The Washington herald., 1913-06-03

made
Following the examination of Senator
Clark Of Wyoming. Senator jackson of
Maryland was sworn. He took the stand
town by reason of the funeral of a col
league.
Interested I'm Three Items.
Senator jackson told the committee
that he was interested In two or three
items of the pending bill. He was in the
lumber business. He did not believe that
the lumber industry would be materially
effected by the Underwood duties IL he
did not look for a general depression fol-
lowing the enactment of the general
measure. He was president of the Jack
SON. Weisbach Company. manufacturers
of shirts at salisbury, Md. This, he
said, was a $4,000 corporation, in which
he owned a 80 per cent interest, the ba :
ance being owned by the operatives. This
business would be forced to curtail
wages or buy cheaper materials after
the enactment OF the bill. He was also
the owner OF 1000 shares of United States
Steel preferred. but he had this as an
investment and did not know much about
the steel business. He was sure the
dividend on Steel common had to be cut
before his holdings suffered.
"Oh. YES" said Senator Jackson, 81 am
this was an afterthought. but after &C
knowledging to the ownership of thu
steel preferred and the lumber plants ana
the shirt factory, the committee was dis
posed to laugh a little
Senator Chiffon of West Virginia said
that he had supported the Democratic
ticket all his life. He had made speeches
for the ticket. He had always favored
lower tariffs. He said that he did not
arf eli
he had come TO the Senate, but the COM
mittee was kind enough not to ask him
what he talked about during his previous
campaigns. He disclaimed any interest
in the tariff personally.
Senator Crawford of South Dakota was
the last Senator examined. He did not
believe that the lobby in Washington was
either insidious or dangerous. He had
seen just as many legislative agents in
Washington when the reciprocy bill was
before Congress as he had this year
what L. n Lobbyist:'
what is a lobbyist" was a question in
which most interest centered during the
examination of the Senators. Senator
Ashurst of Arizona, the first witness,
defined a lobbyist as any one who but
tonholes members of Congress and urges
them TO vote for certain measures or
consider a man a lobbyist who files le-
climate arguments with Congress about
matters in which he is interested
Suppose a man makes il his business
to stay around Washington and hire out
his services to influence legislation"
asked Senator Reed.
II consider him the most odious kind
OF lobbyist" replied Ashurst.
Senator Bacon defined improper lobby
frC he yfNTiv nf ell
tainments and dinners to Senators and
members Of Congress" which, he said.
was lobbying in Its most offensive
sense"
Senator Borah said that lobbyists, like
lawyers. are hired to accomplish GER
tain things through legislation or lack
of it. THE lobbyist he said, like a
lawyer. sometimes is hired to argue a
bad case. and is forced to do the best
he can with it,
Senator Bradley was delightfully."- ig-
norant of the presence of any lobby in
Washington. Leaving the witness chair.
he apologized to the committee for not
having enough property TO force any d.
rect interest in the tariff bill.
Senator Brandegee characterized lobby
lists as "a retained and hired set OF men
something like soldiers OF fortune whose
profession il was to influence legisla-
ton
Senator Bristow-A lobbyist is a man
whose business it is TO procure or pre-
vent legislation. He does il for hire, that
is his occupation.
Before reviewing this list Senator Bris-
tow told the committee that his personal
interests in the bill were small: that he
owned farm from which he sold the
produce, and he owned a newspaper at
Selma. Kan. for which he had to buy
int
The list Of industrial representatives
who had called upon Senator Bristow
were: F. c. Lowry. of New York, an
employe of the Federal Sugar Refining
Company. who was in Washington to
promote the Democratic contention favor
able to free sugar: Henry T. Oxford, of
Washington and New York. who is in
Washington in the interest of protection
for the beet sugar industry; a. D. Bald
win. of Honolulu, who Is here to
urge protection on behalf of Hawaiian
sugar; Jules GodChauf and f. P. Dickin-
son, Louisiana sugar planters. who also
want protection: s. w. Mcclure. also
mentioned by Senators Ashurst and
Borah, who wants raw wool protection;
Henry Lassen, OF Wichita. who is pro-
testing against free flour and taxed
wheat with entire equanimity of mind as
TO whether the tariff is put on -four or
taken of wheat so long as the burden
to the miller is equalized. and w. II.
Baird, of Detroit. beet sugar plant eX-
pert.
Senator Bryan-A lobbyist is one who
gives his time to preventing or advanc-
ing legislation. whether he has a direct
interest in the business involved or
he is hired by that business for
the purpose of lobbying.
Senator Burton Answers.
Senator Burton-A lobbyist is an agent
or attorney for interests whose work is
to influence legislation by appearing be-
fore committees to argue his case or by
Sgratiating himself personally with
Legislators so that he may call upon
them for favorable action.
Senator Catron-The line between a
legitimate lobbyist and an improper
or between a lobbyist and a
of business interests, is
very fine.
Other Senators offered definitions along
much the same lines.
None of the witnesses knew definitely
of the presence of a ''pernicious' lobby
in Washington. but several of them
mentioned campaigns carried on through
sterotyped letters and kilograms to men,
bers of the House and Senate which are
written by representatives of interests
and distributed among constituents to
be sent by them to their representatives
in Congress.
Senator Burton said in this regard: |
ITO my mind the most dangerous meth |
DDS of influencing legislation and one most |
to be condemned is that Of bombarding |
Senators with inspired kilograms, letters, |
4