Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, January 6, 1901, Page 14

Men Who Shine in Lobby of Congress Washington has not in a generation been overrun so with persons interested in push- ing or preventing legislation as now, re- ports the New York Herald, This is the short sesslon of congress preceding the be- ginning of President McKinley's _second term. All of the plans that have been laid for great schen.es in connection with the expansion of the American nation fol.owing the war with Spain aie beginning to sprout, It is no new thing to see promoters of legislation coming here by the carload, but it 18 & new thing to see them coming literally by the trainload. A trainload of brewers arrived here dur.ng the first week in December, At the same time a dozen trainloads of members of the Woman's Christian Temperance unlon arrived. The brewers came to have the war tax taken oft beer, They constituted what is known as the beer lobby. The ladies of the Woman's Christian Temperance union came to keep the tax on beer and abolish the Army canteen, They were known as the anti-lobby. A trainload of bankers came on Decem- ber 8, headed by A. B. Hepburn of New York, Myron 1. Herrick of Cleveland and J. H. Bckels of Chicago, They desired the tax on bankers and brokers remitted, Men representing steamship lines are here in sufficient force to make high-priced suites in the hotels hard to obtain. Representatives of the oleomargarine manufacturers of the west, all of them look- ing fat, sleek and olly, are holding forth in the corridors of the hotels and besieg- ing the room of the agriculture committee of the senate. Hearty looking cltizens with weatherteaten faces and a heavy tread In- dicating cowhide boots at home are watch- ing these same olly gentlemen. They of the weatherbeaten features are the repre- sentatives of the National Dalrymen's as- soclation, and might be known as the anti- oleomargarine lobby. These are a few of the interests repre- sented here. Clustering around the one subject of an Interoceanic canal on which the government will spend $200,000,000 are able and versatile agents of a half dozen different ‘‘vested rights,”” Some of them represent the Paclfic rallroads, others are looking after the Maritime Canal company that once had a concession from Nicara- gua; still others, iIf they were to divuige their paymasters, would be found repre- senting the Panama Canal company. There are agents of the KFrench government and the Russlan government on hand and in- terests are so interwoven that frequently three or four of these different influences are found working toward one end. These, collectively speaking, make up the anti- canal lobby. Tkere Is an army and navy lobby, and that, like the poor, “is always with us.” The secretary.of war wants one bill, the general commanding the army wants an- other; the line pulls in one direction, the staff in another. Makers of patent guns and patent shells, manufacturers of armor plate. and bullders of battleships, promo- tere of private claimg, seekers for increases in salary, commercial bodies that want their home creek deepened and delegations from interior towns that demand a new postoffice—all of these elements contrive to make the short congressional session a continual round of dodging and ylelding to the lobby. New King of the Lo ¥ There have been changes since the old days when the famous Samuel Ward and Dr. R, Bruce Bradford were the acknowl- edged leaders In promoting legislation, If any one can be called “‘the King of the Lobby” now it is probably Colonel w. E. Ayres. Colonel Ayres has been one of the most successful members of the ‘“Third House.” His life is a romance. When he came to Washington, in the neighborhood of twenty years ago, he was in desperate straits financially. He him- self tells the story how, not having street car fare in his pocket, he walked miles to the Washington and Georgetown car stables in order to apply for a position as con- ductor. He Is now very rich, Colonel Ayres for years has repre- sented the Union Pacific rallroad in con- gress. He was long known as a personal friend of Charles Francis Adams. When he became versed in all the ins and outs of legislation he succeeded to the task of piloting the famous McGarraghan claim, S8am Ward had it before Ayres. It had been dragging its slow length along in congress for many years. A day, a few years ago, the whole capital was convulsed with estonishment. The McGarraghan clalm had passed, but was vetoed by the president. A well known representative of corpora- tions is John Boyd. Mr. Boyd is a medium sized man, dresses much like a parson, with very bright eyes set in a very small head The size of hat Mr. Boyd wears is no index to his abilities, Mr. Boyd in the duys of reconstruction held a small position in the house of representatives. He attracted the attention of the late Charles Terrill who, until his death, represented the late Collls P, Huntington. When Mr. Terrill died Mr. Boyd succeeded him, and he is now the sentinel on guard for the Southern Tacific and Central Pacific railroads. The Southern Pacific road has for many years succeeded In obstructing the Nica- ragua canal. Mr. Huntington was the in spiration of the operation, but Mr. Boya was the genius that made it effective. Mr Boyd emphatically denies that the Southern Pacific road is objecting to the Nicaragua canal now. All the same the Nicaragua canal is in trouble, even If Mr. Boyd doesn't know why. Colonel Tom Ochiltree will be here with his funny stories in a short time. No ses- sion of congress would be complete without the Texas colonel. A personal friend ot John W. Mackay, known of all men for his genial wit, he knows everything that 1s going on, and is particularly versed in the desires of cable companies, Another colonel Is Samuel Donelson, a former confederate olficer. This colonel is as well known n New York as he is in Washington, and he is usually on the lookout for the welfare of the Louisville & Nashville railroad. All of the large shipbuilding firms that do work for the government have their repre- sentatives here. They must be men of ability and address. The best known Is General George H, Williams, who is now in Turkey, looking after the famous contract with the sultan, through which the Ameri- can missionary claim is to be paid. Gen- eral Willlams looks after the work for the Cramp brothers. The Canteen Contest, Old-time lobbyists opened their eyes a few days ago in astonishment when they heard that the house of representatives had knocked out of the army bill the canteen clause. They were more astonished when they found that this had been the work of one man influenced by a large number of determined women. The man is Rev. Dr. Krafts, a Congre- gational preacher. Dr. Krafts is the enemy of the saloon in national politics and is always on guard at the national capitol. Dr. Krafts' business is crushing the demoun rum in legislatures, whether they be local, state or national. His efforts have made whole states adopt the policy of prohibition, His work has been effective in Illinois, Kansas, Maryland and Georgia. When the Hawallan legislation was up he was here pressing restriction on the liquor traffic in that territory. He seems to represent all of the national temperance societies. He has a house at 210 Delaware avenue, near the capitol. He appears before com- mittees, waylays congressmen in the cor- ridors, sends for them on the floor and visits them at their homes. He is a very thin, spare man, rather care- less of his attire, like all intense reform- ers, but men who are successful in their calling, as Dr. Krafts has been, can afford to be careless In their attire. He rides a bicycle and his nether extremities excite amusement when he goes flashing through the corridors with bicycle clips around his small ankles. A quiet little man, with a face bronzed by years of exposure to the salt air, takes his lunch in the house restaurant every day. He never seems to have much to say and never seems to be doing anything except looking on. Yet this man for six years has baflled all of the efforts of the combined shipping interests of the United States to abolish compulsory pllotage. He is Cap- tain J. Edward O'Brien of Pensacola, Fla., president of the National Pilots' assocla- tion. The pilots have a close organization and for years the great steamship lines have been seeking to have compulsory pilot- age abolished. They have been outman- euvered by Captain O'Brien every time and have come to respect him as a worthy foe- man, Willlam R. Corwine of New York is very much in evidence in Washington. Mr. Cor- wine Is an old New York newspaper man, with Wall street training. He is secretary of the New York Merchants' association, and that assoclation is interested in legis- lation at Washington as well' as at Albany. At Washington just now they are pressing for an uptown New York postoffice, for THE ILLUSTRATED BEE. January 6, 1901, MR. AND MRS. GEORGE W, LININGER AN D GRANDDAUGHTER, MARION HALLER, OF OMAHA VISITING THE PYRAMIDS. the deepening of Buttermilk channel, and are also opposing those features of the ship subsidy bill that permit foreign built ships to participate in the benefits of the pro- posed subsidy. A number of former members of congress remain here when they rctire to private life looking after certain interests, Former Representative Ellas Brookshire of Indiana Is advocating a bill favored by the United States Economic Postage assoclation. What thls association desires 1is congressional sanction for a system of return postal cards and return envelopes which it has de- signed, by which persons using them need only pay for the postage for the cards and envelopes actually returned. Former Representative Timothy J. Campbell of New York, who is always look- ing out for his friends, is very much in- terested in having the wages of postoffice clerks and letter carriers readjusted. Talking Into a Receiver Dr. Cyrus Edson of New York has made a study of the danger of Infection from the use of the telephone, and It is comforting to know that he does not agreée with the alarmists, who see In every lelephone a menace to public health. In Dr. Edson's opinion the telephone may be used in per- fect safety, provided two simple rules be Invariably followed. These rules are: The keeping of mouthplece and receiver in a state of absolute cleanliness and the keeping of the mouth several inches from the transmitter while using the tel:phone. If these rules are rigidly followed the sclentist sees in the use of the telephone no more danger than may accrue from swing- ing signs. In a recent article published in the Amer- fcan Telephone Journal Dr. Edson main- tains these views, and further adds com- PICTURESQUE NORTHWESTERN NEBRA SKA—BAD LANDS WEST OF ADELIA, fort to those who walk daily In the fear of bacteria by giving the assurance that: “Not every one who Is actually inocu- lated with the germs of a disease develops that disease. There is probably not a day in the life of any Individual of the human race who lives in a city that he does not receive into his system the germs of some infectious disease. If we caught disease every time we were exposed to it the human race would be very quickly de- stroyed. The great majority of us are for the most time immune against all infec- tious diseases.’ Dr. Edson goes on to assure us that many telephone transmitters have from time to time been examined by vigorous up- holders of the germ theories. In these transmitters baleful germs of various kinds have been discovered. Dr. Edson does not, however, bld us despair because of this. He declares boldly that the mere presence of bacteria collected in any lodging place proves nothing. We are assured that not jess than twenty varieties of bacteria have been found assembled under the fingernails of a man whose hands have just undergone what seemed a most satisfactory cleaning. He insists that bacteria exist everywhere, but adds that we need only concern our- selves with the bacteria of disease. “I believe,” he says, “that if 1,000 public telephone transmitters and receivers were examined only one or two would probably be found to be infected with disease germs. This is a slight danger, which cannot al- ways be avolded. A percentage of the human race must sicken and die, because we find it convenient to live In cities. The rallroad, the electric light, the steamship and the gas we burn all claim a number of victims yearly, and in this way man pays for anything that is of great public good, not only with his money, but with his life.” The cleanliness of the telephone is, there- fore, its best safeguard. It Is of impor- SIOTUX COUNTY, e tance to note that Dr. Edson insfisi “no amount of disinfection will take th: place of cleanliness."” “In conclusion,” says the scientist, *I would state that if the telephone trans- mitter and receiver are used properly and the same rules of cleanliness applied to them as to other articles of use by a cleanly person, no danger whatever need Le apprehended from them.” All of which wi.i glve great comfort to the timid person who has been made to see through the eyes of the alarmist a bogie rather than a useful and harmless friend In the telephone. s untt Our New Population Immigration into the United States was larger last year than at any time since 1890, says the New York Commercial, and the total number of foreigners who arrived during the last ten years constitutes about one-third of the 13,000,000 increase in popu- lation shown by the census of 1900. In- creasing restrictions and a decrease in vir- gin area do not seem to have discouraged the influx of homeseekers from abroad, and, what is more, they are now of a more desirable character on the average than those who came to this country during the great rush between 1881 and 1884. Austria-Hungary, Italy and Russia fur- nished in about equal numbers three-fifths of the 500,000 foreigners added to the popu- lation of the United States last year. Great Britain furnished 50,000, Ireland still con tributing a large majority of these. But a few scattering citizens of cur new posses- sions transferred their residence to the United States, thus sustaining what has become an axiom in emigration scienge, that people seldom leave a warmer for a colder county even whero every facility is afforded for the change. It is evident from the nationality of the people now coming to the United States that comparatively few of them, with the exception of the Russians, are competent to enter at once into the agricultural life of the west. They have been encouraged to emigrate by the demand for manufactur- ing labor in the United States, and it Is from this source that American industrial centers have drawn their mill hands for plants of increasing size, also much of their recent galn in population. The ease with which the present large immigration is absorbed is one of the best indications possible that the United States will not for a long time reach that point where crowded conditions awake anxiety, In the earlier days of the migration from Europe to America the emigrants left their homes to seek farms in a country where they could be had for the asking. A great army was constantly on the move. Min- nesota, the Dakotas and other states in that section were soon filled up with farm- ing people «f all nationalities. The life was not strenuous in the sense of subduingz forces other than cold, heat and wind. It gely a question of endurance. Th states where Indians had to be fought real wilderness explored and adventures of heroic kind undertaken were settled as ¢ rule by native-born Americans, who sought novelty and were possessed of grea! adaptability to strange environment. The immigration of today comes to citiey ready for it, to agricultural communitics short of men to till fields already plowed and fenced. The Europeans now added daily to the population of the United States bear the same relation to industrial America as does a batch of recruits to a well-organized army. b E . L - 4