South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-01-15
INDIANA's ANTT-LoBBY RULE.

senate and house, directing that they
be reprimanded in public by the pre-
siding officer should they get too fresh
and take to plying their trade on the
floor o. either chamber. If they want
10 lobby they must lobby when the
public isn't looking. And this incluGes
newspaper correspondents, one in par
ticular Of which. during the last ses-
sion. assumed the role of lobbyist, and
made IT his business to move up and
down the aisles as a vote was being
taken. fguratively waving his news
paper in the face OF the legislators
and threatening them with some sort
Of more or less dire exposure should
they fail TO keep the pledges they had
made him outside the rail
This particular correspondent is the
one employed by the South Bend
Tribune in conjunction with news
papers in TT. Wayne. Evansville and
Terre Haute, two years ago. in an eff
fore TO legislate TO themselves "a por-
tion of the public printing of which
they had been deprived by the degen-
Grafton Of the republican party. An
old law, calculated by republicans and
democrats, 10 forever divide the pub
lie printing between the newspapers
of the two parties, failed in it's pur-
pose as TO the republicans when the
progressive party came temporarily to
the front as the second party in the
state Naturally it was a bitter pill
and SO Il bill was introduced to sweet
en- it.
Government in Indiana impressed
from Cincinnati, by an ION the aisle"
display. is not to be permitted again
this session. The above is only one of
the incidents of such work. but pass
ing up the correspondent the inside
work of any lobbyist. cinching his out
side work by his presence on the floor
when vote is being taken, as now
set aside, deprives him Of his most
dangerous weapon. There is really
no reason why any interest in the
state of Indiana, individual or corpo-
ration. i'm person, or by officers and
employees, should not have the OppUr-
tunity Of a hearing by individual
members of the legislature, before
committees, or whenever further en-
lightenment is deemed desirable.
Heaven knows. the average legislator
needs all the enlightenment he can
get. and a knowledge of both sides
of a proposition is always essential to
an intelligent expression regarding it.
1T is only when corruption through
bribery, or coercion through undue
influence or wire-pulling, enters into
il, that lobbying really becomes dan
gerous. Bribery is already a crime.
No kind of anti-lobbying bill would
serve TO prevent outside wire-pulling.
The rule, hoyever. that shuts the lob
byist of from the floor, and prevents
him staring each legislator in the eye
rs be votes, frequently semi-hyno-
tizing the more weak-minded in the
direction Of his legislative franchise.
will serve 10 cut of am enormous
fraction Of the undue influence. A
legislator of agreeable disposition.
may say, Eyes. yes" TO whatever a
lobbyist may have 90 advance, when
talking it over at the hotel. and with
out ever intending TO vote that way,
and confident that it would be wrong
To catch the gaze of that lobbyist,
however. just as he is about TO vote.
IS liable on the instant TO upset his
good intentions, and influence his ac-
ton almost before he knows it.
An anti-lObby bill such as some ex-
tremists are prone 10 advocate would
De a virtual destruction of the right
OF petition. Free government has no
ri at 10 shut a legislators constitu-
en away from him. Finite govern
ment has no intelligent reason for
presuming, in the light of experience,
that its legislators are au-wise. And
So. afte.. ALL the legislature of Indiana
has sone about as far as it legiti-
uately could go, even though not pro-
ceeding TO the limit Of Gov Ralstons
recommendation.
It has destroyed the lobbyists fatal
grip. The legislator can listen cut
side. in committee, in the corridor at
the hotel. but he cannot be hypnotized
or inundated or the spot OF his
voting. What his conscience and in
feiligence at that moment tells him he
ought 10 do. he is left free TO do. with
no commanding eyes meeting his. TO
direct an opposite course. This is
better than a licenses or registered
lobby with the freedom Of the floor.
It viii even serve to keep the suf-
sragists and promoters OF legislation
beneficial 10 women. from crowding
the aisles Of the senate and house. in
their beauty OF face. and form and
gown. and virtually throwing their
arms about the neczs OF the solons TO
influence their votes for desired meas
ures-which is only a slight exagger-
ee.On " what happened in the as
sembly two years ago. To be sure il
didn-t accomplish much. but perhaps
that was only because men in their