The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-10-21
LOBBY
TOUCHES OFF MINE
''InsidiOus Lobbies" Have
Come Into Vogue At Ma
tional Capital.
WORD BECOMES A FAD
Even Church Societies At
fected BY New Po-
litical Rage.
WORD BECOMES A FAD

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21.-Since
President Wilson issued his broadside
from the White House charging the
existence Of a numerous and insidious
lobby, many Legislators have put on
their spectacles and pried around in
the catacOmbs of the past and into
the shady places of the present in
a frantic search for lobbies Whether
these worthy gentlemen are engaged
in this practice because of any gen
uine patriotic interest, or whether
their activity may be traced TO an eff
fort to curry favor with the President
Of the United States by joining him in
the chase, cannot be declared with
any degree of certainty.
But what is certain beyond perad-
venture" as Samuel Gompers says, is
that big Hobbies and little Hobbies,
harmless Hobbies, and venomous lob
bies have ben uncovered That little
statement which President Wilson is
sued from the executive mansion. one
evening after supper, may be likened
to the striking of a match. The Presi-
dent struck the match and touched it
to a substance which he believed need
ed burning out. That substance took
fire like oil-waste and has famed up
until its light has Illuminated the acti-
Vltles of so many persons and organi-
cations that Washington almost smells
sulphurous. Lobbyists and lobbyists
employers have been scorched and, it
is said that some Of the Congressman
who have been poking the fire have
burned their fingers a little.
Latest Style.
Lobbies have become the style in
Washington. The word has practical
ly passed into the law. The man who
stops you on the street and seeks to
influence your tender heart to a point
where he will be a beneficiary to the
extent of a drinks worth, no longer is
called a panhandler. Oh, no. He is a
lobbyist. If you want a raise in salary
and have a heart to heart talk with
the boss about it, you are lobbying
If your wife is especially gracious and
solicitous about the number of Jumps
Of sugar in your morning coffee, and
other matters pertaining intimately to
iOuSly lobbying for a hat, a sealskin
walters. taxicab drivers, hackmen, Of
ing when they approach one obsequi-
ously! Oh, no, they are lobbying,
Everybody's lobbying now!
President Wilson is a positive gen
ius. Many and many a psuedo-suc-
cessful song writer would give up his
sleep for a thousand and one nights
Arabian or otherwise. If for compen-
sation, it might be granted that he
hit upon a word which would prove
so popular catch as that magic word
lobby" which President Wilson has
conjured into everybodys mouth. 1t
was major league work on Woodrow S
part. Not even the grape juice of
Secretary Bryan, not the dollar di-
plomacy of Secretary Knox, nor the
big stick nor the square deal of Theo-
dOre Roosevelt, nor the gold bug of
President Mckinley, nor the innocu-
Gus desuetude of President Cleveland,
nor the split rails of President Lin
coin, nor the conskins and hard cider
of President William Henry Harrison,
not any of the words and phrases that
have been at home on the lips of the
people following their announcement
by popular idols, have had the vogue
which the lobby of President Wilson
has enjoyed and seems likely to enjoy
for many months to come.
Strange Lobby.
But probably the strangest lobby
which has yet been charged is that
which a certain ecclesia stical publ
cation has discovered. 1t has to do
with the movement, which has recent
ly gained Roadway, to segregate white
and colored employees of the govern
ment departments. The church publ
cation in question not only supports
this lobby, but has constituted itself
a part of the organization
It's position is that the black brother
should be given an opportunity on a
parity with the white hopes of the ad-
ministration. The Democratic Fair
play Association, a society which was
organized in Washington at the dawn
of the Wilson administration, has
done yoeman service in the segrega-
ton work. 1t discovered that in GER
tain cases white girls are forced to
work under the supervision of colored
clerks and officials in higher capaci-
ties. 1t was alleged that advantage
was Delng taken OF this state OF af-
fairh in some cases. This far south
of Mason's and DixOns line, there is
sometimes a little hesitancy on the
part of white people TO allow their
daughters to be ordered around by
colored men. Therefore the work of
the Democratic Fairplay Association
found favor in many eyes. President
Wilson, himself a southerner, counte-
nanced the movement and there has
been much segregation in many de-
partm
Now the church publication comes
forward with the plea that discrimi-
nation is being practiced. that preju-
dice is bein gtwisted. Somebody is
holding an umbrella over either the
just or the unjust, the new lobby COM
plains: which of the two it does not
specify.