The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-08-19
COURT RULES
 TO END LOBBY Attorney P. w. Chase Urges Protection of Legislature by Same Safeguards as Ju- dietary Has.
 Make Influencing Crime Theoretically, General As sembly Is the Highest Court of the State, and Should Be Respected.
Influencing c.
Crime

Court of the State, and
 Should Be Respected.
 New Haven, Aug I9-In the follow ing article, which is of universal fn- terest at the present time, Attorney Prentice w. Chase of this city sets forth what appeals to him as an effec- tive remedy to end the lobby main tained in the halls of the State Legis- Iature:
 So much has been said and written about these two familiar subjects that at first blush q would seem that man would hesitate to attempt to travel on such dangerously thin ice as is necessary to crfticise these two in- stitutions in, our body politics
 Perhaps there is nothing new that can be said in criticism of the lobby or in criticism of the lobbyist that has not already been said and said well. However, it is, quite probable that if nothing new can be added which will aid in destroying this parasite which has welded itself to our management of governmental institutions, there | may be some merit in repeating the oft-made arguments hoping that in the end this article may assist in destroy ing the most pernicious menace. to re- publican civil government.
 The word lobbyist so-called. is the elongated word "Lob'', and as Web ster says, means an -.unwiefdly lump
 dull fellow-a blockhead." ]"
 The word lobby Is also an elongated nom de plume of the word ''Lobr, and as Webster says, means an. ante chamber to loaf in for 1oafersAa place
 for men who have no legitimate busi- ness there, Or for men who have legi- timate business in some other room and shirk their responsibility by re- tiring to the lobby to loaf-a place ! where men of no occupation mix up
 with men who have governmental re- sponsib ibiIities to perform and mind other peoples business, having none of their own to mind.
 The foregoing may not be just the correct definition of the lobby and of
 but it is fairly true. even at the pres
 ent time. si &
 The modern lobbyist is a creature of developments; usually he is an out young man who among his friends be- comes popular and is elected to the Legislature of his native State. falls
 into the hands of his predecessors the | lobby), sells his body and his man hood, becomes disgraced at home for so doing. and thereafter, following out the rule of earning a living where
 there is the least resistance. he turns This is the embryonic state only of the lobbyist. The full-f1edged and mature lobbyist is a conceited, as lsumptuous. all-around good fellow, with more stomach than brains, who believes he can influence men to do
 his bidding, but succeeds only in con- trolling crooks like himself To be a success he must be as subservient as a weN-trained dog. obeying his master only. He must find pleasure in his occupation and get the. enjoyment of l it by joking about his success with his The orlly brains, which evidence orig inalityi that the lobbyist is supposed to have are those which he uses in creat- ing original bills to be offered before l the Legislature to defeat which he is Immediately employed by the quasi public corporations
 It can't be possible that the direc- ations are blind to the fact that most fevery bill affecting the Interests of these corporations is conceived, orig | mated, drafted and offered as prospec-
 these corporations immediately employ
 to defeat Thus the process becomes an absurd proposition and goes on to
 an absurd finish l Frequently, and if not always, some
 of the officers of the big corporations, unbeknown to their fellow directors. are involved in this pernicious occu- patton. thus milking the treasury of l funds that belong to the honest stock
 holders and placed in their hands in trust. If the lobby was abolished the occasion for them would be almost equally abolished
 stroy the lobbyist is a question in volving more consideration than de- finfng him and his occupation. Abolish them both, in the opinion of the writ
 sooner some process is devised by
 which it may be done lawfully the | sooner will the ship of state be steer I ing away from the shoals which t@x->, H<,~,- <7<<r,fr <i<<x,. U If the General Assembly is the high est court in a. sovereign State (and no one questions that it is. theoretically
 at least). why should it not be made a crime to talk to, or attempt in any
 way to influence it's decisions except 1 by prescribed rules of procedure such las is followed in all other courts of inferior character?
 | men that a verdict of the jury is often set aside if any extraneous and unus-
 ual methods are pursued to influence the result. It is common knowledge also. that | it is a crime to attempt or to succeed in influencing a Juryman during the l trial of a. case other than by the pro cedure prescribed by our practice in court. This being true then, why, in the name of heaven, can't a. law of the same description be passed which will make it equally as serious an offense l to attempt to influence or bribe a member of the highest court in this State, "the- General Assembly," It may be generally known to voters of this commonwealth that the General Assembly of Connecticut, as a body, have less to say about making the laws T for the people of this State than the corporations.
 Every law that the General Assembly can consider and pass upon without molestation from tn eiobby either eff fects some small misdemeanor and the penalties attach, some regulations of | fishing in country ponds or small brooks running into them, appropriat- ing money to maiptain humane institu- tionS and confirming appointments of | the Governor to various State offices and a few other minor details
 T Any contemplated public act how T ever, which directly or indirectly af-