New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-05-30
WILSON READY TO NAME
'|NS|D|0US LOBBY"
willing to Break I'll PreCedents
and Appear Before Senate
Committee, II Necessary.
DEMOCRATS SHY OF INQUIRY
Fearing President Cant Make
Good" They Pass Mild Sub
stitute for Original Inves-
tiga.ion Resolution.

From The Tribune Bureau,I
Washington. May Eff Il develops that
such steps are necessary 10 the public s
interests, the President will call spades
by their right name and will tell who Is
conducting what ne Characterizes as the
"insidious lobby" against the tariff bill.
and will appear before any Senate com
mittee which undertakes an investiga-
ton, II he deems IL to be in the public
interest
President Wilson has his fighting
clothes on. and is not disposed TO hedge
a bit on his accusation that lobbyists
are attempting to defeat certain proVl-
sions OF the Underwood tariff bill ara
are misrepresenting the facts. He mace
this decidedly clear this afternoon dI?-
ing his semi-weekly conference with me
rewspaper men. and those who kno" nm
best declare he is ready to back up his
assertions.
Asked II he was willing to break prece
dents by appearing before a committee
and telling what he knows about the
lobby industry in the capital, freside"t
Wilson asserted that ne could give names
and would do so II asked. he let the
statement he made Monday ABOUT the
'insidious lobby" stand without qualihca-
ton or application. and asserted tnat
ne knew what he was talking about.
In administration circles It Is understood
that President Wilson Is anxious to II"
Washington OF the several lobbies' or al
least regulate them in such manner as
TO make them operate In the open. lie
said to-day that he was In sympathy win
the resolution OF Senator Cummins ana
also favored some plan TO register LOBBY
fists.
Tho Democrats in the Senate. however
fearing the President could not make
good reduced the Cummins resolution TO
a bompopathic trituration before adopt
irr f. In fact. they adopted AN amend
rnent" offered by Senator Kern. when 49,
in effect. substitute for the original
resolution. bv a vote OF 81 20 Is. the vote
being strictly partisan.
Root Calls Situation SERIOUS
This Is a very serious situation, said
Senator Root. THE effect Of the PreSl-
dents statement mus, be necessarily that
any Senator who votes for any change IN
the tariff bill does so under the influence
Of the alleged lobby. IL does not comport
with the dignity Of tho Senate Of the
United States 10 permit this imputatloh
10 90 unheeded. There are two Things
provided hy the orig resolution II is
our duty 20 insist upon. one OF them Is
that Senators themselves shall proher
testimony as to the communications they
have received regarding this legislation.
The bill has passed the House and Is now
in tho Senate. The charges can refer Only
to Senators sincerely hope tnat they
will not shrink from a Willingness 1"
make an exposure Of the conditions that
prevail The other Is respectful requcs'
10 the President 10 give Us the informa-
ton upon which he bases his statement.
The whole question is whether We are IN
earnest I'm this matter or not
As modified. the resolution directs That
IN. investigation be made BY the Commit
TOO on Judiciary. instead Of by special
committee Of the Senate. cUrialls the
scrutiny OF the relations between indi-
yidual Senators and the persons making
concentrations to them respecting the
tariff bill. and. in decorous and polite
Language. merely invites the President 10
give the committee any Information ne
may have in his possession bearing on
the alleged lobby II he considers X
proper TO make II public.
An amendment also was adopted which
aims al the disclosure Of the interest m
dlyidual Senators might have IN the tarin
bill either as producers or manufactur-
ers or as lawyers acting a. counsel FOR
firms or corporations which may have
such an interest.
Senator Penrose, when the resolution
had been adopted after several hours OF
debate, declared that II had been com
pletely emasculated." Senator Root, OPP
posing the Kern amendment also pro-
tes,ed that II rendered the investigation
futile and Senator La Toilette said that
Il placed n Limitation upon the proposed
investigation. The statement OF the
President" the Senator from Wisconsin
added. has withdrawn upon this body
the critical attitude Of tho press and the
neonIe Of the country, and I think We
ought TO meet # with the most searching
investigation.
When Senator Reed offered his amend
ment providing for the additional inquiry
whether Senators were financially inter
ested in the production. manufacture or
sale OF any articles mentioned in the
tariff bill. either directly or through con-
nections with any firm or company. no
affection was made TO II except that II
was going beyond the inquiry into the
existence OF a lobby The amendment
was accepted by both Senators Kern and
Cummins The Reed amendment was
obviously aimed az Senator Warren. who
is a large wool grower; Senator Lippit.
who is interested in cotton mills. and other
Republican Senators. In reply Senator
Lippit offered an amendment extending
the scope Of this inquiry TO the profess
sional interest OF Senators in the bill,
such as lawyers who might be connected
in a legal way with companies or corpo-
rations having an interest in the measure.
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