The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1909-08-12
CHAPTER XXI.

improper Practices in business, tb,
awakening OF the public conscience
has caused a greater demand than eyel
Tor influence at the national capital. fol
these restrictive measures must bt
either killed or emasculated to a point
of uselessness by that process which 1:
the salvation of many corrupt manip
ulator, the process Of amendment
Predatory corporations, predatory
business associations of different sorts
and predatory individuals have their
representatives on the field at Wash.
ington to ward OFF attack by any means
that brains can devise or money pro-
cure and TO obtain desired favors at a
cost that will leave profitable balance
for the purchaser. When commercial
tricksters, believing in the lobbyists
favorite maxim. The People Forget"
feel that they have outlived the latest
reform movement and see 1.-THE good
old days" returning. the professional
politicians introduce a few reform
measures themselves. most stringent
measures. They push these measures
ahead until somebody pays up, then
the bills die. The lobbyist knows all
about these strike bills. but does not
frown on them. No, no. Perhaps he
helped draw up one of these bills so
that, with the aid of his inside knowl-
edge of his employers business. the
measure Is made to give Il greater
scare than might otherwise have re-
suited. The bigger the scare the big
ger the fund advanced. of course. for
the lobbyist to handle All this also
helps the lobbyist to secure and retain
employment
Not ali the Washington lobbyists are
outside of congress. The senator or
congressman has unequaled facilities
for oiling or blocking the course Of a
bill. Sometimes he confines himself to
the interests of his own clients who
ever they may be. But sometimes he
notices bill that promises 10 be
pretty good thing for the client OF
some other member if it passes. Then
he begins to fight this bill so actively
that he must be ''let in on the deal"
himself This is very annoying to the
other member, but the experience is
worth something. He has learned the
value of observing other peoples legis-
lation
The outsiders members of the third
house'D 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" Through
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
a carload of pork can be ascertained at
a given time and place. Perhaps 1t Is
this system that leads grating mem
bers of short experience to wonder
how knowledge of their taking what
IS termed 1.-The sugar" got out and be-
came known to their associates. Did
they not have pledge of absolute Sc
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 I'M |
principled than the men similarly en-
gagged. If that is possible.
A woman with measure Of social |
standing would naturally prove the |
f,,1 INI -fe.Nf IN. Oh
ington because of the opportunities |
her position would afford her to meet |
people Of prominence. And just such |
a one was Mrs, Cora Spangler. with |
whom the Langdons had been thrown |
in contact quite intimately si9ce their
arrival at the capital.
Pretty and vivacious, Mrs. Spangler
bore her thirty-seven years with I'M
common ease. aided possibly by the |
makeup box and the modiste. Her
dinners and receptions were attended
by people Of acknowledged standing.
Always a lavish spender of money,
this was explained as possible because
of fortune left her by her late hus-
band, Congressman Spangler Of Penn
sylvania. That this fortune" had
consisted largely of stock and bonds
Of a bankrupt copper smeltin~ plant
in Michigan remained unknown. ex-
cept to her husbands family. one or
two of her own relatives and Senator
Peabody. who. coming from Pennsyl-
vania. had known her husband init
mately.
He it was who had suggested TO her
that she might make money easily by
fsltivating the acquaintance of the
Nv members of both houses and their
families. exerting her influence in vari-
BUS perfectly legitimate ways he
argued. for or against matters pending
in legislation. The Standard Steel cor
ooration kept Mrs. Spangler well sup
olied with funds deposited monthly
70 her account in a Philadelphia trust
company,
She avoided suspicion by reason Of
her sex and her many acquaintances