The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-07-31
LOBBY NOT ALL BAD
Address BY Lieut.. Gov. Howe at Bur
lngton Merchants Luncheon

ltngton merchants Luncheon
Burlington, July 31-Lleutcnant.
Governor Frank f. Howe spoke on
the Lobby That, InIests Our Capt.
toll" yesterday at the Merchants as
ISOLATION luncheon which was held in
the Hotel Vermont roof garden. Mr..
Howe delivered a good speech with
much sterling advice in il, but those
who came hoping to hear exposed
startling practices Of corruption-if
any did come for that purpose-went
away disappointed, for there were no
disclosures. In fact as Mr.. HOWE
sketched It. the lobby in Montpelier
is innocuous If not necessary. The
most startling feature of tho lieuten-
antgovornor speech was his assor-
ton that one-house Legislature
would be better than the kind we
have
The speaker said that every one of
us had at one time or another been
represented by paid or unpaid lob
byists. lie asserted that the common
notion OF lobbyists as people who go
to Montpelier and by means of brib-
cry or illicit use of influence get
away with things which they ought
not to have Is in the main fallacious.
lie stated that he had seen among
The lobbyists of the capitol. judges
of the supreme court. the bishop OF
Vermont. the presidents Of the Uni
versi,y Of Vermont. Middlebury and
Norwich and all manner of men
lie then explained how the lobby
came 10 exist. when YOU choose q
man from your community or society
or whatever it is that you are
choosing from-to so TO Montpelier
YOU choose the smartest man among
you. said he, while when you elect
man TO tho Legislature, you pick
out some good fellow who can get
the votes He pointed out very
clearly how tho growing of the State
meant the growing up within IL of in
stitutions and interests which natur-
ally desired to bo heard in the maxi
ing of laws.
He showed the danger of the lobby
to bo largely due To The fact that the
people who go to the State House TO
lobby have one thing in mind and cen
tralize their effort on the getting OF
that ono thing. They are specialists
not only in their way of going about
what they want, but usually by life
training The university president ia
backed up by a life OF experience in
the line touched upon by the cduca-
tional measure in which he is inter
ested II is hard for the ordinary
legislator not to be argued around
by him. What We need is strong.
forceful men to Offset the influence
of the lobby by pulling for the inter
csts OF the state as whole.
As it is. the speaker insisted. we
lack this kind of strong attention to
tho interests of the whole State. Plat
forms deal mostly in congratulations
which il is difficult to defend against
the attacks OF the different lobbying
70 -ces. Economy, for instance, ap.
pears frequently in platforms, but
the question later arises of how il
shall be obtained. Il is difficult not
to grant one by oac the appropria.
tons for good things which come up
and al the end there is no economy
The speaker mentioned certain
things which might be made into
definite policy OF economy, among
them the adjustment OF ono house
OF the Legislature. tho cutting down
of the number of judges and State
officials. the bringing Of the methods
OF government up to date as to eff.
cheney and perfection Of system. lie
said that in every case tho responsi-
bility Of government was on the vot-
crs and on their shoulders il must
rest.