The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1913-06-12
Louisiana Man Tells Committee Of
Letter Writing Campaign to In
iluence Attitude Of the
President
SUGAR INTERESTS ARE
SORE At WILSON
Claim President Didn't Give Them
Fair Deal--Admit Lobby Ac-
tive but Deny that I'M
proper Methods Used

Telegram by United Press
Washington. June l2.--PauI cristian
told the lobby investigating committee
today that all Louisiana industries had
been urged to write to the president
explaining how they were affected by
free sugar. He said the sugar protec.
tionists attempted to enlist Senator
Sheppard Of Texas in ther cause.
Cristian detailed at length the meth
DDS used by the sugar interests in fur
therance Of their fight against the
tariff bill.
Investigation by the committee yes
terday was to a marked extent a con-
troversy whether President Wilson
had given the sugar producers reason
to believe they would have nothing
to fear from free sugar under his adj
luidlotiutlOHs
Over the days testimony, in which
Louisiana and Hawaiian witnesses re-
peatedly declared they had not re.
ceived fair treatment from the presl-
dent and had been misled by others
as TO his purpose, the committee sue
ceeded in drawing what are believed
to be some of the most important
facts thus far developed. Some Of the
sugar meA frankly admitted that they
constituted a lobby" although they
objected to the charge that any Of
their actions had been 'insidiousT or
in any way illegitimate or underhand.
ed. They admitted that comprehen-
sive campaigns had been organized
and carried out to create eback fire."
on senators and representatives from
their own states in the hope Of win
ming their support to the anti-free
sugar side.
''The prosperity of Louisiana was at
stake said Jules Godchaux. a sugar
planter. I'VE tried to get the people
we did business with to write to SEN
ators and representatives. telling them
that free sugar would destroy the bus
{fness Of the state. We asked them to
write and wire to Washington and to
ask the merchants they did business
with throughout the United States to
do the same We tried to establish
an endless chain of letters and tele.
grams to draw the attention Of con.
gress to our arguments"
John F. Hamburg OF New York man
ager of a large Hawaiian sugar fl-ln,
admitted that his firm had urged all
Of its 1900 or more customers to write
to senator's and representatives. point.
ing out the destruction to business
that would follow free sugar
Plainly resentful Of the presidents
recent statements as to the operation
of an 4nsidious lobby in Washington
the Louisiana and Hawaiian sugar men
enlivened the hearings with frequent
attempts to tell Of the pledges they
believed they had received that sugaI
would not be made entirely free.
d jules Godnaux and r. f Dickinson
d the two Louisiana witnesses. declared
& they had tried in vain to see the pres
n ident and had been informed he ha'
e all the information he wanted on thu
b. sugar tariff Mr. Dickinson declared
u the president had never talked witl
any practical sugar man about tn
is Louisiana situation and thar he ha
ID secured most Of his information fror
IT. National Committeeman Robert Ev
It. ing, a newspaper man Sol Wexlek
Id banker Representative Broussar
aud Senators Ransdell and Thornton
III 4 have never seen Mr. Wilson 0
'ths Sugar subiect,r interrupted Sens
tor Thornton, who was sitting in th
. committee room
= Charges OF the sugar men That thE
. had been given assurances Of the pre-
. dents sympathy on the sugar CUE
> ton were based on statements
, Representative Brouasard had made
3 the witnesses after a visit 70 PREF
dent Wilson at Seagirt.