How Members of Congress Are Bribed

In Short

This book is a sharp, polemical investigation into the corrupting influence of railroad magnates on the United States Congress during the late 19th century. By analyzing the "Huntington-Colton Letters"—private correspondence that surfaced during a legal dispute—the text exposes the calculated use of bribery, influence-peddling, and legislative manipulation by Collis P. Huntington and his associates. It survives as a visceral historical record of how corporate monopolies once operated with near-total impunity, functioning as a primary source for understanding the mechanics of political graft and the fragility of representative government.

The Story

The narrative centers on the ruthless ambition of Collis P. Huntington, a leader of the Central Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads, and his efforts to secure subsidies and legislative dominance. In the mid-1870s, Huntington finds himself engaged in a high-stakes struggle against a rival, Thomas A. Scott, who seeks to build a competing Texas and Pacific Railway. Huntington views this competition as an existential threat, not just to his profits, but to the monopolistic control he exercises over California’s commerce and politics.

To ensure his victory, Huntington maneuvers through the corridors of Washington with a chilling, detached professionalism. He treats members of Congress, Territorial Governors, and Cabinet officials as assets to be acquired or obstacles to be neutralized. He does not merely rely on overt bribes; he employs a sophisticated repertoire of tactics, including the funding of false public sentiment, the selective "fixing" of committee assignments, and the use of all-expenses-paid "picnics" for legislators to secure their goodwill. He boasts of his ability to make presidents abandon their anger and to manipulate the legislative calendar to suit his ends.

The arc of the story is defined by the exposure of these methods through the Huntington-Colton letters, which were meant to be burned but instead became public record. The author methodically dissects this correspondence to reveal the arrogance of the monopoly—a world where the "high ground" is merely a strategic position for avoiding legal scrutiny while the coffers of the government are systematically drained. Huntington’s ultimate goal is to evade tens of millions of dollars in debts owed to the United States Treasury, using his control over the legislature to paralyze any attempt at collection.

The book concludes with a stern, urgent call to action. The author argues that the evidence of such blatant, systematic bribery proves that the government has been, at best, incompetent in the face of predatory greed. By detailing the specific financial costs—what it cost to buy a vote, to convene a legislature, or to silence a region—the narrative shifts from a historical report to an indictment. It ends with a demand that the laws be enforced and that the nation finally reckon with the "political infamy" that has dared to stalk the halls of power, leaving the reader with the sobering reality that democratic institutions are only as strong as the vigilance of the citizens who oversee them.

How It Unfolds

The lobbyist defined The account opens by defining the lobbyist as a predatory force, a "remorseless enemy to wholesome legislation" who exists to subvert the common welfare. This sets the stage for the introduction of Collis P. Huntington as the primary embodiment of this dangerous, aggressive monopoly.

The evidence revealed The author introduces the Huntington-Colton letters, a cache of private correspondence that survived destruction to provide an accidental confession of political criminality. This serves as the foundation for the entire investigation, transforming rumor into documented fact.

The mechanics of corruption The text details the specific methods Huntington used to "convince" public servants, including the deliberate manipulation of committee members and the targeted purchase of legislative votes. It illustrates a world where everything—from the fate of a railroad bill to the integrity of a senator—has a price.

The myth of the competitor The narrative examines how Huntington struggled to deceive the public and Congress into believing his various railroad interests were independent, competing entities rather than a single, all-encompassing monopoly. This section reveals the cynical, calculated public relations campaigns used to keep the government from supporting rival lines.

The suppression of California The author shifts the focus to the regional level, showing how the railroad magnates kept the state of California in a state of commercial and political vassalage. It highlights how local politicians were essentially puppets, driven by "bosses" who were paid to keep the citizenry in check.

The final demand The book moves toward its conclusion by calculating the staggering debt owed by the monopolists to the federal government. It ends with a plea for the state to stop tolerating corruption and to finally hold these figures accountable for their systematic theft of the public treasury.

The People

The book is dominated by the looming, villainous presence of Collis P. Huntington, a railroad magnate who serves as the personification of corporate greed. He is cold, calculating, and remarkably frank in his letters, viewing politics as a game of leverage. He is not a man of ideology, but one of pure acquisition, constantly seeking to expand his power while maintaining his "high ground" against investigators.

David D. Colton acts as the recipient of these incriminating letters, serving as the necessary accomplice who helps Huntington manage the political machinery in California. Through him, we see the internal logic of the conspiracy. Thomas A. Scott stands as the primary rival, representing the opposing railroad interest that Huntington must crush; he is the foil against whom Huntington defines his strategy of bribery and deceit.

Peripheral figures like Leland Stanford, Charles Crocker, and Mark Hopkins are identified as Huntington's partners in this collective enterprise, though they are primarily seen through the lens of Huntington’s own commentary. The politicians of the era, such as Senator Gordon of Georgia and various territorial governors, are portrayed not as individuals with agency, but as "switches" to be flipped or "instruments" to be played, highlighting the author’s grim view of the era’s political class.

In Its Own Voice

The following passages illustrate the matter-of-fact tone Huntington used when discussing the systematic corruption of government:

"The T. and P. folks are working hard on their bill. * * * They offered one M. C. one thousand dollars cash down, five thousand when the Bill passed and ten thousand of the bonds when they got them, if he would vote for the Bill."

This sentence captures the transactional nature of the influence-peddling the author describes.

"I think this coming session of Congress will be composed of the hungriest set of men that ever got together."

This quote highlights Huntington’s contempt for the integrity of the legislators he sought to manipulate.

"If we are not hurt this session it will be because we pay much money to prevent it."

This remark serves as the author's primary piece of evidence regarding the direct use of bribery to influence national policy.

What It's Really About

At its core, this book is an inquiry into the nature of power in a republic that has allowed its public institutions to be captured by private wealth. It asks whether representative government can survive when the "elected servants" of the people are treated as employees of a monopoly. The text explores the tension between democratic ideals and the reality of an "agrarian camp" or "industrial machine" that prioritizes the enrichment of the few over the prosperity of the many. It is not just about the specific crimes of the railroad era; it is about the fundamental, enduring question of whether the law can ever truly constrain those who have the resources to purchase it.

Why Read It Today

Readers interested in the history of American political corruption, Gilded Age economics, or the evolution of the modern lobbyist will find this text essential. It is not a polished narrative, but rather an urgent, journalistic piece of muckraking that pulses with the genuine outrage of its time. The writing is direct, biting, and at times repetitive, reflecting the author's relentless focus on the evidence at hand.

The primary difficulty for the modern reader lies in the dense, formal prose of the 19th century and the specific historical context of the Texas and Pacific Railway disputes, which may require some patience to navigate. However, these obstacles are quickly outweighed by the sheer power of the primary documents. Reading it feels like looking through an X-ray of a political system, stripping away the rhetoric of the era to reveal the cold, calculated arithmetic of bribery underneath. What stays with you is the hauntingly familiar nature of the techniques described—the "picnics," the committee manipulation, and the persistent, quiet erosion of the public interest—reminding the reader that the struggle for transparent government is a recurring, if not constant, demand of the democratic process.