The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-07-04
.InxisibIe Government.


invisible oevernment.r
Dies Moines Capital: The term sin
/ visible government is one which has
floated 10 the surface OF economic and
| politicai discussion in recent years. II
its meaning has been at all vague to
certain minds the chances are that Its
import will be quite fully understood
by the general public in the near fu-
lure.
The Chicago Tribune yesterday, and
we understand the New York World.
also, contained the initial chapters OF
a most sensational expose OF the work
ings Of big business" in trying to in
fluence legislation at Washington. The
expose Is from the pen OF Marin NJ.
Mulhail of Baltimore who confesses to
having been for many years the field
agent Of the National Association OF
Manufacturers.
The story which Mulhall recites is
sordid one He tells OF the. large
amounts OF money which we're provid-
ed with which to accomplish the pur-
poses OF the association; Of how legis-
Ilators were tempted; many actually
/ corrupted and how even pages In the
congressional chambers were used to
pick up bits OF information and be re-
ported back where they could be used
to advantage; of how money was free
~ used to elect certain congressman
and defeat others; and Of how sys-
tematic effort has been made to break
iup the union labor movement.
/ In the elaborate statement which
covered something like two pages Of
the paper named there are many
prominent names of senators and rep
resentatives whom 1t is alleged have
been the tools of the association. 1t is
certainly refreshing to note that no
Iowan is named in the list. Among
/ the names OF those who were made
/ targets and whose defeat was sought.
however. the name of: Congressman
| Gilbert n. Haugen of the Fourth Iowa
district appears.
The story Of course is natural in
cident or revelation of the lobby in
lvestigation now in progress at Wash
ington under the authority of the
Cummins resolution. It looks now as
/ though the investigation might reach
1 to depths of which the original start
ers of the probe little dreamed. Con-
gress will be bound to bring every man
whom Mulhall has named before the
bar of inquiry and how many other
names may be eventually disclosed no
one knows. What intensifies the inter
fact that Mulhall seems to have all
the documentary evidence necessary
with which to fortify his startling al
Legations
/ 1t may be taken for granted at the
very outset that the public will not be
in haste to look upon Mulhall as fig
ure of heroic outline. It is not natur-
al to enthuse over men who postpone
4 the expose of evil until their own fl
nancial nest has been comfortably
feathered from the profits of alleged
wrong-doing.
Mulhall. according to his own story.
4 was the field agent for a long term of
n
seeks today to convict as that 'invisi-
BILE government" which is antagonistio
to the ideal government for which
men in republic are supposed to be
struggling. No one will assume that
he was working for his health. Prac-
teal cynicism will be inquiring how
i he came to fall out with his master
and how it happens that his moral SEN
sibilities were so long benumbed. 9th
ers will be inguisitive as to why he
was SO careful to keep his knowledge
from congress until after he had been
able to syndicate his valuable informa.
tion for supposedly fancy price.
One reason why Lorimer was able
to find so many sympathizers was be-
cause many of those who testified
concerning the corruption which faint
ed his election to the senate admitted
that their hands had also been soiled
by unholy negotiations with the very
elements which at late date they
were seeking to disenthrone.
However, these are incidental to the
main issue. Public sentiment will de-
mand that the searchlight be turned
on to its maximum candle power. Be
meath the welter of mistakes and
4 blunders which are constantly being
made there is strata of moral earn
estness in our Americanism with its
ideals Of civic virtue. This is the
leaven which will continue to inspire
hope that In the end the wrongs of
government may be righted and that
the truth may prevail.
Gcttysburg-Now and Then.
Galesburg Mail: The Blue and the
Gray meet this week on the field of