The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1906-12-13
= cHARLEs q. ARTRUR.

f
are interested in the proceedings of
congress arc paying considerable atten-
lion to the organization known as the
4 peoples lobby. which established head
quarters here at the beginning of the
session. The theory on which the or
gnnizatIon is founded Is that an special
interests affected by prospective legis-
lation have lobbyists in Washington,
but that the people have no representa-
ton. This, OF course, is pretty hard
On the members of the house as well
as on the senator's, to say nothing of
the 200 newspaper correspondents who
are supposed to keep the public In
formed as to what is ranspIring at
the capital. The peoples lobby, how
ever. says 1t has no quarrel with the
| newspapers or their correspondent
those which print the news and are not
afraid to show UP corruption at least
| but that on the other hand, It earnestly
desires their cooperation in keeping
the country informed Of whatever eff
forts, negative or positive, may be
made to stihe legislation in the. inter
ests Of the people and push through
bills in the interests Of the corpora
lions.
Plans For This Session.
| During the present session the lobby
Will do little more than keep a com
| pIete record of all bills which have
| bearing on the welfare of the public as
| a whole. With the beginning of the
| next congress, however, it will broaden
| its scope and Will make things us I'M
comfortable as possible for representa-
tives or senators who can be shown to
have been recreant to the trust Inn
posed in them by the people. The at
titude of each individual member to-
ward Legislation of Interest to the pub
lie will be noted, and If the lobby be
Iieves a legislator is looking after the
interest of some corporation or com
blnation of corporations instead of de
voting his whole time and attention to
the public interest 1t will try to get
the facts before the country in some
effective way.
President Is Interested.
President Roosevelt is deeply inter
ested in the matter and indeed had
much to do with getting the lobby on
its feet. The idea of creating such an
organization originated with Henry
Beach Needham. newspaper and
magazine writer who is the son of
college president OF this city, but with
out the assistance and hearty cooper
alton of the president it is doubtful
If the plan could have been carried
out. Not long ago the leading mem
bers of the lobby We're entertained at
dinner at the White House The OBJ
jects and aims of the organization
We're talked over, and plans for the
future We're made tentatively. Among
the most prominent OF the men identi-
a., = ar 10
Clemens Mark Twain). Ben B. Lind
scy Judge of the Juvenile court at
Denver: John Mitchell, president of
the United Mine Workers OF America:
james r. REYNOLDS. one of the men
who Investigated the Chicago pack
cries for the president last spring; LIN
coin StefTens. the magazine writer;
President Benjamin Ide Wheeler OF |
the University Of California, william |
Allen White. the Emporia (Kan.) ed
tor who is now connected with NeN
York magazine, and Brand Whitloc.
mayor of Toledo, o.. and a writer
note.
Contributions From Many Places.
The money necessary to the opei
lions of the lobby has been secul
from voluntary contributions, viii
have come from every state In the u
ION ana from lnnalni. Hawai- duu -
Philippine Islands. Mr. Needham. who
has been elected secretary Of the or
ganizatIon, is in charge OF the Office
established in Washington.
Republican Revision Movement
Representative Butler Ames of Mas
sachusetts, grandson of General Ben
jamin Butler Is circulating among Re
publican members of the house peti-
tion which calls for party caucus to
consider the matter of tarih revision.
A similar document was circulated by
members of the Massachusetts delegn-
ton last spring, but nothing came of
It, as fifty signatures must be secured
to such a paper before a caucus can
be called. and the necessary number
Of slgners was not Forthcoming. The
fact that Mr.. Ames, with whom all his
colleagues are in thorough accord, has
to agitate the subject so
soon is taken to Indicate possibility
IF sufficient Republican sentiment for
revision as to induce the president to
,all special session of the Sixtieth
congress Immediately after the close
If the present one on March 4 to con-
'Ider the subject. The Irevsionists.
'r stand patters, as they have come
% be almost universally known, VIII
oppose any such suggestion with all ,
possible vigOr.
Zoo Lurid to Print.
Some of the Tame ducks" of the &