The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-10-17
LOBBY OF PEOPLE
TO WATCH CONGRESS.
Continued From First Page.

peoples lobby will be raised by popu-
lar subscriptions in all parts Of the
country, and as has been said above, the
board Of managers has fixed upon half
sary to insure entire. success Of a per-
manent character.
Mr.. Needham gave several months OF
the present year to visiting the import
ant centers Of population, for the pur-
pose Of laying his plans before as many
prominent men as possible. Everywhere
he has met with encouragement. Last
week he came to Washington for the
purpose Of taking these plans up with
the president, with whom he spent an
entire evening for that purpose. The
president has given the lobby his en-
tire approval, and said that he would
from time to time do all in his power to
help its work. &"
The. board Of managers is to meet in
this city next Monday, and the ,presi-
dent, at Mr.. Needham Is request, has
consented to write letters and kilograms
to the various members of this board,
urging them to be present, pointing out
the Important character of the work
they are to perform, and promising that
he would assist them in every possible
way. @2sF i
I Need Shown by Roosevelt.
It has occurred to good many peo-
| pie that the very fact that such an Or
| ganization as the people IS lobby is nee
essary is reflection on the congress Of
the United States, and that this refec-
ton is intensified by the attitude taken
by President Roosevelt. This view,
however, is not general. G-
The basic purpose of the lobby will
be to increase the interest of the intel
ligent men Of the country in national
| matters, and thus increase their particl-
patton in the discussion of these mat
tiers. The lobby is therefore to be
| good deal more than mere 'seem1ng
committee. !" While it will do work of
this sort, as necessity may demand, it's
chief aim will be educational.
The leading men Of the country know
too little about how business is tran.
sacted in Washington: The lobby will
add to their information on this point.
The leading men Of the country are too
little interested in national affairs. This
lobby will increase that interest, ana
with this increase will come a larger
participation on their part in those at
fairs. -.-....
| In the large cities which have munich
pal leagues there is not necessarily any
reflection against the city council or
the city officers, as a body. These
leagues bring the intelligent voter near
er to municipal questions r. and issues,
and the indirect influence which is thus
exerted on the aldermen and city Off
GERS, who, so far as the league is con-
cerned, may be we'll meaning, and hon
est, in the main, almost always has re-
suited in q change of municipal policy.
The city officials are nearly always
ready to do what the league suggests
for they assume that the league repre-
, sents the prevailing public opinion. Sim
, ilarly here, congress may be assumed to
| I. %1,o in nd ~
ing to do what the country as a whole
:. To Sound Public Opinion.
! The difficulty sheretofore: has beer
8 that there was no. way Of finding out
what prevailing public opinion was OF
any given question. The same trouble
e existed in the cities of the country un
1 til the municipal league came into OK
y istence. In both instances, men charged
: with the performance of public dut.
|. were beset by the hired agents Of grea
Q corporations and other interested indi
$ 1 viduals, combined for the purpose 0
/ getting certain results in the way 0
s legislation. There was no offset to thei
! selfish demands in the way Of crystal
lized public sentiment, and frequent,
the community and the nation suffered
not always because the city or the M
| C1Oudl Ou1CeTS WtI0 Gull
III And so the people g lobby has com
| into, existence to- do, for the -countr
: precisely what the municipal league
the Same way. # the economic prime
y pie underlying the municipal league
e sound, the same principle, underlyin
IL the peoples lobby, must be sound: TT
- expansion of the principle to cover tt
u national field does not alter it's essenc
y This, in brief, is tho way the people
3 lobby advocates argue the question
VI their right to live as such an ORGANIC
re ton. IT,
10 Some idea Of the character this ne
ie national organization is to have, ms
~ be had from looking over the followi1
partial list of the names Of men wi
+ have consented to- serve as members
i the governing board, = and who W
come to Washington for next, week
meeting:~-, ~,es ,,.->. .s-~.-r~e- w r: - Z.
II Members Of Lobby.
on Francis j. Heney, special governme
he prosecutor in the land fraud cases
,al Oregon; San Francisco.
les Samuel Mcclure Lindsay, secretary
Ia the national child labor committee.
lct John Mitchell, president of t
ne, United Mine Workers Of America.
1t Henry Beach Needham, originator
oAAo p0OPlC 1OpUy 1utd. ....-a
on James B. Seynolds, joint author
Us US the Neill-Reynolds meat inspection
It's port. ~. .s:'s..4 +. "A. ~
/ Lincoln Steffens, associate editor
py the American magazine.
eept Benjamin Ide Wheeler, president
zee the university of California.
~, William Allen White, editor Of
ny Emporia Gazette. Kan.
io W R. M. Allen, secretary Of the int
- state pure food commission.
II; ~ Samuel L. Clemens, Mark Twain
~ - Lewis D. Brandeis, president of
, nd public franchise league of Boston, a
~ writer on economic subjects.
ava Everett Colby, who has made hims
ON a national character thru his work
- reform in New Jersey. l
Frederic G. Howe of Ohio, form
law partner Of President Garfield.
o. Judge Benjamin B. Lindsay of
tho Juvenile court, Denver.
~ ~, Mark Sullivan, associate editor
~ Golfers magazine.
NV 7: K. Webster, one Of the movi
III spirits Of the municipal ownersl
.a5 league at Chicago.
.an FIREBUa BURNS A CREAMERY.
n Special to The Journal
- st, Cloud, Mimi Oct 1.-THE cres r,erv