Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1913-06-12
The Tariff Lobby.

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last fall the people elected members Of
Congress to revise the tariff on sugar
and other necesaaries, downward, as
one step toward the reduction Of the
ever increasing cost Of living.
Powerful Hobbies are now in Wash
ington endeavoriug to persuade these
members of Congress to break their
pledges to the people and betray the
consumers of the land, to the end that
a few men, already rich beyond the
dreams of avarice, may, add to their
swollen fortunes.
1t was to place before the public this
state of affairs that President Wilson
used his now famous statement, In
which. referring to these Hobbies. he
said;
washington has seldom seen so
numerous, so Industrious, or 30 insid-
ious a lobby. There is every evidence
that money without a limit is being
spent to sustain this lobby and to create
an appearance of pressure of public
opinion. antagonistic to some of the
chief items of the tariff BILL y
In order that the public may know
all of the facts about the condition al
luded to by President Wilson, I pave
introduced a resolution providing for
the appointment of mmitteeof five
members of the House of Representa-
tives to investigate the subject.
This resolution reads as follows:
Whereas. 1t has been charged by the
President of the United States, and
there is reason to believe that a power.
full and insidIous lobby. representing
interests hostile to the passage of the
pending tariff bill in the form adopted
by the House of Representatives, is in
existence in Washington; and
Whereas, Newspapers are being fill
ed with paid advertisements calculated
to create an artificial public opinion
against certain items of the Tariff
Bill; ard
Whereas It is charged and there is
reason to believe that unlimited funds
have been placed at the disposal OF
this lobby for the purpose of over.
coming the interests of the public fol
private profit of the interests which
they represent; and
Whereas, The public maintains nj
lobby and is powerless to reply to the
paid advertisements cf any lobby re
presenting financial interests; and
Whereas, Bills are pending in Con
gress to regulate and control the opera
ton of Hobbies at the National Capito
and it is advisable to gather any AM
all facts bearing on the aforesaid con
ditions and charges or in any way re
lating thereto, as basis for remedia
purposes; therefore be it
Resolved, that special COMMITTEE
of FIVE members be appointed by th'
speaker of the House of Representa-
tives to sit during the sessions of tn
House and during the recess of Con
gress for the purpose of investigating
and reporting to Congress the facts il
connection with the operation of an.
lobby or Hobbies in Washington; SAT-
committee shall inquire INTO the source
whence any such lobby or lohpies ar
supplied with funds, and amount 9
funds so contributed, and shall also as
certain where and how these funds ar
expended and for what immediate an
ultimate purpose; and shall go into
general inquiry to learn the method
by which any lobby seeks to infiuenc
legislation in Congress.
If members of Congress were to- al
low themselves to be guided by tn
views of the lobbyists, they would con
clude that the people back home wer
not in good faith when they voted TO
tariff revision downward Or, if the
: were in good faith at the time, tina
! they have since changed their minds
deciding they do not desire the mono
poles of the tariff trusts interfere
, with
But President Wilson is not bein
fooled. Nor is the average member
j Congress. They know that for ever
: man who beseeches them in Washing
ton to retain the tariff on sugar. ther
are nine hundred and ninety-nine
their constituents who are not writin
letters, but who demand that promise
, made to them before election be kel
after election, and especially the dow
ward revision of the tariff on the Wit
necessaries Of life.
President Wilson and the members
Congress also know that every penn
of the extra dividends that the lobt
, interests will make by virtue of legi
Iation granting them special privilege
!, must come from the pockets of tt
, men, women and children-in the di
tricts back home.
j, 1t will be recalled that Presidel
! Taft once faced the same crisis Thu
members of Congress face now. i
listened to the voices at his ear 1
Washington, whom Senator Dollivt
: described as men who knew exact
what they wanted" President Ia
forgot the folks at home who do NJ
: write letters. and on the very fir
! election day following they got reyeng
The lobbyists in Washington whol
counsel he had accepted were poWerlel
TO save him from the wrath of Il
= home folks who vote, but who mai
j tain no Hobbies in Washington.
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