Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-06-03
|ashington
Y Y LETTER
BY n. 3. WALKER
LOBBY BOMB LIMITED

Star Bureau,
Metropolitan National Bank Bldg,
WASHINGTON, June 8.

WASHINGTON, June 8.
Some Republican senators are Won
dering whether, as a matter of poll
tics, they didn't make a mistake in
pushing Senator Cummins's resolu-
ton and forcing the Investigation of
the Presidents lobby charges. From
the manner in which the committee
Is starting, and the nature of the
questions being asked senator's, the
investigation, it is predicted, will be
devoted to disproving rather than
proving that the lobby denounced by
Mr.. Wilson has sought to exert any
influence over the Senate.
While nobody questions that there
has been a very large and very active
lobby here since the tariff bill got to
the Senate, 1t is generally taken for
granted that the President did not
intend to hit at the numerous manu-
facturers, stockmen, planters ana
others who have been interviewing
senators and asking for hearings De-
fore sub committees. Eliminating
these men, who, it is generally con-
ceded, have appeared in a perfectly
legitimate manner in presenting their
claims and wishes. the supposftion
narrows down to belief that the
President was striking especially at
the sugar and wool Hobbies.
NAV Have Surprise In store.
II may be that MIR. Wilson intends
to spring some sensational surprise
upon the committee by going before
that body and telling details about
the sugar lobby and its work, but
nobody really believes this will hap
pen. The Presidents statement, IN
fact. did not even intimate that SEN
ators were being improperly inf1u-
enced by lobbyists, but did clearly
saw that the lobby was spending its
money to create an artificial pubic
opinion to influence tariff legislation.
Many senator's who know OF the ex-
istence of this lobby say that the
sugar lobbyists have been mainly In
tent upon stiffening the backbones or
Democratic senators from the sugar
States. in the hope of inducing them
to follow their secret inclinations and
vote against the tariff bill to defeat
Doubt Among Republicans.
eft begins to look as if the Presi-
dent had played very good politics
and as if we were playing very bad
nolitics." said a Republican senator
today. 1.-THE Presidents exposure of
the sugar lobby, whatever its pur-
pose. has certainly had the effect of
making it impossible for any sugar
State Democrats to oppose the tariff
bill without putting themselves under
suspicion. Nothing the Investigating
committee may bring out will change
this situation.
ION the other hand, Senator Cum
minss charge in the Senate that this
lobby would be likely to confine its
efforts to Democratic senators pro-
duces the obvious inference that Re-
publican senator's, without being in
fiuenced, are expected to vote as this
corrupt and insidious lobby would
like Democrats to vote. That doesn't
seem to help the Republican position
very much
No plans of the investigation COM
mittee have yet been announced
beyond the program begun yesterday
of questioning senators themselves as
to whether they have been lobbying
in their own interests or have been
approached by lobbyists
or others Nobody really expects any
senator to admit either of these
things.
What VIII 1t Prove?
From the manner in which the
Senate inquisition probe is starting
out there is general pessimism as to
whether it will be likely to accom-
plish more than to give each member
of the Senate a chance to prove his
own purity of motive and purpose
and disclaim knowledge of any lobby
influence upon his own action.
There may, though, be some sur
prises in store. 1t is known, for in
stance, that Senator James, of Ken
lucky, read the Presidents lobby
charges and approved them before
they were given to the newspapers.
For this reason the question of what
James may have to tell when he gets
on the stand is exciting some interest.
It the Senate lobby develops Moth
ing it is more than likely that the
House will be urged to make an in
vestigation of it's own into the lobby
activities.