The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-26
ANTI-LOBBY 0. X.
Says Attorney Graham Differing From
GIeed.

To the Editor of the State Journal:
The article in your paper by j. W.
Gleed attorney on the anti-lobby bill,
now before our legislature, L think.
requires an answer, particularly in
view of its evident purpose to in
fiuence the public mind and create a
sentiment against the bill.
Mr.. GIeed contents himself with
quoting only the portion of the bill
defining a lobbyist, to wit:
THAT any person who is directly or
indirectly pecuniarily interested in any
measure or measures pending before
the legislature of this state, who shall
attempt at any time within the state
to in any manner influence the act or
vote of any member of the state
legislature upon or concerning such
measures shall be deemed a lobbyist"
Pressing the point to its extreme
limit, as Mr.. Gleed has done, every
body has an indirect pecuniary in
terest in every act of every member of
the legislature in the course of his
legislative duties and we need not
stop to specify the taxpayer or the
editor; but. if he does not attempt to
Influence the act or vote of any
member of the state legislature" then
he is not a lobbyist, under this bill.
This bill reserves to everybody,
which includes the taxpayer and the
editor, the two individuals who seem
to have been especially in Mr.. Gleed's
mind the right to speak and write
his views without. in any manner, be-
coming a lobbyist; and he may ap-
near before legislative committees, and
even in the legislative halls them
selves. if given permission, which has
been sometimes done. without bring
ing himself within the definition of
lobbyist as contained in this bill. nor
bringing upon himself the odium, as
Mr. GIeed puts it, of that terrible
epithet; but when he singles out the
individual legislator. and attempts to
influence his act in legislative mat
ters, which is the true limit of the
definition given in the bill then he
becomes a lobbyist; and, if the word
lobbyist has become odious, it is be-
cause its meaning like all degraded
words. has followed the fact.
II lobbying has become degraded
and odious. it is because the lobbyists
have made it so. Heretofore 1 was of
the impression, gathered from the
general usage of the term, that lobby
list had become, if not quite synonym
for briber, at least, associated closely
with it; but Mr.. Gleed gives it a mean
ing which at least to me is new, for he
says that, by registering lobbyist ad-
mitS that he is a knave and black
guard. This seems to me to be such
departure that even the lobbyists
themselves will revolt at it because,
universally, heretofore, lobbyists have
been considered to be the most polite,
gentIemanly. and suave the very op-
posite of a bIackguard, but they may
be this. and still be knaves, as they
may attempt to corrupt honest men.
1 will not attempt to analyze the
thought in Mr.. Gleed's mind, nor will
refer to the condition and influence
which doubtless actuated him to desig-
nate a known lobbyist, as an admis-
sion on his part that he was a knave
and a blackguard, but the situation
must not escape us that an unknown
lobbyist, in the view of Mr.. Gleed, is
still knave and a backyard. without
the public admission of the fact.
Mr.. Gleed says that judges decline
"to act until men, lawyers. come be-
fore them, and with arguments en-
deavor to influence their action"
Among lawyers, there is now gen
orally concerted effort to formulate a
code of legal ethics.
A lawyer is an officer of the court,
whose sworn duty requires him to as
sist the court in arriving at a true in
terpretation and application of the
law
take it that the lawyer to whom Mr..
Gleed refers, would privately hobnob
with judges at clubs and over the card
table; and, if by this method he won
his case, would correspond, in Mr..
Gleed's mind, to the unregistered lob
byist, a knave and blackguard, though
not publicly known to be such; but, if
this supposed lawyer, before attempt
ing to corrupt the judges. would have
to make his occupation publicly known,
his efforts would be useless. because
then he would be admittedly a knave
and a blackguard.
In Mr.. Gleed's views. the profession
of the lawyer. in his dealing with the
court. is, in all respects, similar to that
of the old-time lobbyist, in dealing with
a legislature
The law strikes down the right of
petition" says Mr.. Gleed. In this, as a
lawyer, he is mistaken. because. speak Z
ing from memory. the constitution of
the United States. and the constitution
of the state of Kansas guarantee that
right to the people
This anti lobby bill has for it's chief
purpose the putting of legislators in
possession of facts. and no restrictions
are placed upon them in respect to ar
guments, but such arguments must be
open and public arguments like the ie-
gal discussions before a court, and not
the secret arguments of the oId-time /
lobbyist presented at unseemly times |
and in clandestine places.
A. A. GRAHAM
Topeka, Kan, Jan. 26. 1909.