Farmers' champion. (Elgin, Okla.) 1912-1922, 1913-06-19
MUST Be ON HAND
DEMOCRATIC SENATORS KEPT IN
WASHINGTON DURING THE
TARIFF DEBATE.
NO PAIRING IS PERMITTED
cen0rsssseaai Campaign Committees
to % RsoreanIxsd So as to Aid
In the Election Of Senators a. Well
- Representatives.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

ey GEORGE CLINTON.
Washington. - The fact that the
democrats have such q slight major.
ity In the senate has resulted In what
may be called an order that no upper
house members Of the dominant party
shall leave Washington during the tar.
IN debate for any protracted period.
fhe Democrats want to have their full
strength on hand 80 as not to he
Obliged to depend upon absentees
pairing" with Republicans. Under
certain conditions a pair can be bro
ken and this would be dangerous to
party In control by a small majority.
Not long ago a commission was ap-
pointed whose duty It was to be to 90
abroad to study certain agricultural
conditions. and on this commission
there were several senators. One of
them was exceedingly anxious to go
abroad and he made all his pairing"
arrangements. Then he went to see
President Wilson. who told him he
must stay In Washington and help out
with the tariff during the considera-
ton Of amendments and that It would
not be entirely satisfactory II he sim
ply made arrangements to return in
time for the finai vote.
Enlarged Duties for Committees.
The Democratic congressional cam
paign committee is to be reOrganized,
and hereafter there will be a larger
representation OF senators upon II, a
fact which is accounted for by the con-
Btitutional change which will give the
people the right to elect their senators
direct. Hereafter the congressional
campaign committee will be charged
not only with the duty of trying to se-
cure the election of members of the
house, but with that of trying to elect
United States senators. The Republi-
cans also will increase their congress.
sional campaign committee by the ad-
ditiOn OF senatorial members, and their
duties will be similar to those Of the
Democrats. The Progressives have
not named q congressional campaign
committee, but a. soon as the organi-
zation Of their party Is completed In
all sections Of the country this will be
done.
In connection with this matter OF
direct elections 1t might be said that
President Wilson Ia believed to be In
favor of plan to do away with nomi-
mating conventions and to substitute
preferential primaries In the choosing
Of candidates for president and vice.
president. It Ia also said that when
this has been accomplished the presi-
dent thinks II would be good plan to
abolish the electoral college and to al
low the people to vote directly for
their candidates.
With the organization of the difIer-
ent political campaign committees and
with knowledge that the Republican
national committee Is to meet before
long to consider the question Of a
party convention. the real campaign
ing work Of the parties has begun. The
Progressives are busy organizing In
every county and every state in the
Union. and II is assured that the cam
paign for the election OF members Of
the house one year from next fall will
be In full swing for certainly twelve
months. an unusually long time.
Lobbying Gets a Blow.
Lobbying Is still In evidence In
Washington. Notwithstanding the fact
that President Wilson inveighed
against It SO bitterly In a public
pronouncement some days ago. 1t
can be said. however, that lobbying
10 not 90 marked in its public manip-
ulations as II was prior to the execu.
tive protest.
II is believed that next year great
many lobbyists who have haunted the
capitol for years will be absent from
the city. There are certain ones who
are known as offensive lobbyists. and
their faces are known to everybody In
Washington, while their business is
known to comparatively few outside Of
congress and the newspaper men.
1t 10 probable that the protest Of
President Wilson will cause most Of
these lobbyists to clear out a. soon as
they finish up their present work.
which cannot be carried on with the
same openness which was the case be-
fore.
Proper Lobby Also Exists.
There 10 proper lobby, as we'll as
an improper lobby. The proper lobby
10 that which 10 composed of real rep
resentatives Of real business who
come to Washington to set forth the
side Of the case AZ business which
10 to be affected. These men are lis.
tened to patiently by committees and
by new members. and their work un.
questionably has its effect on leg
islation and = perfectly proper effect