Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-18

Surely a representative should be
trusted to represent the wishes OF his
constituents. If he does not, your rem
edy is in the ballot. See to it that he
is not returned. Get a man who will
represent the people, and when you get
such a man stand by him; do not throw
him out on the slightest pretext.
"I think it will be conceded by any
fair minded person that the people have
as much right to be represented at Sac
ramento, or have a lobby there, as the
railroad, the shippers association, the
Royal Arch the gamblers, the medical
associations, dental associations or Wo-
man suffragists
"A member Of the present legisla-
ture should not be expected to know
much about the peoples lobby for 1t
is something new--in fact, something
Of an experiment. 1t Is a sort OF un,
known star that has lately appeared
in the political skies to illumine the dark
political pathways for the legislators.
This lobby was an intrusion upon
the political field, so long owned and
controlled by the Hobbies of special in
terests. Thus 1t happened that some
members resented it's advent into the
| classic precincts of Sacramento.
Legislator Disilusioned
Coming in contact with a lobby for
| the first time disillusions the legislator
who goes to Sacramento with lofty
ideas of what his duty is to his con-
stituents and to himself. 1t seems every
man who voted for or helped to elect
him imagines that the legislator is there
for the sole purpose of representing
that man individually. He makes de-
mands upon the legislator.
"The boss and interests with the
proverbial special ak to grind make
every effort to have the legislator turn
the grindstone. His constituency at
large expects him to do things They
demand action, they expect him to
make good to accomplish something
If he fails, he is ridiculed and scorned.
If he does things he is Immediately
put down in the machine class.
"The powers in control at the cap
itol make demands also. Imperative
at first-either line up or get nothing
be good or you will go back without
accomplishing anything If the leg
islator lines up he is criticized, and
if he does not he is defeated-he is
good for nothing ornament. The edict
for his political death goes forth No
wonder that the poor legislator is dis
illusioned
THAT there should be a remedy for
this condition of things is clear. The
| larger portion of the men who go to
Sacramento go there with desire to
serve the people. The majority, be-
leve, 60 there with honest ideals
but when they reach the capitol they
find a condition and not theory
which confronts them. Remove the
condition and you will have no general
cause to complain. The legislators
themselves would gladly welcome the
remedy.
"The legislator is not altogether un-
familiar with Hobbies. Nor is he
obliged to go into the byways and dark
alleys with a lantern in hand search
ing for one. OF course there are lob
bes and lobbies. Some that have an
air of respectability, under the lead
ership of respectable men, and others
that we would not care to meet in
the dark, or in the daytime, for that
matter, unless properly armed and
prepared to make good, stiff fight.
Machine Power Wanes
"The heretofore all-powerful lobby of
the interests, large and small COM
bined, the machine the push the
'organization'-or call it what you wish
(for a rose would smell as sweet by
any other name)-is there, and has
been there for years. That this lobby
has had everything it's own way in the
past there is no question. That it was
undisputed master during this last
session is doubtful.
Among the strong and powerful lob
bies the liquor lobby seemed to re-
ceive cordial treatment something the
antl-saloon element was not fortunate
enough to get.
at was a common sight to see the
representatives of the Royal Arch and
their attorneys on the floor of the leg
islature while a respectable gentleman,
a preacher, unfortunate enough to rep
resent the other side had to take the
balcony, and was obliged to hear him
self characterized as a lean and hun
OF nd oil ort
tator.
Certain legislators resented having
this gentleman work in favor of a bill
that gave every man right to decide
for himself whether he wanted saloons
or not. l do not wish to charge any
particular person with this. for it may
have been merely coincidence, merely
an accident.
"The racetrack gamblers had a
lobby You all know about that--it
was a powerful and shrewd lobby with
plenty of money. 1t was openly stat
ed that large sums of money were Of
fered for votes. 1t was an open secret
that at one time they only lacked two
votes to win, yet when the votes were
counted they only had seven. Now,
what was the reason? Later on I think
I shall demonstrate it. This lobby was
near it's desired end, yet failed.
What Lobby Is
1.-THE peoples lobby, this strange in
truder in the heretofore undisputed
field of the interests-what is It?
"Of course there were rumors galore
as to what the peoples lobby was.
Some said it was Heney and Burns,
others said it was Lissner and Hun
saker, and few more such hard char
acters, but I rather take the word of
the gentleman who was in charge as
to what the lobby really was. l quote
from a copy of the Pacific Outlook of
May g. 1909:
"'Contrary to the popular belief, the
peoples lobby was not a one-man in
stitution. Realizing that much of it's
work to be effective must be done
secretly, 1t established one man, the
writer OF this brief article, as it's execu-
tive head at Sacramento. But much of
the real work was done by men en-
ployed about the capitol in various
ways. Some of these men were there
as accredited representatives of well
known newspapers; some clerks of COM
mittees-some were engaged in conf
Dental capacities as attaches on one
house or the other. All were faithful