The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-05-30
4 SINGULAR sUBsERvIENCE.

One OF the most extraordinary spec.
tacles that is now presented to the
American people is the subservience of
5he L. 5. Senate to Executive dictation
When President Taft was referred to
in the l.. s. Senate in 1909 as having
made promises of revising the tariff
downward. standpat Senators, with
Isneerng lips and bristlng hair, de
mauded TO know who had any authori-
~ TO dictate to the Senate. and who it
was that presumed to say what the
senate would do. ought TO do, OF, was
bound Ia do And so the Senate at
that time rejected all suggestions from
The White House, treating with con.
tempt every reference to the promises
that the then President had made dur
ing his campaign speeches, and pro
ceeded TO revise the tariff in It's own
wav and to give the people of the
country an example of obstnacy, stu
pidity, and pcTversc, malignant legls-
lation which seemed immensely salts
factory to that Senate, but which the
people resented the next year By re-
turning an overwhelming majority of
Democrats 10 the House of Representa-
tives And still the Senate would not
learn, it would not correct its errors,
il would not pass such a bill as the Re
publican National platform of 1908, as
expounded by the Republican candi-
date for President. declared would be
| ,,aoD1n Ia3o 10
revision of the tariff at all costs
persisted in their opposition to the
hunko tariff law of 1909, and kept
pcrsIstlng until they elected Demo
cratic President and put Democrats IN
control Of both Houses Of Congress.
| Possibly it may be in some degree
because of the disastrous effects upon
the Republican party of its coutemptu-
ous treatment of a Republican Presi-
dent that there has been such a change
in the attitude of the u. S Senate. Not
only do we see that body now cringing
before the Presidential frown, not only
do we see Democratic Senators say in
effect ''We would be glad to vote
against free sugar and against free
wool. but we do not dare do it in view
of President Wilson's attitude,' but
we see on his mere denunciation of a
| lobby against free sugar and free wool
that the Senate subsequently takes
steps to inquire into the operations of
that lobby with a view to placating the
President and ousting the lobby from
| all contact with Congress-
But what is that lobby? II is COM
posed, as we learn from the dispatches,
not of corruptionists, not Of hired tools,
but of business men OF the United
States who are there in pursuance of
their undoubted right as citizens TO ap-
peal TO Senators not 10 agree to GER
tain features of the proposed revision
of the tariff as the bill for that pur-
pose passed the House. That the right
Of these business men to appear before
| Congress, to interview Senators and
Representatives, and to state their
case to them is the undoubted preroga-
tive of the American citizen, cannot be
denied, The attack by the President
upon the business men who are there
to make representations as to the con-
dition of their business now and as it
would be if the items carried in the
House revision bill which they now op-
pose are enacted into law, is an at
tack entirely uniustified in a republic
an form of government. The people of
the United States, individually and col
lectively, have a perfect right to go to
Washington to appeal to Congressman,
TO interview them, TO importunc them,
and to influence them in such ways as
these citizens may consider best for
their own interests and for the inter.
ests Of the country.
1t may be said that in thus speaking
We are pleading for the privileges of
the lobby. In so far as the lobby con-
slsts Of reputable men, representing
reputable business interests, we do so
plead In this, of course, we are not
advocating the cause of hired lobby
lists or of corruptionlsts of any kind,
Ibut where citizens representing them
selves and various interests that they
contend for, in a strictly business view,
seek to make known their positions,
their leeds. and their fears, to MEM
bcrs Of Congress, their right to do so
caLuot properly be denied, and should
not subject them to attack by any
body, any more than should their activ-
tiles in casting their votes for princi"
ples the wish 10 have prevail, subject
them to assault or vicious arraignmeut,
The right of the American citizen en-
gagged ia business to show to Congress
As whole and to members of Con.
gross individually the effect Of pro-
posed legislation is one SO precious that
Its Invasion is an invasion Of the civic
and political tights of the people; and
the Que who would question the right
Of the people thus to appear in person
or bv Representatives IS acting direct
4 4.