The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-12-14

| that year it has been a scandal that has
attached more or less to every Iegisla-
ture 1t is time to put stop to it. Rep
utable lawyers who are men of substance
| ought to hold their profession in too high
esteem to degrade it by becoming lobby
citation ought to do more than another it
is to unfrock members who haunt the
capitol and the rooms of members as
paid lobbyists for or against leg
islative measures. There is line
clearly defined-between a law
yers going before committee as before
court to argue in favor of or against
any measure pending before that commit
tee, and a lawyers lobbying members at
the boarding houses, at the clubs, and on
| the floor of the Legislature halls, bring
ing social, political or financial pressure
to bear. The first is legitimate. The
second is disgraceful and the man who
practices it ought not to be permitted to
retain membership in an honorable pro-
fession. If, instead of wasting its time
talking about engrafting the Anticipated
absurd and ridiculous custom-a relic of
| king craft and divine right-of putting
gowns on judges, the Bar Association
would demand an adherence to old time
ethics it would be elevating the great
profession of the law.
There are already limitations that
a railroad lobby will sweep down
on the North Carolina Legislature
like the wolf on the fold" Dur
ing the past week conferences have been
held to devise measures to repeal certain
legislation in the nature of tax laws
which certain railroad magnates do not
want. So far as this State is concerned,
it publicly announced at the Greensboro
Democratic Convention a declaration
OF independence of railroad dictation,
platform 1t turned down the platform
provisions desired by certain tax-dodg
ing railroads with dull cold thud. 1t
nominated with enthusiasm the man GER
tain railroad political magnates had
conspired to defeat. These men ought
to have learned a lesson when the
people by nearly 10000 majority rati-
fed the action of the Greensboro State
Convention. The Legislature which will
in pol oil uh
January is sent here by the peo-
pie to carry out their will and not to
obey the DEGREES of tax lodging, quasi
public corporations. If the men at the
head of these corporations are wise they
will trust to the justice and fairness OF
the members of the General Assembly,
and not provoke the indignation which
will follow the presence of third house.
engaged in the familiar methods so of
ten employed here and in Georgia and
elsewhere to dictate legislation. In Raj
eigh, they will be made known day by
day and their plans will be published to
the whole State. The people Of North
railroad magnates to exert undue in
f1uence. They made ambitious men
afraid to thwart their wishes. That day
has passed. The year 1902 showed their
impotence to control Democratic conven-
tions and to affect the result at the polls.
1t is popularity believed that they think
they can control the State Senate. They
reckon without knowing, for the people
who elected the Senators did not send
men to Raleigh to do the bidding of cor
porations, but to legislate for all the
people They will not fail to be true to
the people who elected them. But the
people will demand that the lobby scan
peated in the General Assembly of 1903.
Since the above editorial was in type,
a Senator in the Georgia Legislature,
Indignant" at what he called the jour
nails unjust insinuations, replied to the
editorial, denying the presence of lobby
lists. The Journal replied in vigorous
style from which these extracts are
taken
There are certain individuals who in
fest the capitol from day to day and
from hour to hour that constitute the
lobby. They are there as the paid rep
resentaties of certain interests and they
are always present. They retard bust
ness embarrass members and disgrace
the legislative halls of the State. They
fasten themselves like barnacles on the
legislative branch of the government,
and however earnestly or honestly leg
islators may seek to discharge the hlgh
responsibilities of office, they find them
selves constantly embarrassed, hindered
and delayed by the presence of these
people.
THAT there is a professional, well or
ganized and aggressive lobby in the capl
toll of Georgia, no observant man can
doubt. One has but to go there ana looh
around 1t is sometimes even dlHlcuit 10
distinguish legislators from Lobbyists %
thick do they swarm about the capltol'
1.-THE names of these professionals are
we'll known and can readily be furnished.
thew will be