Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1911-04-07

Ny own experiences OF washington
covers Just about ave years more than
that of Mr.. Pinchot. Never having
held public Office Of any sort have
possibly been unable to become SO thor
oughly cognizant of what the lobby
lists are doing But as a mere OBJ
server have been utterly unable to
discover any '1obby'-certainly not a
hungry set as Pinchot puts it.
LobbIes and Lobbles.
You know there are lobbies and
lobbies. There was at one time
pretty good lobby for the newspapers
of the United States sent to urge the
abolition of an import duty on wood
pulp. There is now a lobby for the
magazines trying to avert the pro-
posed increase in their postal rates.
There are men here who have a right
to speak for their Interests whatever
they may be, but It is not fair to call
them Lobbyists. Right today In Wash
ington there are more men working IN
the corridors Of congress or the lob
bies of the hotels in the interest Of
newspapers or Of magazines than Of
any other interest. The newspapers
are after free wood pulp. the maga-
zines are fighting a raise In their pos
tage rates Both are very bitter about
lobbyists" and both have the finest
and most influential bunch of lobby
lists here that Washington has ever
seen.
Now let US be fair about this mat
ter. am both a magazine and a
newspaper man and ought to be able
to speak without prejudice. 1t would
be easy for me to give the name of
the keen and quiet man who has been
here for months In behalf of the
dailies. pressing upon congress the
proposition Of free paper and free
pulp. It would be equally easy to set
forth the names Of the eight or ten
magazine men here this week fighting
the increase in postage. But what-s $
the use?
Old Lobbyist Disappears.
The point want to raise is that ur-
der present conditions what used to
be called lobbying has ceased to be q
calling which implies any sort OF
moral turpitude. Time was when the
poker game. the wine supper at John
Chamberlin's. the neatly tied up bunch
of new treasury notes. and even the in
PRODUCTION into the social circles OF
official Washington had much to do
with the professional success Of the
lobbyist That time is far past. That
type OF lobbyist is disappearing. The
cool and quiet lawyer who argues his
clients case before congressman as
he would before Judge has taken the
place Of "CoI. Brassy Gall'N of Hoyt's
play, The Texas Steer" which was SC
good description of old-time Wash
ington' life that II ought to be re
vived.
l talked with score or more OF
members Of congress about the asser
ton Of Mr.. Pinchot about the s'swarms
Of lobbyists" invading the capital
Thus far have been unable to find
any representative OF senator who has
encountered the swarm. It Is perfect
ly true that men interested In a claim
before congress, or in some legisla
tion, either themselves or by attorney
do appear before committees and dc
talk to members In the lobbies. | see
nothing sinful in that. There were
two small armies Of people here urg
ing the respective claims of New Or
leans and San Francisco for the Pan
anna exposition. That was not lobby
ing; It was merely the proper ar
rangement for presenting the claims Of
the rival cities. How could congress
properly understand the merits of the
case unless it was argued by botf
sides?
II anybody shoald know about this
Swarm" Of lobbyists it certainly
should be the speaker Of the present
house. He has not met them. He
said that he wouldn't know a swarm
il it descended upon him, unless 1t hap
pened to be a swarm Of bees, because
as a practiced agriculturist he under
stands the habits of the bees. But
the lobbyist. says Uncle Joe. of the old
and Objectionable type, has disappear
ed. We see him no more. We meei
the man who comes to present In 8
perfectly logical way the proposition
he has to advance and to explain tt
us absolutely what his purpose is In
seeking the legislation. While 1t Il
rather unfortunate that the old fellows
don't get any more terrapin and cham
pagne from these so-calied lobbyists
Uncle Joe is not entirely sure but
what the modern type Of lobbyist gets
quite as much out of his endeayors al
did the old sort.
I am not quoting Speaker Cannon lit
orally. but that in effect is what he
had to say.
The lawyers Job Now.
Nor could find In the Office Of the
next speaker, Champ Clark. an,
swarms Of lobbyists. nor could ge'
from the Hon. Champ any suggestion
that he knew that there was such {
power in Washington. He, too. put NJ
the proposition that lobbying hal
ceased to be a mere matter of enter
tainment, and has come to be mat
ter Of argument. 1t is the task todal
of the lawyer. as rule. who pleads
his case before a congressional cour
instead of pleading it before any ordi
nary state court The man who comes
to Washington nowadays trying Z
put through bill. however big or now
ever small, doesn't try to do II b.