The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1913-06-19
HAS NO INTEREST
! IN COLT CONCERN
Nephew Of inventor Unable to
Enlighten Lobby Probers.
SEES NO HARM IN LOBBYs
Senator Smith Of Michigan Declares
There Has Always Been One In
Neutrality-suspicious. Of Many
He Knows OF.

Washington, June Ex-senator Lee
Baron B. Colt Of Rhode Island was ex-
amined by the Overman lobby in.
Quiry committee, but was unable to
give the investigators any information
about lobby in Washington.
He said that his uncle, Daniel Colt,
was the inventor of the revolver Of
that name, but that the senator per-
sonally had no interest in the factory.
He said he recently was victim Of
a very insidious lobby" while in
Maine. where the members of the con.
pressional body brought various kinds
OF influences to bear on the guides
who were to award prize to the best
fisherman in the party. He used the
incident to illustrate his definition Of
q lobby.
Senator Colt, in the course Of his
testimony, told the committee he had
no financial interest whatever in any
article affected by the tariff bill. Sen
ator Colt gave the committee a short
list Of persons who had called upon
him to talk tariff.
Senator Smith on Stand.
The annexation of Cuba by the
United States and the admission Of
sugar and other products free Of duty
in this country were advocated by
Senator William Alden Smith of Mich
igan. He said he had always been op-
posed to Cuban reciprocity, but after
annexation he would favor the free
admission Of her products on the the
DRY that eventually large consuming
population would exist in Cuba, which
would give the island economic indie
pendence from the consumption Of
sugar in the United States. Senator
Smith said he meant no criticism Ut
the present government there. How
ever, he said, he would vote for an
nexation tomorrow IL he had chance.
There always has been lobby In
Washington and always viii be. and
l think there ought to be-" said Sen
Rtor Smith. He insisted that every
one has the right to attempt to infiu-
ence legislation II he is respectable
and honest. He said that he had been
"lobbied" all his life. He mentioned
John Morris as representing the news
paper lobby.
MI Morris wants free print pa
per-" said Senator Smith. 81 own a
newspaper, and am opposed | guess
! am more OF protectionist than a
newspaper man."
He said that labor unions, seamen,
pottery interests and the sugar peo-
pie maintained Hobbies, that the cit
rus fruit people ought to If they
don't" and that in all his experience
as a legislator he had never at
tempted to do anything important that
he did not find lobby seking to
influence him.
las long as they are respectable !
am glad to give them a hearing. |
don't think can know too much
about anything"
Senator Smith said that he knew of
no use OF money to influence legisls-
toin, and that no one had ever sug.
gested to him that he might be influ.
enced by Interior motives.
Labor Union Mentioned.
O6HdtOE oaiu thol bhC PlOFf
sion in the sundry civil bill exempting
labor unions from prosecution with
the special fund Of $500. 900 appropriat-
ed for the department OF justice was
the work OF of lobby and that Samuel
Gompers, president Of the American
Federation of Labor. had so admitted
to him.
The plate glass lobby was brought
before the committee for the first
time. w. J. Strassburger OF Pitts
burgh said that each Of the IL plate
glass factories In the United States
sent representatives to Washington
and In addition employees J. S. Auer-
bach of New York as their attorney.
lie asserted that the plate glass manu-.
facturers, who are seeking a readjust-
ment Of the tariff, spent no money ex-
cept for hotel bills, railroad fares.
printer and attorneys fees. Auerbach's
fee was about $4,000. strassburger
believed.
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