The record. [volume] (St. Maries, Idaho) 1913-1918, 1913-06-10
President Calls For
Volunteers

(Boise Capital News, independent
Honest aud decent men rywhere
will rejoice at the action of the presi
dent IN calling public attention TO
the existence of a powerful lobby
maintained at Washington In behalf
of special interests for the purpose Of
affecting legislation upon the pending
tariff bill so that their benefits may
be unduly and unfairly increased.
Readers of Washington newspapers
have noted the great paid advertise
aaent 10 which the president has call
Ation. Those coming under
q notice have been In the In
ter6Ns of the sugar Industry about
which is being waged the fleroest part
of the battle for the retention of ben
edts by the special interests
"There is every evidence that mon
ey without limit Is being spen, to
sustain this lobby aud create the APP
pearance of the pressure of public
opinion antagonistic to some of the
chief items of the tariff BILL, says
the president, who thea adds:
at is of serious interest to the
country that the people at larg
should have no lobby aud be voice
less in these matters while great bod
ices OF astute men seek to create arti
tiolal opinion aud overcome the inter
ests of the public for their private
profit. 1t is thoroughly worth while
that the people of this country should
take knowledge of these matters. On
ly public opinion can check and de-
stroy It,"
The peIniolousnesa of the special
gislRtion whereby certain interests
De benefited at public expense, Is
not so much the uujust taking of
other peoples money tor the benefit
of these favored interests. as It is
that these interests use this very i'll
gotten money to defeat the efforts of
the people to bring to an end the nee
esslty for longer delivery of the
booty.
Because the sugar Interests can af-
ford to spend hundreds of thousands
of dollars aud perhaps millions in
maintaining Hobbies at Washington,
in payments to newspapers for the
purpose of building up the appear
Guee of a public sentiment favoriuR
them which does not exist, and 10
contributions to political parties to
gain their control, shows conclusive
ly that just to the extent OF these ex-
penditures at any rate, the special
benefit voted to them is unnecessary
to their continuance ia business.
This newspaper. although it is we'll
known that It is opposed to a contin
uanoe Of this special privilege legis-
lation aud therefore is not so likely
to be affected by their arguments as
those more favorable, has been liter
ally flooded with literature of one
Kind or another tending to show rea-
cons for continuing the highwAyman g
tribute paid to this industry. II the
opposition press has been 80 lombard
ed, what must be the condition 10 the
offices known to be in favor of such
system Of special privilege aud which
have long themselves been beneficiary
Of the efforts at artificial public sen
timent manufactures? 1t must cost
the sugar trust huedreds OF thousands
Of dollars to have prepared printed
aad mailed the literature it has sent
out, to say nothing Of the sums paid
newspapers for printing their articles
and for advertising space purchased,
aud Of the sums paid 10 professional
lobby let's
We have frequently tried to empha
size the disadvantage the people have
under q special-privilege system, be-
cause the people, not being benehoi-
aries Of such legislation, cannot az.
ford to maintain Hobbies, buy news
paper space and editorial support, OF
to have prepared, printed aud mailed
TO voters arguments faVoring their
own side of the controversy.
The common people Of the country