The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-02-22
CIIApIEN NNII

yASliINtlON has known many
"a lobbyists in IFS time. and 10
Wv keeps on knowing them The
striking increase 600 lcglsla
tion that aims to restrict unlawful or
Improper Practices m business. the
awakening uf the public conscience
has caused % greater demand than ever
for Influence ut the national capital. for
these restrictive measures must hp
either killed or cmasculatcd to q point
uf usclcssucss hy that process, which B..
the salvation of many "a corrupt mauip
ulntpr the process of amendment
Predatory corporations. predatory
business associations of different sorts
aud predatory individuals have their
representatives on the field at Wash
ington To ward on attack 10y any means
that brains can devise or money pro.
cure and To- obtain desired favurs M n
cost that will leave profitable balance
for the purchaser When commercial
trickstcrs. believing In the LOBBYISTS
favoritc maxim. The People Forget"
feel that they have oul'l,cd the latest
reform movement aud see "the good
" .
politicians introduce fcw reform
measures themselves. most stringent
measures. They push these measures
ahead until somebody pays up. then
the bills die. The lobbyist knows all
about these strike" bills. hut does not
frOwn on them No. no. Perhaps he
helped draw up one of these bills SO
that. with the aid Of his Inside knuwl-
edge of his employers business. the
measure Is made to give greater
scare than might otherwise have re
suited The bigger the scare the big.
ger the fund advanced, of course. for
the lobbyist To- handle All this also
helps IN" lobbyist to secure and retain
employment
Not all the Washington lobbyists are
outside of congress The senator or
congressman has uncqualcd facilities
for olliug or blocking the course of a
bill. Sometimes ne confines himself TO
the interests OF his own clients who
ever they may be-. But sometimes he
notices a hill that promises to be q
pretty good thing for the client of
some other member II II passes. Then
he begins To fight this hill So actively
that h" must he "lct I'm ON the deal"
himself This Is very annoying to the
other member, but the experience Is
worth something lie has learned the
value Of observing other peoples lcgis-
lntion.
The outsiders Unembcrs of the third
house, and the insiders have bond
Of frccmaSonry uniting them: they ex-
change Information as To what mem
bers uf both houses can Ice reached"
how they can be got to- Through
whom and how much they want.
This Information Is carefully tabulat.
eel. ana now prices for passing or de
fcating legislation can be- quoted To
Interested parties Just as the price of
Il carload OF pork can be asccrtaincd at
n given time ana place. Perhaps Il IL
this system that leads grating mem
hers OF short experience To wonder
how knowledge Of their taking what
Is termed "thc sugar got out and he-
came known to their associates. hid
they not have pledge of absolute Sc
creyf Yes. hut the purchaser never
intended To keep the information from
those of his Kind Lobbyists must he
honest with each other
Not all lobbyists are men The wo-
man Legislative agent has been known
to occupy an important position In
Washington. and She does yet She Is
hard to detect and frequent. more nm.
prlnriplcd than the men sim trIy on.
ragcd n that is nnssible
N,mop win , r.,s,r, ,, .,,,,,
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most successful rs % I,bb,ist "a, yv,sr
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''~'" ".""N' "I lH' opportunities