or, the
process of amendment.

Predatory corporations, predatory business associations of different
sorts and predatory individuals have their representatives on the
field at Washington to ward off attack by any means that brains can
devise or money procure and to obtain desired favors at a cost that
will leave a 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 "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. Per-haps he helped draw up one of these bills
so that, with the aid of his inside knowledge of his employer's
business, the measure is made to give a greater scare than might
otherwise have resulted. The bigger the scare the bigger the fund
advanced, of course, for the lobbyist to handle. All this also helps
the lobbyist to secure and retain employment.

Not all 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, whoever they may be. But sometimes he notices a bill
that promises to be a 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 people's legislation.

The outsiders (members of the "third house") and the insiders have a
bond of freemasonry uniting them; they exchange information as to what
members of both houses can be "reached," how they can be "got to"
(through whom) and how much they want. This information is carefully
tabulated, and now prices for passing or defeating 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 it is this
system that leads grafting members of short experience to wonder how
knowledge of their taking what is termed "the sugar" got out and
became known to their associates. Did they not have pledge of absolute
secrecy? Yes