Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-09

| Concluding testimony by senators on
| the witness stand today before the Sen
ate's lobby, Investigating committee
made it clear that the committees re-
port will substantially uphold Presi
dent Wilson's declaration that power
| full interests have been at work in
Washington attempting to influence
Congress in the tariff bill.
J, Whether it will be shown that in
sidious' methods have been used or
that improper influences have been
exerted upon senator's will depend
upon the evidence OF the next few
days. when the committee examines
| men who have called on senators or
directed the publicity campaigns.
Views Of Committee Members.
Senators Reed and Walsh. two of the
three democratic members of the COM
mittee, took the witness stand today
Each expressed the belief that there had
been an organization m forces interested
in the tariff bill that bad exerted strong
influences to secure cerain changes Sem
ator Overman. the ether democrat on
the committee. had already gone on rec
ord satisfied that the invest.gat .on
| would bear out President Wi sons
charges.
the committee undoubtedly will rec
ommend restrictive legislation of a
| strong character It will attempt to
draw a clear distinction, however be-
tween the organized campaign to change
public opinion or Influence senator's
against their Judgment and the legiti-
, mate presentation Of arguments and
facts by officers of representatives of
industrial concerns that would be at
fected by legislation.
The lobby hunt entered upon its second
week today Less than ozen senators
remained to be examined before the COM
mittee takes up anO her trail and begins
calling score or more Of men mentioned
in the testimony OF senator's as being on
one side or the other of the free sugar
| fight. or of being attorneys or special
ton.
Outgrown Original Bounds.
| Ii was admitted on all hands tina. the
investigation already had outgrown its
original bounds. 1t originally was in.
tended to develop evidence concerning the
influences President Wilson charged We're
being brought against the tariff bill. but
the testimony of senators has broadened
the scope of the inquiry to touch many
subjects.
Under the extension of time granted
by the Senate Chairman Overman's
committee expected to develop all the
new phases.
President Wilson told callers today
he expected the lobby investigation to
have beneficial results through the
publicity given to the conditions sur
rounding the making of the tariff bill.
When asked his opinion of the charge
made by Senator Townsend as to his
own influence with reference to legis-
lation the President replied it needed
no comment.
Knows Of No Lobby.
Senator Sutherland. the first witness
today, told the committee he owned 200
shares In the Utah-Idaho Sugar Com
pany, wort, S7.s5 share. and fifty shares
in the Amalgamated Sugar Company.
worth 500 share. He had no interest
in wool. but declared he had voted and
would vote for reasonable duty on sugar
and wool. Any other course on his part,
ne sad. would be nothing more than "hy-
pocritical affectation.
In a long service in the House and
Senate" he added. Il have never known
any member of either body to be inlprop-
perly influenced on any legislation, nor
have known of any attempt on the part
Of any one to exert improper influence. +"
Senator Reed said he had no personal
connections affected by the tariff and had
talked reduction to all his brother SEN
ators whenever possible. He did not
know of any lobbyist, at least i'm a way
To associate names and faces had not
been subject To any attempts at influence
and knew nothing of any use of money
| improperly, but was certain. however
| that a new system of attempting to in
duence legislation had risen in this coun-
| try.
Sugar and Missouri Mules.
He illustrated by telling the committee