The Washington times., 1913-06-17
[OBB|ES FILL CITY,
SENATOR ASSERTS
William Alden Smith, Before
Inquiry Board, Declares
They Have Right Here.

They Have Right Here.
CONTINUED from First Page)
York on tariff He thought ii was the
duty of public man to lend willing
ear to the public" He said he would
always do so, no matter whether the
person who wanted to see him was
IA professional or not
Many Spoke To Him.
Most every one who is interested
in any item in my State has written
or wired or spoken to me- said Sem
ator Smith. "The sugar people, I
mean the beet sugar people, have
seen me-"
He had seen Mr.. Hathaway and Mr..
Rowley. He did not consider the
beet sugar people had lost their re-
spectability by sending representa-
tives here to look after their IN
terests."
SIN my first campaign for Senator,
most of the beet sugar people were
for my opponents" said Senator
Smith.
Senator Smith knew nothing. he
SAY f suppose III % that in the Sense that
regard lobbying, an attempt to in
fluence legislation one way CT an
other. ! have been loobied all my
life" said Senator Smith.
"Cuba, during my service in the
House of Representatives, always
maintained lobby in Washington.
Whenever / was approached as 10
that matter I could always trace the
Influence to the same crowd. The
Atkinsons. of Boston. and other
sugar producers cf Cuba have sought
to bring about reciprocity"
He declared that while ne was
NJ rarinrnCify he was TOT Cupdn
annexation.
For Cuban Annexation.
.T would vote for it tomorrow If L
had a chance" said Senator Smith.
He was asked by Senator Reed why
he took this view. He said that II We
annexed the island 100000 people
would settle in Cuba and the great
estates would be cut up and produc-
ton diversified.
he defined a lobby as a body organ
tzed that put out propaganda to IN
fuence legislation.
erybody knows it. The American Fed
Grafton of Labor keeps a lobby here
The very bill that's on the PRESIDENTS s
desk containing an exemption clause
in favor of organized labor, was put
there by a lobby. 1 do not condemn 1t
They have a right to be here, and SO
have the grocery people, and the su-
gar people, and steel people Ihey
are strictly within their rights
He held that lobbies had perfect
right to be in Washington. and said ne
could not get too much information.
II was his business to listen and then
act according to his lights
1--WE never voted for river and har-
Dor bill that we were not pestered by
representatives from various communl-
ties" said Senator Smith.
Everywhere he went he encountered
a lobby, or efforts to influence him: IL
was true of the Titanic investigation,
the Mexican investigation and SO on
Lobbies were here on sugar, for and
against free sugar. on paper, on LABOR
and So on. He said everyone knew this.
He named John Norris as being here
for the newspaper interests
Hes in the room now," said Senator
Smith.
The shoe and leather people main
tanned lobby.
II think the leather people have n
lobby. / know they did when they got
free hides.
He named Van wallen. Of Grand
Rapids. as having worked for free
hides. and said he was here now.
81 don't know whether these citrus
people have any person here. but they
ought to-" said Senator Smith
Wet and Dry Lobbies.
Temperance people and the liquor in
IGTSSIS ndu d iODDS icAc, anu NhSAN =
was a lobby on the seamen's bill.
In the Lorimer case the temperance
people lobbied me almost to death, /"
said Senator Smith.
He saw nothing improper about the
lobbies that had been here. They were
persistent. often obstinate, and often
ill-advised.''
Senator Walsh asked Senator Smith
If he had any farming interests: .,,
land when you're going TO put wheat
en- the free list" ,
you'd better come out to Montana"
said Senator Walsh.
well, Montana has her troubles just
now. too" snapped Senator Smith, and
Senator Walsh quickly turned his at
tention to Cuba
Senator Smith declared that every
President from Cleveland to the pres,
ent occupant of the White House lrled
10 influence legislation
They have been strictly within their
rights" said he. '-1f ] had been in the
White House / would have done the
same thing"
III. A. Austin resumed his place on
the stand and was ordered to give the
committee the Printing office bills for
Sugar At A Glance" the original
charts and a mass of other data
ment
w. ]. Strossburger. OF Pittsburgh. was
the next witness He said he had been
here six times In connection with the
present bill and was here often on the
Payne BILL He had also come here On
Canadian reciprocity.
Mr.. Strossburger said he was here for
the plate glass manufacturers. When
the tariff revision was first talked of,
the manufacturers met and named
committee of three That committee
filed a brief with the Ways and Means
Committee. He had called chiefly on