Evening star., 1927-05-10


- which was the principal head
quarters for Southern politi-
u clans Alexander II. Stephens,
former Vice President of the Confeder-
ate States, and many other Southern
members lived there" said Uncle Joe
Cannon in talking over the Hayes-Til-
den controversy. 1T was a gathering
place for the men who came from the
South to see Tilden installed in the
White House Senator Ferry of Michi-
gan, President of the Senate. who pre-
sided over the joint sessions and was
the depository Of the packages of elec-
toral votes. also lived there, and his
rooms were the center of attraction
for Republicans who thought he need
ed protection in that Southern atmos-
phere.
But Stephens and Ferry were con-
genial neighbors Of mine and we talked
over the situation more calmly than
the lobby could realize. Stephens
was philosophic and not ready for an
other Civil War over the election of
Presidents, and Ferry was one of the
best natured men l ever knew.
Air Full of RumOrs.
"wormley's Hotel, at the corner of
Fifteenth and II streets, was another
center. particularly for eating and
drinking And the rumors that almost
hourly came from that place were
ominous, conflicting and picturesque.
There met the men to settle the fate
of the Nation, and the news that
leaked out from Wormley's was mys-
terious as well as Cocksure and con-
tradictory-news of compromise, of
frauds and deals, of bribery and cor
ruption. Wall Street had put up
big fund to buy the returning board
OF Louisiana for Hayes: Wall Street
had bought the same returning board
for Tilden. The names of some of the
most conspicuous Republicans and
Democrats in the country were freely
mentioned and printed, for libel laws
then, as now, appeared to be silent in
political controversy, and men be-
lieved what their environments and
their prejudices led them to believe.
The Speaker and other members of
the House who refused to count in
Hayes were to be arrested by order of
President Grant. The air was full of
rumors. all of them positive and ex-
plicit to convince members of the
House that hell had broken loose in
the National Capitol and there was no
pitch hot. enough to deal with the
situation
Lobbies, Past and Present.
From the Hayes-Tilden election con-
test Mr.. Cannon switched to a discus
sion Of lobbying and lobbyists.
"Yes," he said, "the lobby is still
with us, but it isn't the same old lob
by. It's worse. The old-fashioned
lobbyist no longer cuts any figure in
Washington. We have substituted for
him politics by paid propa ganda. The
new way to get legislation is not the
old way of hiring casual individual.
, First you form an association and
proclaim its object is moral. Next
you organize committee of highly
respectable men and women as figure.
heads. They get their names in the
papers, but the actual work is done
by paid agents who profess great in
terest in the work, but whose real in
terest is in their salaries.
''The difference is in modern eff
cheney methods. The old lobbyist
used to depend for a livelihood on
striking his employer for whatever he
thought the traffic would bear. 1t was
an uncertain way of making a living
and sometimes very i'll paid. The
modern lobbyist gets his salary from
an association, and usually it is a
good one. His family knows just
what will be in his pay envelope,
whereas the old-style individual lobby
list often had dry seasons when there
was no easy mark in sight. and could
make up for it only by getting double
the money out of his next customer.
Also those interested in getting legis.
lation used, in the old days, to depend
on one uncertin lobbyist, about whom
they knew very little, while the pres
ent-day association can hire as many
agents as it's funds will support and
check up on their work.
Threaten and Bfibe.
"The reformers of today have
backed off the stage Sam Ward, the
prince of lobbyists so years ago. If
you accuse them Of lobbying and us.
Ing the disreputable tactics of the lob
byist they deny it, but nevertheless
that is what they do. They browbeat,
! bully and intimidate; they bribe by
Offering their support, not infrequent.
ly promises Of financial assistance;
they threaten If they meet with re-
sistance. You may say members of
Congress ought to have more courage
and not surrender to coercion, but
every member of Congress seeks pub
licity and at the same time fears it.
Without. publicity he cannot hope to
succeed; with too much, especially Of
the wrong Sort he is bound to fail.
Great latitude is permitted the man