The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1913-06-04
POWERFUL LOBBY
is BUSY At WORK
In Washington and An
- Alarm is Sounded.
A RESOLUTION BY TAvENNER
Notes Warning and Seeks To
Put Lobbyists Out Of
Business.
A GOOD WAY TO GO ABOUT 1T


Congressman Clyde II. TavennerD
Washington, May 31.-In the
election last fall the people elect
ed members of Congress to revise
the tariff on sugar and other neces-
saries, downward, as one step to-
ward the reduction of the ever in
creasing cost of living.
Powerful Hobbies are now in
Washington endeavoring to per-
suade these members of Congress
to. break their pledges to the peo-
pie and betray the consumers of the
land, to the end that few men.
already rich beyond the dreams of
-aNarieey -Rfay add to -their swUiien
fortunes.
1t was to place before the public
this state of affairs that President
Wilson used his now famous state
ment, in which. referring to these
Hobbies, he said:
Washington has seldom seen so
numerous, so Industrious, or so in
sidious a lobby. There is every
evidence that money without lin
1t is being spent to sustain this lob
by and to create an appearance of a
pressure of public opinion antag-
onistic to some of. the chief items
of the tariff bill"
In order that the public may
know all of the facts about the con-
ditioAs alluded to by President Will
/, son, have introduced a resolution
providing for the appointment of a
committee of five members of the
House of Representatives to inves-
tigate the subict:
This resolution reads as follows:
Whereas. 1t has been charged by
the President of the United States,
and there is reason to believe that
a powerful and insidious lobby
representing interests hostile to
the House of Representatives, is in
existence in Washington; and
Whereas. newspapers are being
filed with paid advertisements cal
culated to create an artificial public
opinion against certain items of the
Tariff bill; and
Whereas, 1t is charged and
there Is reason to believe that I'M
limited funds have been placed at
the disposal of this lobby for the
purpose of overcoming the interests
of the public for the private profit
of the interests which they repre-
sent; and
Whereas, The public maintains
no lobby and is powerless to reply
to the paid advertisements of any
lobby representing financial inter-
ests: and
Whereas, Bills are pending in
Congress to regulate and control the
operation of Hobbies at the National
Capitol. and il is advisable to gath
er any and all facts bearing on the
aforesaid conditions and charges
or in any way relating thereto, as a
basis for remedial purposes; there
fore be II
Resolved. That a special COM
mittee of FIVE members be appoint
ed by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives to sit during the
sessions of the House and during
the recess OF Congress for the pur-
pose of investigating and reporting
to Congress the facts in connection
with the operation of any lobby o.
Hobbies In WASHINGTON; said COM
mittee shall inquire into the sources
whence any such lobby or Hobbies
are supplied with funds, and the
amount of funds so contributed:
and shall also ascertain where and
how these funds are expended and
for what immediate ord ultimate
purpose: and shall go into gen
eral inquiry to learn the methods
by which any lobby seeks To insu-
cnce legislation in Congress-