Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1913-07-11
Our Washington Letter.

e With both houses of Congress having
committees at work investigating rev.
Citations brought out by President Will
sons charges against legislative lob
bies at Washington. and with impor'
tant tariff and currency bills up for
consideration, the extra session OF con-
Rress has developed into one of most
important sessions in years.
The fruits of the lobby investigation
Democratic leaders believe, will be
as beneficial to the people as the en-
actment of the legislative measures
for as the truth is being brought out
an explanation is afforded of the re-
peated failures attending efforts to
procure the passage Of remedial legls-
lation demanded by the people.
Now it is charged by Col. MuIhali'
by his own confession one Of the most
notorious lobbyists at the capital, that
congressional committees had been
"packed" to stifle legislation objected
to by the National Association OF Man
ufacturers, and that other committees
were "packed" to procure favorable
action on bills supported by the man
ufacturers. Col. Mulhall declares that
his activity as lobbyist included par
ticipation in campaigns to elect con-
eressmen who had shown themselves
easily handled by the manufacturers
and in campaigns to defeat Congress
men who insisted on representing the
people who sent them to Congress and
not the manufacturers who had millions
behind them to help in their fight to
control legislation and legislators.
Reports from Iowa of the campaign
now underway to form fighting Pro-
gressive party organization in every
county and township for the announc'
ed purpose of putting a bull moose
candidate in the field for every Office
in the state, were received with inter-
est by Iowa polititions in WASHINGTON
The declarations ma6e by David Hin
shaw, the Progressive party organizer
while in Des Moines recently that the
state is to be solidly organized and that
headquarters are to be opened il Des
in the fall, corroborates information
received at Progressive headquarters
here.
The certainty that this means can
didate in the field for the Progressive
nomination for United'States Senator
"a not relished bv friends OF Senator
Cummins here. because it is believed
he will have the hardest fight OF DIS
lifeiin attempting to obtain renom'na-
ton on the Republican ticket.
It is argued that most Of the voters who
will participate in the Progressive par
ty primary next summer, are men VINO
have formerly voted for Senator Cam
minis. They will not be able to vote
the Progressive primary ticket without
announcing a change of party afhha-
ton. If they do this they cannot vote
for Senator Cummins in the Repuoll-
can primary.
News has reached Washington tnat
the Standpatters are preparing to take
advantage of this situation in Iowa oy
placinp strong candidate in the heid
to contest the primary nomination
with Senator Cummins. The anti
Cummins forces believe that such part
of the vote which would ordinarily be
cast for Cummins will 60 to the Pro-
pressive candidate, while the standpat
strength will be kept intact and that
there will be good opportunity to de-
feat Cummins for the nomination.
The Democrats are finding comfort
in this situation because they believe
that a triangular senatorial fight would
be wsged with such bitterness on the
part of the Republican and Progress
i've parties that the Democrats, united
on candidate and casting full party
vote, would have plain sailing.