The Washington herald., 1913-08-31
Investigations Have Proved
that Invisible" Forces
Have Been at Work on
Legislation Public
Opinion Opposed.
by JOSEPH p. AMIN.

What has a searching Investigation
of Hobbies and lobbyists brought forth
what have the Congressional investi
cations, costing thousands of dollars
turned up?
This is a question which the country
which has read millions of words OIL
the subject since late last spring, i!
asking.
Briefly. the lobby investigation ha!
given the country a fash at least Of
the hitherto invisible" legisla tive in
fuence which permeates the Washing
ton atmosphere. And IL has turned The
tide of public opinion so strongly
against this invisible government thai
the sentiment of the country. now
aroused and concentrated, will find
voice. undoubtedly, I'm some form Oi
IeGIsIatiOn.
Already two bills. designed to meet
evils made manifest through the in.
vestigation, have been introduced ii
the Senate.
The Investigation of Iobbies-sugar
wool, liquor. manufactures and labor
all of them, has shown the country
that the natural desire of the most
honest lobby I'm the world is to subOr-
dInate to the particular interest IL rep
resentS the general interests of the
country. That is true of labor, capital
religious, and every other kind of a
lobby And whether the lobby has
worked secretly or not, the effect on
the whole state has not been good.
Put in Concrete Form.
The lobby investigation has turned
up much that was bad in the way of
lobbying, and il has turned up much
that represented only an honest and
open expression of opinion on the part
Of men and organizations. 1t has gath
cred together in concrete form, that
the people may see the problem in its
entirety. the disconnected parts of the
questions which have been scattered
over the whole of our political and
social life.
BY far the most important and far
reaching phase of the investigation
hinges around the expose of the lobby
work of the National Association Of
Manufacturers, by Col Martin NJ Null
hall Mulhalrs story did not hold water
in a great many places. and his corre-
spondence was not altogether reliable,
hut the correspondence of the respon-
sible officers of the association is suffi-
cient to condemn those officers of prac-
tices which. even at the time when lob
bies were differently regarded, could not
he carried on in the open.
1t is unfortunate for other manufac-
turers that some unthinking people will
condemn them as a class for the tres
passes of their representative officers.
There is no doubt that the great body
OF manufacturers represented by the n.
A. NJ. were aware only in the most gen
eral way of the work of the officers un-
der whom Mulhall was working. And
the n. A. NJ. numbers a comparatively
small part of the manufacturers of the
country in its membership.
President Wilson's Charge.
On May 26. President Wilson, in an Off
cial statement given out at the White
House, denounced a numerous, indus
triOus. and insidious lobby at work on
the Underwood bill. The following day
Senator Cummins of Iowa introduced a
resolution calling for sweeping investi-
CATION by a select committee. to be ap-
pointed by the Vice President, of thel
lobby referred to in President Wilson's
statement. In amended form, and as a
Democratic party measure, the Cummins
resolution was adopted by the Senate
two days later, the investigation to be
made by a subcommittee OF the Senate
Judiciary Committee, comprising Sem
ators Overman, chairman; Reed and
Walsh. Democrats. and Nelson and
CUmmins, Republicans.
The subcommittee so appointed decided
10 start out by prOpounding to each of
the ninety-five Scnators-Sena tor Culber-
son of Texas being too i'll to appear
eleven questions intended TO disclose
what financial interests each Senator
had in the schedules of the tariff bill:
what conversation or conversations any
Senator had had with representatives Of
special interests who might be termed
and similar inquiries. The in
N-aS-iuatipD IN Juna the |
Senators appearing in alphabetical order /
in so far as their personal convenience |
permitted, many of them showing irri-
tatiOn at the questions.
Insight Into Sugar Lobby.
Senators Thornton and RansdeIl of
Louisiana gave the committee its first |
real insight into the proportions and
OF the powerful sugar lobby |
which subsequent investigation disclosed. !
Other Senators told of stereotyped let |
tiers and kilograms with which their |
mails had been flooded, and which indi- |
lated that wool. sugar, insurance, and |
other big interests had builded a power
ful 'back-fre' lobby behind members of
the Senate. President Wilson's lobby |
charge had received its first material I
The following shows the |
Investments of Senators who will be af-
feCted by the tariff bill as disclosed |
through their examination by the Senate
Coal-Catron of New Mexico, Fall of |
New Mexico. Goff of West Virginia, Root
Of New York.
Oil-Gof of West Virginia.
Lead-Catron of New Mexico. Fall of
New Mexico, Root of New York.
HazEr In faeA