Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-27
MORE
AS LOBBYIST
RUSH POINTS OPPONENTS
WEAK SPOTS
DISSECTS McLAcHLAN'S CLAIMS
OF SERVICE
Southern California Needs Congress-
man, Not a Committee Hanger
On, Democratic Nominee
Declares


Congressman James McLaehlan made
during this campaign was made at
Alhambra last night, before q big au-
dence, by Jud Rush, McLachlan's OPP
ponent.
Mr. Rush took issue with the state
ment made by the present congress-
man last Saturday night at San Pedro
that no new man in Washington could
accomplish as much as one who had
been in congress for several years.
Mr. Rush answered this argument
by showing that Mr.. McLaehlan has
accomplished practically nothing dur
ing the many years of his service in
Washington, and that new man could
not possibly do less than he has, and
might do a great deal more.
The arguments of Mr.. Rush were
very pointed. Among other things he
said:
'Mr. McLachlan not only expressed
a wish that his record as a member
insisted that the people should be in
formed of this record.
Found Wanting
"An investigation has been made and
it has been ascertained from that rec
ord that in all the years of his service
he made but three or four motions,
and on two or three occasions indulged
in very brief explanatory remarks;
that he never at any time introduced
a bill other than private pension or
relief bills, which became a law; that
he never engaged in a real contest for
the rights of the people of this dis
trict on the floor of the house; that he
never made a speech or an argument
worthy of such designation.
also that the private pension and
relief bills introduced by him were not
presented in good faith; that he never
attempted to secure their passage, and
that they were evidently introduced for.
the sole purpose of padding his record
and fooling the old soldiers.
THAT in all of these years of service
he never at any time mentioned our
great citrus fruit industry or addressed
the house for as much as one minute
in it's behalf.
his place on the floor of the house to
mention San Pedro harbor, much less
defend 1t, or appeal to his fellow men,
bers in it's interests.
Shines as Lobbyist
"I am informed that after this in
vestigation had been made and this
record exposed, a citizen inquired of
Mr.. McLachlan about the services he
had rendered during his official career.
in a public meeting on last Saturday
night. and that Mr.. McLachlan in
formed his audience, in substance, that
the work he had done for his district
had been done by appearing before
various committees of the house, and
representing the interests of this dis
trict before such committees. And he
indirectly admitted that no record
could be found of such services.
"In other words, Mr.. McLachlan now
contends that the services rendered by
him were not performed as member
of congress on the floor of the house
of representatives but rather as
lobbyist, appearing before various
committees and pleading with them to
deal justly with the people of this
district.
There is no record available here
from which we can ascertain the extent
of Mr.. McLachlan's actual services as
a lobbyist
Needs Deputy
but if his statements concerning
his services in lobbying before COM
mittees are no nearer correct than his
assertions concerning the extent and
value of his services in the house, then,
indeed, the chamber of commerce and
other civic bodies of Los Angeles were
wise in employing a man to attend to
SuCIl Ildll6IS.
1.-The unfortunate part of the whole
matter seems to be that they could not
employ a man to represent us in the
house of representatives as well.
at seems strange that if Mr.. Nc
Lachlan performed such arduous and
difficult services for the people of this
district in these mysterious ways,
where no record was kept of them,
that they did not bear fruit some
place along the line.
"If this work was so successful, why
did it not bring about the passage of
at least one bill in eight years?
"Do the people of the greatest con-
gressional district in the United States
believe that they are entitled to a
member of congress who will represent
their interests and fight their battles
on the floor of the house of represen-
tatiVes?
"Or are they satisfied with a mere
lobbyist, who occasionally appears be-
fore some committee in their behalf
to perform some service which could
be as we'll done by any reputable citi-
zen, and which produces no beneficial
results?
Are they satisfied with a vacant
seat in the house of representatives.
or do they want that seat occupied?"
Tonight Mr.. Rush is to appear at
Redondo.
nA0rAM rhLEc HLApGE nE