The author states " the hog-pen was still empty". With this comment he implies that he considered politician to be at the same level as pigs. They will wallow in fecal matter and crowd in to any space to get what they want. He goes on to say that they are shameless and have no respect for privacy. This also reinforces his portrayal of them as willing to cram themselves in anywhere regardless of the location or conditions to get information. He considers them lowly, dirty and visualizes them covered in poop.
