| Show washington LEWER LETTER washington D C feb 11 1898 the romances Tomano eg which are abroad in the land concerning the lobby are like most other romances a few gr grains ains of truth mhd doing great service going a long way in substantiating the fabric fiction action these highly colored I ored tales done much to prejudice persons who never meyer saw congress in session edees of cor exaggerated give ave them that prevails beneath the dome of the national capitol the truth Is the lobby or third house as it is sometimes called Is not altogether an evil there axe are ministers of the gospel among the lobbyists hobbyists and political influence and church influence often go hand in hand these clergymen axe are not necessarily corrupt lobbyists hobbyists who would purchase votes but their services may be paid for by the churches or schools that are seeking appropriations and they employ the same means that other members member of the third house employ viz the argue plead the cause of the church and morality use personal influence and ask for votes on the ground of personal friendship if they cannot make it appear that the bill should be passed on grounds of justice or party lines in short they axe are there to win and will be paid for win 1 ning though they have to encourage log rolling which is held up by theoretical moralists mora lists S ts as a 9 one of the evils of modern legislation that is they will ask their friends to pool issues with others who are not active f friends and help along another bill in which they have no interest providing this will help their bill A case in point is that of the methodist episcopal church south whose book agents have a big war claim when buells brells army entered nashville in 1862 the great publishing house of the church was seized the property was libeled labeled tor for and the army made use of the plant while the question of confiscation was before the court the paper designed for tracts was used to print quartermasters blank sand the bindery turned put out regimental rolls instead of bibles the church wanted for the damage done and presented evidence to show that it was loyal during the wax war several wax war claim committees of congress have favored the claim but it never has been paid be beuse because use congress has so fax far failed to make the appropriation atlon every session brings rectors and clergymen bishops and other church officials to work in the lobby for the appropriation and there axe are many similar claims which bring clerical lobbyists hobbyists to congress to mingle and be classed with the others who are appealing to uncle sam for the redress of wrongs on the enactment of laws that will help something or somebody there are always claims before congress and claimants waiting for them to be acted upon bills that need promotion lobbyists hobbyists to assist the promoting but you will look in vain about the capitol for the lobbyist of the stage and the story who carries a checkbook with him or has rolls of green backs bulging from his pockets with which to influence congressmen there may have been a time when money played an important part in some affairs of state and it may be more or less potent today but if so the transaction will not be carried on under the public eye in the capitol capt tol neither will you find there the beautiful woman of the romances or the mysterious veiled widow who capture legislators with their sad sada sweet smiles or hypnotize them to vote tor for wicked measures for if these creatures ev ever er did exist they are all dead and gone now and the lobby is made up of very different people it is as aa difficult to classify the profession of lobbying as any other profession the vulgar purchaser of votes we read about does not in the least resemble the stately and dignified ex senator who walks past the doorkeeper door keeper and takes a seat on one of the sofas in the rear of the senate chamber yet the latter is the real lobbyist no mau man however popular who to is not a senator or representative or member of the I 1 I 1 supreme court may enter the sacred precincts of the senate chamber when the senate Is ie in hewton aeo aion but once X S senator fre free adais as I 1 3 boo 0 o corded to the senate chamber tho all most exclusive place in the whole hintt ed states retaining that right to ctet tam end of time and carrying it with wi MAI 1 nto into private life the senator chene wr 1 he comes to washington walks VW the he doorkeeper door keeper into the holy of holler just as he did when aften a member of df tavi senate and it gives him an aa immenga ImmenS fr advantage over other lobbyists hobbyists the are a great many ex senators of tw united states and the majority of thea t k ii i do more or less lobbying labb ying in their e 1 hands however it i Is as honorable ana 1 I dignified a profession as that of aba law they are engaged to promote certain proposed legislation as aa il sel is employed for corporations or in divi duals they represent special tw teresta and are paid to show up X tte needs ard and demands of their clients talfe tit tariff bill for example always out whole droves and bevies bevies of th V and nobody criticises criticizes the them m for I 1 lobbying providing the bill represent ite some popular demand I 1 suppose thal 1 1 principle Is the same whether the b t 1 is popular or not some of the successful lobbyists hobbyists are men who i occupied seats in one chamber arts ahk other of congress they receive recel e bof 1 pay for their labor and nobody c chatea them with dishonesty or corruption there are claims and w and fictitious and it is just as to get the former through as the thel tS ter the story of lives ruined f dissipated and families wrecked iness in prosecution of claims before would flirl fin fl irl volumes and make most coatis mo atiS rop 1 1 mantle mantic as an well as pathetic readill read igL nS many are forthe poor indiana indian abt s the descendants of patriots W who ho ej I 1 A their all to the coun for forTO aiM wrongs by uncle sam ns paid victims haunt the lobby day dav assa day through session after session semi ass J ning the government which andeara appe ift be a sorry sort of paymaster one eswa ble Is that in these days uncle s1 sa samoa 1 has use for many millions more than i possesses and the watchdogs watch dogs treasury upright and though they be are much like debtors in leaving old debba abt 26 rather than rob peter to pay pasi or in other words contract new M bessik in order to satisfy claimants berh the claim has borne the closest r 18 vesti gation of the committees to which they have been referred but thou favorably reported they fail in aft house or senate nobody knows WW wh each new congress goes over thern them th the same way making investigation printing favorable reports but makh dakhis no provision for paying them ter year the claimants wait and vatch and lobby with senators and ra they engage claim agents to help the and many of them have lost fortunes fortune to dunning uncle samuel foz for just debu all to w no purpose theae bring the saddest faces that are eem amen in the lobby As to the fascinating female lobby lobbyist let she too is large a creat eure of the 4 imagination agi nation there are no cleopatra here now with numerous anton anthonys being led to ruin in their train if t ahr ever did exist they are as dead adz as the original queen of the nile and day his has long gone by there axe are wd w men in the lobby however and jhc thc were a good many more of them speaker reeds iron regime jut across the corridor from the house 12 a spacious marble floored room with numerous pillars and cozy corners aaa a subdued light it can be eaxt entend from the eastern front of the capital or from the corridor and to la within tea feet of one of the main doors of the hall of representatives in this convenient content yen tent and comfortable place waw the statesmen could hardly escape them as they passed to and fro the mawe ikuo lobbyist had their headquarter a tal wore were turkish rugs on the floor easy chairs and luxurious divans pushed batik among ong the pillars in one corner at a venerable gentleman to whom Z 6 women handed their cards with whispered instructions take this to so and so the white haired keeper said to one of the pages in attendance away darted the messenger and presently out came the fla ga ember often genuine ladies made we aft of the reception room occasionally wives of new members who had not bet ye learned better sent in for their hoo husbands bands and women in distress who h aba lost their places in government eldoy used the only means they knew to beg the congressmen from their home district to get them rein staw fated dut but as a rule the place was ned and nd held for the purpose of the bobb to the latter it offered gobat induct inducements ments with its dim nooks afta recesses an and d its readiness of ac eama from dm the out outside and the possibilities bili ties of its extent for confidential communications respectable women bome n seeking positions and hoping to enlist influence came here per ong force the sad faced women with long pending claims came to urge for action committee because the wolf was atthe of the the children hungry ot t the door and vat these would never be mistaken for we have VW bw unblushing 20 bead about the woman of the lobby she is a victim of governmental who believes hardship and comes to seek re areas is in generally borly clad nervous cassus with a lean like and wilful va fitful and ingry hungry look the dashing beau with swishing skirts and powdered decidedly the reverse of get so g J glad clad hand band nowadays that they seldom twice the congressman come essies her in the corridors has important business at the other end of caimol the instant he gets sight of her afar and Is too busy to conie come out from card ore one of the in her tf bhe ahe sends aw things speaker reed lid did was to the ladles ladies reception room mahout a word of warning lie ordered d closed for a few days the doors efte were fu full 11 of dazed dacej and LK IK women the unfortunate and urged b by y sarn ne essny cards ana ad walca nr ar i ciul nd their eaf nt to the 3 arlet class sc ting tim he doorway their impossibility of pursuing alte electric lights the glare of under came e midst of the moving throng the me in uttering maledictions male dictions on the darted speaker and came no more the adof of of ante eviction was worthy tb the caad F normous enormous pressure was to have brought to bear restored but the the reception lon room made the speaker concessions cesSiOus antly con said he it if it is absolutely was this that your female constituents samy noO from which they may send chave a place and chairs the take rugs you to dowds of the out into a corner and sofas I 1 hall this was done A 45 wie b card lael la belled led exclusively tor for bangs on one side of the american ladies pantheon at the entrance to a iams isms narrow P place lace between th the wall I 1 the large south of statues abeda window s row lets in EL a flood of ii light and passing to and constantly a crowds do are marble right under the there 60 a and at the allen alien 60 boat tails of ethan habut of the martyred marty red garfield the walt wait who have business with wom women en the poor patient office and claimant accepts the situation jo because she must but the other blasg da flaunt by like birds of passage 27 abere was one woman lobbyist who held out longer than most of the pro feaz desmon she came here with her hus bov jd had during no less leas than three ad eions claimed to have the ear abe president this pair opened a r theal e an and entertained largely through octal ai season the firm was mrs c and husband she did the plan aad be helped in the execution the two had a claim of their own and they got it through so easily that they went into the lobbying business the woman had a great deal of tact she took up and made much of the wives and daughters of new members ladies who had been in washington society a season or two learned to shun her every year however brings to washington EL a new crowd this woman had no trouble in getting acceptance to her invitations her teas and receptions were duly noticed in the social columns along with the other functions of the day the pair were in the lobbying for money and they made a great deal perhaps enough to retire on about the time all washington began to talk of the social lobbyist and the woman and her husband left the city there was no development which cast reflection on her virtue but in time people generally came to know that every act of hospitality in her house was inspired by the desire to bring influence to bear for or against some pending legislation some women lobby lots trade their charms of person this woman was good enough so far as chastity was concerned but she traded on her social position and capacity to entertain all went well with the scheme until it became a matter of common notoriety that the me cenary motive was behind all of the hospital ity the woman went to the white hous receptions and when she moved down the line she appeared to be on most intimate terms with fine people that however only required nerve and she had a deal of it her claims to personal influence with three presidents was never believed it weakened her negotiating power with those who wanted lobbying done the individual or corporation which has a job to put through it very credulous about lobbying influence and will take a great deal on faith but the boast of this woman that she had three presidents in her power was too much there is more of this employment of social methods for lobbying purposes now than ever before it is a feature of the business that has grown it is the refinement the elevation of the profession fes sion every winter houses are opened and entertainments are given solely with a view t to the accomplishment of something in legis legislation lallon it used to be that the male lobbyist dined and wined men who had votes to give now the lobbyist brings his wife and daughters takes one of the furnished houses of which washington has hundreds of various vailous sizes and rentals always ready and proceeds to entertain not only the members he wishes to reach but their families to the dinner have been added the theater party the tea the reception and the cotillion as means of influencing legislation FANNIE BRIGHAM |
