Today we are concerned that people show their "admiration" for members of Congress by providing gifts/cash/contributions in return for "assistance" in certain matters, such as Casino licenses and so forth. Such "admiration" is not new, nor is it really practical to try to stop it in all of its forms. A radical idea that is almost guaranteed to work (and is therefore almost guaranteed not to be implemented) would be to remove the motivation for such "admiration," that is, deny the federal government (read: Representatives and Senators) the ability to distribute rents to the chosen/connected. The inability to distribute rents would dramatically reduce the number of people who offer their "admiration."

In light of recent events, the Nov. 27, 1905 NYT presents a problem that today might not seem bad:

Two years ago, after Speaker Cannon was sworn in, an attempt was made to bring in large floral pieces and place them upon the desks of members, but the Speaker issued positive orders to stop the proceeding...A standing resolution of the Senate was adopted during the last session of Congress barring flowers from the Senate chamber...Rivalry of admirers of members of the two houses reached a stage where half the desks were buried in flowers, and the persons they were meant to compliment were completely hidden. This condition led to the ban on them.

House and Senate members being hidden/buried in flowers? That might be an improvement over the ways they seek attention nowadays.