The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-08-31
TIE LAw AND THE Lossfr


 Mir. Joseph B. Bishop has written fol
 the September number of the Century |
 paper entitled 'The Price Of Peace,
 This is a startling revelation of tn,
 siaekmaii levied upon business and cor
 porate interests by legislative strikers
 In New York state. The following is
 Nn extract from his paper;
 In writing about the lobby in his
 American commonwealth.' Mir. James
 Bryce says: "Ail legislative bodies
 which control important peeuniary in-
 lerests are as sure to have n lobby as
 m army is to have camp followers.
 Where the body is. there will the vul-
 lures be gathered together. Great and
 wealthy states. like New York and
 Pennsylvania. support the largest and
 most active lobbies." This was written
 several years ago. and was. like all
 the same authors comments upon
 American affairs. singularly penetrat-
 Ing and accurate. The lobby evil was
 shen substantially the same In all the
 older and wealthier states. and the
 problem of coping with 1t by means of
 laws for It's regulation was 6 subject
 Tor current discussion. But within re-
 cent years there have been develop
 ments which have resulted virtually
 In the discontinuance of the lobby in
 the richest state and in the establish
 ment in Its place of the political boss as
 the disposer and regulator of all legis- 'ation. Since Mir. Bryce wrote also one
 state. Massachusetts. has passed law
 Tor the regulation and restraint of the lobby.
 The Massachusetts statute went Into effect at the legislative session of 1891 It requires the sergeant-at-arms of the legislature to keep two dockets. one for the names of all persons employed as counsel before committees and the other Tor the names of all agents employed In connection with any legislation affect Ing the pecuniary interests of any indi- vidual, association or private or pub lic corporation. Upon these dockets the names of each counsel and agent must be registered within one week of the late of its employment, with the length | of time 1t is to continue, the special sub ject or subjects of legislation to which | his employment relates and the name | and business address of his employer. | Whenever additional subjects of legis- lation are assigned to an agent or coun- 5el they must be entered on the books In such manner that the entries op- posite the name of each employer will show all the subjects of legislation in relation to which any counsel or agent | is employed by. him, and that the en- tries opposite the name of each agent or counsel will show all the subjects of legislation with reference to which he Is employed. No person whose name is not registered is allowed to appear as counsel before any committee or to act ln any manner as agent in respect to any legislation, and no person or cor poration or association Is permitted to employ as counsel or agent any per- 'on who is not registered. Each register or, docket is closed at the end of the |, session and new ones must be opened It the ensuing session. Within thirty lays after adjournment every person, f corporation or association whose name f lppears on the docket as having en- ( 'loyed any counsel or agent must ren- , Ter to the secretary of. the common f wealth a|fulL complete and detailed I tatement,, sworn to before a justice of { he peace. of all expenses paid or in- | urred in connection with promoting or a opposing in any manner, directly or in- V irectly, the passage of legislation. Vi- II lation of any provision of the act is I unishable by fine of not less than t 100 or more than $1,0OO for each of- ense, and any person seeking to act V s counsel or agent contrary to its pro- n isions is liable to the same penalties. " nd in addition will be debarred from n citing in such capacity for a period of O hree years from the date of conviction. e The law demonstrated it's usefulness a one respect immediately upon going Ia ito operation. At the first session of a O. 'gislature acting under its provisions u lany professional lobbyists, including n Il those of the most notorious charac- p 'r, declined to put their names upon m le dockets and departed forever from d. le state house. Some of them took up J, leir occupation in the hotel lobbies el 10 other places frequented by mem- T ITS of the legislature but they piled to lelr trade under such disadvantages lat most of them abandoned it per- R anently not long afterward. The reg al ar counsel of the railway companies tr ia other corporations appeared as usu- W and put their names on the dockets, kr the close of the session of 1891 the WI cretary of the commonwealth sent to Ca e attorney-general the names of six W, seven employers of counsel and m 'ents who had failed to make sworn co clements in accordance with the law. WI le attorney general submitted the WI ses to the grand jury, hut no indict- ents were returned. Since 1891 the bu has sent notice to per- tn ns whose names have been given to Or n as tl1os of employers failing to com WI with the law, and they have all tn srepuon made the required returns. ne As to the general working of the law. of is the verdict of all observers that if tn, s made the air of the state house I'll adily clearer each year, the number Eli lobbyists growing smaller at each lisl sceeding session, as the official fir- his g show. is Jet us now consider the case of New tee rk, in which state, as I have said ace lobby has been superseded bv a its itical boss who dispenses and rern- Dw es all legislation, If has hee,, a =, .. vol