The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-06-11
WILSON WAS right
SENATOR KENYON SUPPORTS LOB.
BY CHARGE
So DOES TIE EVIDENCE

SO DOES THE EVIDENCE
Social Lobbying Most "Insidious"
and Powerful Kind, Says Iowa Sem
ator, Who Condemns General Prac-
tice of Flattering Senators With
Dinners and Theatre Parties.
Social lobbying" in Washington
justifies every word President Wilson
uttered in regard to the presence of
an 'insidious" lobby at the Capitol,
Senator Kenyon, of Iowa, declared on
the witness stand Tuesday before the
Senate investigating committee. 1t
was the first unequivocal- statement
in support Of the Presidents attitude
since the inquiry began.
The Iowa Senator explained that
he believed the most "insidious" and
powerful lobbying possible was the
practice of fiattering Senators by hav-
| ing them out to dinners, to theatres
and on automobile rides, ingratiating
the host with the distinguished
guests. Pointing to the sworn testi-
mony OF Edward Hines, "a lumber
king, before the Lorimer election in
vestigation, that he entertained Sena-
tors at local hotel at dinners at a
time when the lumber schedule in the
Payne-Aldrich bill was before the
Senate, Senator Kenyon declared it
was his belief that Senators were be-
ing entertained in this "insidious"
way at present.
He also denounced Ex-Senators for
capitalizing their privilege Of the
floor by using it to lobby. Referring
to one Ex-senator, representing many
railroads in Washington and often
seen on the floor of the Senate, he ad-
vocated the enactment Of legislation
to prohibit an Ex-senator from be-
ing a lobbyist.
Senator Hughes, Of New Jersey,
and Senator James, of Kentucky, told
the Investigators for the first time Of
the trials and tribulations of majori
| " members Of the finance committee
with the many persons who had
foced to Washington to present their
views. Neither knew of any attempts
| to corrupt Senators, but both declar-
ed they could have done better work
if they had been bothered less. These
Senators, as did Senator LaFollette,
who followed them on the stand, sug-
gested that legislation for registra-
ton of lobbyists would be good
thing.
Several Senators let it be known
to-day that they had received by reg
istered mail what purported to be a
| production of a letter from the Amer
ican Cane Growers Association Of the
United States, sent to members ask
ing for contributions to fund for
the use of a Large committee in
Washington. The copy was dated
New Orleans, April 2, 1913, and read
as follows:
"Dear sirs: Your Association has
a large committee in Washington
now using every effort possible to try
/ to save the sugar industry.
eve have hesitated about calling
on you, but as We are now oyerdrawn
| in the bank it is absolutely necessary
that we have funds at once, and
therefore call on you to please send
one-half Of your subscription, say five
cents per thousand pounds, on the
crop of 1911.
''This is very important and we
would like to have remittances at
once. Yours very truly,
| (Signed) "Charles A. Farwell,
"President."
The copy came in an envelope post
marked Washington, on the back of
which, in ink, was written the name
''W. L. Bass.
Senator Ransdell. who received
one Of the letters, said the American
Cane Growers Association had been
in existence for ten years or more;
that it maintained an Office in New
Orleans and conducted an open cam
paign in behalf Of the sugar produc-
ers of Louisiana. He added that for
several weeks the organization had
kept an Office in a Washington sky
scraper with it's name over the door.
Senator Lippitt testified that he
owned about one-quarter Of cotton
cloth plant, capitalized at s6,000,000.
and located at Providence, R. I. He
had talke dwith other Senators about
the cotton tariff. He furnished list
o. twentv. - tariff visitors.
Senal : lppitt declared that he
had not trie. to influence any one i'm
properly, nor had any one tried to in
fiuence him. Common stock of the
Manville Cotton Company, Of which
he was manager, has gone down prob
ably so per cent. because OF the
threatened tariff reduction, he said.
cts it true you prepared the cotton
schedule as it appeared in the Payne
Aldrich tariff bill?" asked Senator
Reed.
''I am perfectly willing to say I ap-
peared before the ways and means
committee and said the manufacture
ers did not ask for increased duties,
but later I rendered a letter which
was intended to correct several deci-
sions. I also asked for an increased
duty on mercerization because that |
was a new process. Shortly after