The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-06-23
HOW TO LOBBY.

We notice in Mr. Bryan IS Common.
er an editorial on "The right to
lobby - 1t begins with the PROPOSE
tion that ''No one questions the right
Of any man, or interest, to be heard
by Congressional OF legislative COM
mlttees with respect TO legislation that
might affect particular business.''
But that restriction is in itself vir.
tually denial Of the right of the
American citizen to approach his rep.
resentatives in both Houses of Con-
gress and to give them such informa-
zion as he considers they ought TO
have. If it should ever come to the
point that the people of this country
are denied the right to approach their
members of Congress personally and
confer with them on any matter what
ever, then indeed would the liberty Of
the citizen be made husk. If every
thing is to be formal and official rou-
tine, the bosses Of the party in power
will have everything their own way
IT IS noteworthy that the official
uOiE VI IuG DitSeul
pay not the slightest heed to the in
junction TO deal with Congress only
officially and formally; that notice is
entirely disregarded by the t1eaders. :"
They, from the President down, deny
themselves no opportunity and no fa-
cility to approach members Of Con-
gress and try to influence their votes.
They do not confine themselves to
hearings before committees, nor to
formal and official communications.
President Wilson, according to the dis
patches, sends for Senators and Rep
resentatives to come and see him, with
view Of imparting to them the in
formation of how he wants them to
vote on given propositions. He goes
TO the Capitol and confers privately
with the Senators and Representatives,
not in session as committeeman, and
not in any way officially or public
ly. He has private talks with them,
personal, individual, and the public
has no information as to what is said
at these private conferences.
But, according to Mr.. Bryan's pa
per, the citizenship of the United
States are TO be denied all such privi-
leges. They must approach Congress
officially and in no other way, if they
want to be heard. 1t is improper, it ap-
pears, in his view, for them TO confer
reasonably with their Senators OF Rep.
reseutatives, or TO present the needs of
their own business and the effect Of
proposed or administration leeisla-
tion upon that business.
In advocating these changes, Mr..
Bryan apparently would like line Of
distinction between these officials and
private citizenship, very distinct and
clear. He would even make a wide
and seemingly impossible gulf between
the citizen and the official. Official
dom would be On one side Of the gulf,
free from Interference by the peo-
pie at, large, save by set formalities,
and would be at liberty to propose and
perfect schemes of legislation, with
out interference from the people at
all, The citizens Of the country would
be on the other side Of that gulf, and
would have no means of getting across
and comforting with official statesmen,
except, as Mr.. Bryan proposes, "There
should be law requiring every lobby
ist, or agent Of special interests, to
formally register at the National Capt.
IOl, lust as these pentlemeu ara ra