Connecticut western news., 1909-04-01

himself. This is very annoying to the CtE>r member. but the experience is wyrth something. He has learned the value of observing other peoples legis- laticn.
 The outsiders (members of the third house'O and the insiders have a bond of freemasonry uniting them; they ex- change information as to what mem bers of both houses can be reached" how they can be "got to" Qhrough whom) and how much they want. This information is carefully tabulat- ed, and now prices for passing or de feating legislation can be quoted TO interested parties just as the price of carload of pork can be ascertained at a given time and place. Perhaps 1t Is this system that leads grafting mem bcrs- of short experience to wonder how knowledge of their taking what is termed "the sugar" got out and be- came known to their associates Did they not have pledge of absolute se- crecy? Yes, but the purchaser never intended to keep the information from those of his kind. Lobbyists must be honest with each other.
 Not all lobbyists are men. The wo- man legislative agent has been known to occupy an important position in Washington, and she does yet She is hard to detect and frequently more un- principled than the men similarly en- gagged, if that is possible.
 A woman with a measure of social standing would naturally prove the most successful as a lobbyist in Wash ington because of the opportunities her position would afford her to meet people of prominence. And just such one was Mrs. Cora Spangler, with whom the LangdoCs hcd been thrown in contact quite intimately since their arrival at the capital.
 Pretty and vivacious Mrs. Spangler bore her thirty-sevep years with un- common ease, aided possibly by the makeup box and the modiste. Her dinners ard receptions were attended by people cf acknowledged standing Always lavish spender of money, this was explained as possible because Cf a fortune left her by her late hus- band, Congressman Spanglcr of Penn sylvania. That this fortune" had consisted largely of stock and bonds of a bankrupt copper smelting plant in Michigan remained unknown, ex- cept to her husbands family. one or tT-o of her own relatives and Senator Peabody. who. coming from Pennsyl- h,I 1,g,r h,T-l Nrod FytfE matcly.
 He it was who had suggested to her that she might make money easily by Cultivating the acquaintance of the now members of both houses and their families, excrting her Influence in vari- cl;S ''pcrfeStly legitimate ways" he argued. fer CT against matters pending in Legislation. The Standard Steel cor roration kept Mrs. Spangler well sup piled with funds deposited monthly to her account in a Philadelphia trust company.
 She avoided suspicion by reason of he sex and her many acquaintances cf undisputcd rank. Senator Peabody was never invited to her home, had never attended a single dinner, recep- tion or musicale she had given, all of which was a part of the policy they had mutually agreed on to deaden any suspicion that might some time arise as to her relation to the Standard Steel company. It was well EDown that Peabody had been put into the senate by Standard Steel to look after its interests
 He had found Mrs. Spdngler chiefly valuable thus far as a source of fnIor- nation regarding the members of con- gross, which she obtained largely from their families. He was thus able to gain an idea of their associations, their particular interests and their as- pirations in coming to congress, which proved of much use to him in forming and promoting acquaintances, all for the glory of Standard Steel.
 Senator Holcomb or Missouri told Mrs. Spangler at an afternoon tea con- identially that he was going to vote against the ship subsidy bill. Senator
 Peabody was in
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