Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1913-03-20
LIKES ,TAFTsl IDEA.
WILSON MAY URGE ADMiTTANcE
or cARINET MEMBERS TO
FLOOR or CONGRESS.
COULD ADVISE THE MEMBERS
FEAR Of Too Much Administration I'M
auence" May Kill the Pian-Lob-
bylsts still Active, but Better Be-
haved Than Formerly.
On nEoRGE cLlMToN.

Washington.-There is a belief
among Democratic members Of n
gress that President Wilson may take
up the suggestion made by ex-Presi-
Isdent Taft and urge legislation which
will enable his cabinet officers to ap-
pear on the floor Of the two houses OF
congress when matters pertaining to
| their departments are under consid-
Grafton, to answer questions and to
give information which may enlighten
on the points at issue.
Such q course would be In entire
keeping with Mr.. Wilson's intimation
that he may go to the capitol on oc-
casion to be within easy reach of rep
resentatives and senators who care to
| consult him. 1t is all a part of a plan
TO bring the administration and con-
gress closely together in conference
on matters OF legislation.
Mr.. Taft,s idea was that IL the mem
bers OF his cabinet could. go TO the
house and the senate, especially at
times when appropriation bills were
under consideration, the actual neel
for money in this case or that case
would be more clearly presented, and
the doubts of members who did not
know how to vote could be cleared up
and q more intelligent consideration
could be given to each item in every
appropriation bill.
The former president did not in
tend, however, to limit the appear
ance Of members of the cabinet to APP
preparation occasions. He wanted con-
gress to provide that whenever q cab
met oficer's presence seemed advisa-
BILE he might be summoned, given a
seat on the floor and allowed to an
swer al questions and to vouchsafe
such opinions as suggested them
selves to him as being pertinent to
the subject matter in hand.
"~Infiuence" Is Feared.
1t Is the fear of some congressman
that the admission of cabinet mem.
bers tt the floor would bring about a
condition of administration influence"
with the legislative branch and that
this ought to be avoided, especially
in q Democracy, 1t vas the fear Of
this same influence which has made
many members OF congress oppose the
suggestion OF Mr.. Wilson that he
might come to the capitol himself on
occasion. a suggestion which has been
treated of in another dispatch.
There is any amount of personal In
6uence used to sway legislation in
congress and some Of this personal
influence hal been condemned by the
public and the press ever since the
first congress convened. This influ-
ence is that of the lobby which in
times past and ven today MAS a
strong representation in Washington.
The lobbyists are nothing like as i'm
Fortunate as once they were, nor do
they carry IN their opportunities with
the same disregard Of publicity and
,of the actual decencies as once they
did.
"A good many members of congress
say that the legislative lobby which
comes here from a distance is more
inimical to Democratic institutions
than the presence of the president and
his cabinet officers in the capitol pos
sibly could be, but those who are op-
posed to the appearance of the repre-
sentatives Of the administration say
the constitution draws the line so
sharply between the executive and the
legislative branches that the line
should not be crossed even in appear
ance. -
Lobbyists Now Are curbed.
The change that has come over the
manners of the Washington lobbyists
has been marked. North Of the SEN
ate chamber runs a corridor and into
this corridor nobody is supposed to be
admitted until he has sent his card
in to the senator whom he wishes to
see. Then If the senator does not
care to see the person he declines to
leave the senate chamber or he can
send word that he is 100 much en-
gagged to come out. The person who
wishes to e the senator is not sup
posed to be allowed in the north cor
rtdor until he has been invited in. If
he should get through he could see
through the doors Of the senate and
could find out for himself whether the
man he wanted to see was engaged or
whether he was simply lodging his
visitor.
As things were a few years ago,
lobbyists who knew senator's well, and
who were known equally well to the
public, used to push by the doorkeep-
ers and get into the north senate cor
rider unchallengsd. Sometimes they
seemed to have certain senators at
their beck and call and frequently
their activities become absolutely no
torious. In-the last four or i've years
public opinion has been SO aroused
against lobbyists of the pernicious
kind that they are not so much in.
evidence az once they were, and they
are much more modest and retirina
In their manners.
As a matter of fact, great corpora.
lions which r interested In legislas
/, ton and which have the same right to
be heard that the opposition has. now
- 49, EaHH-