Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1913-09-12
NEVER WORKEOE FOR N. A. N
MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION
DIDN'T EMPLOY HIM AS A
LOBBYIST
EMPLOYED BY TARIFF men
AFTER LEAVING THE HOUSE HE
WAS HIRED BY PRoTEC-
TIoN ADVOCATES

Washington, Sept. 12.-Former Rep
resentative James E, Watson of In
diana, before the house lobby commit
tee, today made a general denial of
Martin M. Mulhall's general charges
that he was one of the active friends
of the National Association of Manu-
facturers in congress during many
years.
cat no time while / was in congress,
or after I left congress-" said Wat
son, was l in the employ of the Ma
tional Association of Manufacturers,
for any purpose, nor was at any
time lobbyist or lawyer for it"
Watson said he did work for the
National Tariff Commission associa-
tion, an organization of several asso-
Citations and many individuals, of
which the National Association Of
Manufacturers was one He declared
that Mulhall's charge that he used
his influence to put certain men on
house committees and remove others
was without foundation.
YOU don't need talf abs sTEl To
shine; you don't need to tell the birds
to sing, any more than you needed to
tell Uncle Joe Cannon who to appoint
on committees" he said. "The COM
mittees were made up by Mr. Cannon,
Busby, his secretary, and Asher Kinds
the house parliamentarian, and never
obtruded my opinions"
When asked to give an opinion on
mans fitness for a committee position
he gave it, but went no further. Wat
son SAID he never was appealed toll
by any National Association of Manu-
facturers' official to favor any legisla-
lation. and never was interested par
tioularly many bills they favored, ex
cept an antiiniunction bill and the pro
posed exemption of labor unions from
the operation of the Sherman law. He
said he held the same views as the
association on these matters.
Watson explained that Mulhall ex-
pected to assist him in his campaign
for governor in 1908, but worked only
few months and did not make his
promise good. He denied that Null
hall helped raise $4,000 in that cam
paign. His employment by the tariff
association was about April 1, 1909,
nearly month after he left congress.
He said he was in charge of the cam
paign for tariff commission while
the Payne bill was in the house and
later in the senate.
There was nothing secret or insidi-
Gus about my employment" said he.
81 was notsin congress and I thought
1 had right to that employment,
Y received $3.50 week and my ex-
penses and probably a retainer Of
$500. There may have been some
talk Of contingent fee, but it must
have been among the officers, I never
heard anything about it."
while was whip of the house
for six years, declared Watson,
pounding on the table in front OF him
"I was intimately acquainted with al
most every member and never knew
a corrupt man in the house
When questioned about lectures for
the manufacturers or allied organiza-
tions, Watson diverted to take shot
at Secretary Bryan
HE is the John D. Rockefeller OF
the Chautauqua platform" said Wat
son. "He has made more money out
Of It than anybody else and be has
made more money because he has
gone about abusing the other fellows
for making money"
Watson disclaimed any knowledge
of the BLACK list" Of six congress-
men Mulhall said he had written He
said the six names were in his hand