The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-06-04
CAN'T FIND ANY LOBBY.

their experience with lobbyists are OF
the most interesting character. The
Senators say that they have talked
with business men OF various kinds
with men engaged in industrial and
commercial affairs of various sorts
but havo not discovered anything in
the way of corruptionists or OF i'm
proper approach of any kind, much
less any paid opportunities objection
able to them as Senator's In short
they can't find any lobby such as
was so feverishly denounced by Presi-
dent Wilson.
Perhaps Senator Bristow's ex-
perience is as good a sample of the
statements of Senators AS any. Mr..
Bristow states squarely that he has
met great many people and talked
with them on the various features Of
the proposed tariff revision. He got
not only the views but the experience
of those men in their different manu-.
featuring and industrial enterprises,
and is entirely satisfied that each
and all of those with whom he talked
was honestly presenting his opinions
and experiences, and doing so IN uu-
doubted conformity with his rights as
a citizen, and with the privilege of
any citizen to approach and talk with
member Of either house of Congress,
on any pending legislation. Indeed,
there is no possible means whereby
member of Congress can so thorough
ly get at the practical features of any
given proposition as by talking with
persons who have actual experience
in the workings of the business or the
industry that is affected by the propo-
sition 1t is often the case that a
practical man will give legislator an
illuminating view in few words Of the
bearings on any particular matter dis
cussed, that the legislator could not
get in mouth s reading; in. fact, he
would not know where to find in books
or publications the information that
the practical man could give him in
very few words. Senator Bristow cX-
honesty and good faith of those with
whom he talked, and so he got the
opinions of men dealing with the
actualities of life at first hand,
precisely as Senators ought to get
them, and as they can get them in
the best possible form.
1t is also true that the citizen has
rights as well as the legislator. Any
citizen OF the United States, from the
highest financier to the most under
paid employee in any establishment
has a right to go TO any member of
Congress from his State or district or
to any member of Congress from any
State or district, and express his
views as to any bill that may be pend
ing in either house. To abridge the
right of the citizen in this is to sup
press the liberty of that citizen. To
say that a citizen may vote to elect
q Representative or Senator, but
must not presume TO approach that
Representative or Senator to consult
with him on any pending measure, is
not only to deprive the Congressman
Of information that he may need but
il is q clear invasion of the rights of
the citizen to impart his views where
he thinks that the expression of them
will do the most good.
There can be no doubt but that
President Wilson has made a false
step and a grievous error in thus
undertaking TO shut off the means of
information which Congressman may
and ought to desire, and to suppress
any member of Congress and express
his views fully and frankly to that
member. The right Of petition is alb
solutely guaranteed in the Constitu-
tion TO every citizen. It is n right
OF which he cannot be deprived. To say
that the citizen may petition in writ
ing but is debarred from stating
his views verbally to any member of
Congress is to take position wholly
absurd and indefensible.
1t is no wonder, therefore, that Sen
ators are not able to find the lobby
which President Wilson found so OBJ
icctionable. The real point of obiec.
ton, of course, is that these business
men, these men OF industrial and prac-
teal affairs, do not agree with the
academic theories of President Wilson,
and President Wilson resents that dif-
ference. That is the whole matter in
nut shell As a matter of right, the
citizenship OF the country have a bet
ter reason for obiecting to the
Executive interference With Congress
in the framing of a tariff bill than the
Executive has to resent the free ex-
preston of views of citizens OF all
classes to members of Congress upon
this tariff bill.