro
voked as much heat as the canal bill
1t was a bill about which one homes,
man might hold an opinion diametric
ally opposed to the opinion of another
honest man. and. as every one knows
this brings about state of affairs
Such was the hue and cry that by thu
time the bill had passed the lower
house and had reached the senate ever
its strong supporters were afraid II
vote for it. At this juncture the mel
of money behind the bill, being als'
men of graft, came to IN understand
ing with the lobby.
The king Of the lobby, according II
his custom, wrote down on sheet o
paper the names Of all the honest mel
who were reckoned upon to vote agains
the bill, on another sheet the names o
the honest men who would vote for II
and still on a third sheet he wrote tn
names Of the "wabblers" and the sell
ers" He employed plausible men t
convince the "wabblers" and dispatch
ed cunning lieutenants who bought tn
SELLERS" All these names he addet
to the list of the canal bills hackers
and vet three names Of the requisit
number were lacking. He got tw
! from the other sde-no matter how
Then, as the days went on and tn
third was not landed. the lobby KIM
sweat with fear. Archibald Of Cook
silent and patient and conservative
had given no inkling Of the way tina
he intended to cast his vote. Blu
Archibald was man of character, s
they said, and the most timid wer
never afraid to peep as Archibal
piped.
The king of the lobby heard things
stories of debts, and Of the love affai
that was gossip, and being a lobb.
king he saw a desperate chance ant
resolved to play it. 1t was not tn
business of the lobby king to deal Il
ethics, which in the long run ever.
man must attend to for himself. Sc
late in the past evening, Archibald hat
been Informed in the most delicat
way that friends Of the measure wer
deeply grateful to him for the vot
which he intended to cast in thei
favor. AS tritiing. return YER
small proportion of the about to be in
creased dividends Of the canal com
pany were transferred to him In
plain brown envelope by the hands o
messenger. The lobby king was &C
customed to suspense, but 1t was
matter Of some concern to him as tn
clerk stood up to read the long lega
title of the bill that afternoon as t
Just what disposition had been mad
q Of the brown envelope.
Archibald sat composedly at his des
\ in the senate writing letters. Or, pei
haps, he only pretended to write t
conceal latent nervousness. 1t is Gel
tain that he glanced at the girl in tn
gallery but once, and then surreptitous
" and timidly. For that matter, pol
: tician as he was and considerably ez
perienced in the ways Of the worlC
i Archibald was always timid in tn
i presence of the girl. She was onl
nineteen, a slender slip Of femininit
lust out Of boarding school, but sh
had taught Archibald a great man
things, or at least he thought that sh
had, and 1t is much the same. He oil
not defer to her judgment precisel!
= but he shifted his point of view
meet her sentiments. For example. tn
!. girl did NO., conceive Of riding throug
+ life in oth1. than coach and four, q
she had ridden thus for nineteen year
by the grace of Il parent who slave
: and another parent who managed
Archibald was poor and latterly sun
into debt, but he accepted the idea Q
u coach and four as though he ha
been born to it. And this Is not say
| ing that II was thrust upon him.