New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-22
Nelson and CIapp Riddle Lobby
lists Boast of interviews
and Inside clips"
SETH LOW AS TRUST ALLY
Fathered Bill to Loosen Sher-
man Act, Says Witness
Watson Accused as
Paid Accelerator.
From che Tribune Bureau.

Martin NJ. Mulbau before the former
LOBBYIST came here as witness, Senator
Knute Nelson went on the stand before
hig colleagues on the Senate lobby COM
mittee this. afternoon ana filed Mulhalls
testimony so fun OF holes tina practical
Iy nothing was left Of it.
NIulhaH. in a number of letters TO John
Kirby. jr.. former president Of the Ma
tonsl Association Of Manufacturers, had
made it appear that he was on intimate
terms with the Minnesota Senator lie
told Of having "a half-hOur conference
with him on amendments TO the Sherman
law on January %, 1903. and alleged
that Senator Nelson had given him IN
side information as to what was going
10 happen 20 the proposed amendments
when as a matter of fact the full report
OF the Judiciary Committee turning
down all the amendments to the Sher-
man law had been printed and given 10
the public three days before.
In a nutshell, Senator Nelson showed
conclusively that Mulhall was four
flushing" and was writing these letters
to the National Association Of Manu-
facturers secretary in New York with
the purpose of having his employers be
lieve he was lin right" Even Mr.. Hicks
senator Nelson's clerk, could not remen-
Der Mulhall
Senator Nelson charitably suggested
that perhaps Mulhall did call at his
outer Office and got from one of the
clerks some copies of the Judiciary
Committees report, which was OF
course public at the time
Emery's Errand Boy
Before Senator Nelson went on the
stand Mulhall had spent an uncomfortable
twenty minutes under cross examination
by Senator Cummns. and when finally
pinned down TO specifications he was
forced to admit that he was merely the
office boy of James A. Emery, whom he
called the chief lobbyist" in this city,
Of the National Association Of Manufact-
urers He couldn't do a thing without
first getting orders from Emery, and he
told how he had seen bill opposed by
the National Association of Manufact-
urers going through Congress, yet was
HELPLESS 20 do anything until he had first
seen Emery.
Senator Moses A. Clspp. Ny Nelson's
colleague from Minnesota. also took the
stand for a few minutes 10 deny that he
had ever met Mulhal although the lob
bvist in his letters told of "a very pleas
ant interview" he had had with Senators
Nelson and Clapp.
Senator Nelson told in detail Of the
efforts to amend the Sherman law and Of
the various bills that bad been intro
In Gfyff
Congress.
"One was Senate bill $40" said sena-
tor Nelson. introduced by Senator War
ner of Missouri but it was really bill
that Seth Low, Of New York fathered.
and Il was told around the committee and
il was common talk that the bill had
been prepared by the attorney Of the
steel Trust, Mr.. Stetson, Of New York.
Whether that is so or not cannot say"
Suspected Big Interests.
'Inasmuch as we understood the first
bill" he went on. "the Warner bill TO be
the administration bill, the Roosevelt bill,
we devoted most Of our ime TO that, ard
we had considerable hearings before the
subcommittee. We finished the hearings on
ment of Congress found after con-
ferring with my colleagues on the sub
committee that we were all Of one mind,
that we were opposed 10 the Seth Low,
administration. or Warner bill; but / my
self made up my mind that there was
systematic effort TO undermine the anti
trust law in favor Of the big interests,
tbe big trusts. and thought would take
time to look up the question carefully;
that instead Of reporting the bill back ad-
versely 1 would prepare a written report
The Mime sofa Senator said he gave up
his Christmas vacation to study the Ques-
ton. and then continued:
There were TWO points they were in
sisting upon: First, that the law should
enumerate the classes Of combinations in
restraint Of trade; and in the next place,
that combinations which were not un-
reasonable should not be prohibited by the
law. To my mind II appeared most
dangerous TO enumerate the combinations
AS dangerous as il would be TO under
take 10 entrnerate what constituted usury
or what constituted fraud. ] looked at
the are from the bigger standpoint Of how
II would affect the great trusts and COM
binations, and whether the law ought to
be amended and changed so as to leave
the door wide open 10 them.
Whatever was done was done before
the subcommittee. the senator continued,
in the shape Of argument. Neither Seth
Low nor jerks nor Herbert Knox Smith,
nor any OF the other men ever attempted
10 lobby me in any shape or manner
Calls Watson Acoelerator.
Early in the day Mulhall had declared
that James +. Watson, while still
member OF the House. was on the Ma
tional Association Of Manufacturers
payroll TO the tune of $3.50 a week. help
ing put through the tariff commission
bill He said he had personally paid
M. Watson a retainer of $500 and that
the Indiana Representative had prom
Use Of $4,000 if he put the bill through.
This was in January. 1909.
Mulhall also said that efforts were
made by the National Association OF
Manufacturers TO get Mr.. Watson in
President Tafts Cabinet, and he went
so far as to speak Of Watson as Mr..
Taft'e successor in the White House.