The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1913-12-20
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1913
LOBBY COMMITTEES REPORT.

LOBBY COMMITTEES REPORT.
The report of the house committee
that Investigated charge that an in
sidious lobby, the worst in history"
was working at the capital to prevent
the enactment of tariff legislation is
mild and cautious. The main charge
is ignored as might have been ex-
pected. The proof showed little ac-
tivity except on the part of the beet
sugar interest, which were threat
ened with extinction by the Under
wood bill. Their activity was bal
anced by that of the sugar import
ers, who worked for the bill. The
report deals almost entirely with the
lurid charges made in a $4,000 con-
fession to a New York paper by
former employee of the National AS
ISOLATION of Manufacturers, which did
not concern the recent tariff revision
at all, but dealt with public men and
measures of the past. The commit
tee exonerates all individuals impli-
Gated in the Mulhall exposure with
the exception of Representative John
A. McDermott, a democratic con-
gresham from Illinois. And he is
accused only of "acts of grave impro-
priety, unbecoming the dignity of the
distinguished position he occupies.
The report adds: "That which a pri-
vate citizen may do with impunity
must frequently be Stunned by one
in an official position"
But the committee was not ready
to throw this mantle of charity over
ex-Representative James q. Watson.
He was censured for representing,
following his retirement from con-
gress, the National Manufacturers As
sociation at the capital. 1t charges
priety when he capitalized his inf1u- |
ence with members of congress. The |
committee showed gross carelessness
in dealing with facts when 1t says |
that Mr.. Watson was thus employed |
during the passage of the Payne-Al-
drich tariff bill Mr.. Watson was
member of congress at the time ano
according to all the evidence was no.
in the pay of any association. Null
hall went back on the stand to cor
rect the statement that Mr.. Watson
had been employed while a member
of congress-, following threat OF
criminal prosecution for libel. Fur
Their testimony supported Mr.. Wat
sons contentious. Whether former
members of congress shall appear
before committees or members OF
as paid agents of individuals
or associations is matter OF taste
Their effectiveness depends on the at
titude members of congress take to-
ward them. The practice is growing
in disfavor.
The committee tries to distinguish
between good lobbyists and bad ones,
or legitimate lobbying and illegiti-
mate Etymology is spurned in this
The National Associa-
ton of Manufacturers is severely CEN
sured for the methods with which it
opposed measures aggressively urged !
by the American Federation of La
Dor. The representatives of the lat
ter body are given clean bill OF
health, their methods being irrepre-
hensible. But those who followed the
published testimony will recall that
each side sought to aid the election of
It's friends and each side threatened
he political destruction of its enc
mics. The number of voters lobby
st represents apparently has much to
10 with whether he is good or bad
obbyist, in the Judgment of the house
committee