Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1914-02-05
WASHINGTON LETTER
BY JOHN M. NELSON
WHAT TO DO WITH LOBBYISTS.
Representative in Congress form the Third
Wisconsin District

WISCONSIN District.
WHAT TO DO WITH LOBBYISTS.
What to do with the lobby evil is one
of the problems with which we are
wrestling in the Judiciary committee.
This subject is up in two forms: The
report of the special lobby committee
was referred to us; and we have bills
pending to regulate the lobby by law.
This issue arose last May when Presi-
dent Wilson told newspaper men that a
powerful lobby was at work to defeat
his tariff bill. Few were surprised at
the news; but everybody was curious
to find ont what new phase of the evil
had come to the presidents notice. 1t
is no secret here that every big bust
ness combination maintains paid
Washington lobby. These agents keep
do before state legislatures, but they
are no less pestiierOus in their influence
for and against proposed legislation.
These gentlemen are usually, but not
always, eX- members.
When the president got after the
lobbyists they left the city, as rats
desert burning ship. Both the senate
and the house appointed committees to
investigate. These smelling COM
mittees," so called here. found nothing
startling as to the tariff. 1t was dis
covered that the beet sugar men had a
big lobby on the ground against, and
sugar refneries another for free sugar
but no illegal practices were proven.
At this time, however, the Mulhall
expose appeared in the Chicago Tri-
bune and the New York World, Martin
Mulhall had for years, been the Wash
ington lobbyist Of the National Manu-
facturers Association. After ten years
of such work, he lost his job. Resent
full and angry he sold his records and
correspondence to newspapers.
In these he mentioned many members
OF Congress, who We're on his friendly
list. THESE We're members he claimed
in his reports TO have controlled. He
had, also, blacklist of members to be
beaten for re election. On this list,
certified to by Jim Watson, speaker
Cannon's handy man in the house, was
my name with other insurgents.
Mulhall told how money was used to
defeat. members found unfriendly, how
employees of the house were paid for
insid ninformation, how Cannon packed
the Judiciary and labor committees at
the request of the lobby, and how
like McDermott of the
Chicago Stock Yards district enjoyed
his favor, some times in the way of
loans that were later conveniently for
gotten.
The special committee found the
mentioned innocent OF wrong
doing. except McDermott, likewise
all the employees, except McMichael,
chief page of the house, and Nc
DermOtt's private secretary. The Jul
dietary committee Is liked to report
that the house can do no more than to
censure these lobbyists. McMicheal,
the guilty employee, has been discharg-
ed and McDermott may either be cen
sured or expelled.
The publicity given lobby activities
by the presidents broad side and tine
investigation that followed have had a
good effect; but for perm@Aent results
shall urge an anti lobby law, like the
OF Wisconsin and other states, requir-
ing registration, filing of accounts open
to. the public, and heavy penalties for
coercion or corruption in any form.
The paid lobby is a dangerous evil. IT.
;ussails representative government at.
the source of its life.