Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1913-06-19
THE LOBBY INVESTIGATION.

receive FOR publication the following article by
Assemblyman ]. NJ SEwART, who Is known to
newspaper men as one of the nblest editorial
writers In Wisconsin In IA personal note Mr..
Stewart very kindly says, - herewith send
you nm article written as II sort Of recognition
of yodr courtesy IN sending me your paper dur
ing the session and more still, M n recognition
of your sterling Democracy. ] enjoy seeing
how you stick to the ancient and honest doc
trinos OF the historical pnrty."
weekly letter by |. N. Stewart, 30 be used In
common by the Democratic newspapers Of Wis
consin would be press service worth while.
The investigation of lobby activities
mt Washington is bearing good fruit.
1t has shown that every known combi-
nation for the maintenance Of large
private interests and monopolies
through legislation, at the expense Of
the people at large, has it's army of
lobbyists, both at Washington and at
home These, in all their fields, are
actuated and directed by the interests
employing them and work only for the
good of their employers. President
Wilson may well ask, where is the lobby
for the public INTEREST," Who is there
and at home looking for the adverse in
terests of the people2 Not one. Old
fashioned lobbying seems to have dis
appeared, n new power is invoked; the
power of supposed public sentiment
This sentiment is stimulated by letters
and newspaper articles, all inspired by
the one interest concerned, and directed
Mt the congressman ms though they were
the spontaneous opinions of his consti-
tuents.
Not content with this leverage these
predatory interests employ ex congress
men and other ex officers of government
to use their knowledge Of the govern
ment machinery and their large &C
quaintance. to wait about the capitol
and besiege the members. They do
this for pay, n pay often larger than
was their salaries as officers of the gov
eminent. What have the people to off E
set this influence, to represent the real
public need and sentiments
Certain opponents of the administra-
ton and some of it's weaker supporters
charge that the president is exceeding
his perogative in fighting this lobby and
taking part in urging what he believes
to be proper legislation, legislation
pledged when he was elected, pledged
by him rs well rs by the party, IL it
not true that he is, outside of congress-,
the only one authorized to speak for
those who elected him2 If pledges are
to be kept against all the cumulated in E
:luence of the big interests whom else
can we look tor The day of the stately
dignity and reticence of ancient proceed
ence in the presidential Office has passed
away Times have changed; Hobbies
against the people revel about the halls
of the capitol. 1t is high time that
some power adequate for the purpose
should stand up between the people and
the formidable Hobbies Of today. The
president sees his duty and does it.
But this is not all which has been
discovered by the investigation, 1t is
found that members of the senate. and
some of TIE house, have interests adj.
verse to the party pledges, interests SO
vast and so far reaching, that they
stand as Il threat to any advance people
wise. Comprehending what has been
developed along this line, is il any
wonder that for many years, in thou
sand ways, the desires of the peopl,
expressed in elections should have come
to naught2 Suppose the rule applied
to judges all over the world should h,
applied to these senators, that they
should not be permitted to decide upon
cases in which they are directly inter.
estedG How many could honestly vot,
on the tariff bill The great wonder is
that under such conditions rs are showl
~ cAlSt, any hohVot icSiSldhoh SoNl'
ever have had any show. Ii is to the
great credit of these men that they hay,
so often voted against their personal in
terest, or voted against it at all. Ii
this light, and with the presidents aid
there is yet hope that some good vii
be accomplished, even in the face of the
false sentiment poured over congress
and the efforts of a lobby whose real
extent and power were never before
disclosed.