Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-19
CONGRESS BECOMING RRITATER /,
BY 125 KINDS OF LOBBYISTS
Propaganda to Legislators Burdens Maj
and Is Described as Most Offensive,
of All Processes.

Senator Thomas Of Colorado started
something when in the Senate late in
last week he stated that ''the lobby
which President Wilson is said to have
destroyed in 1918 has been succeeded by
125 separate Hobbies. political, racial.
social, industrial, some of them section
al, every one of them having no concern
whatever for the general welfare, no
desire to decrease the general expenses
of the government, but determined by
threats, by persuasion, by entreaty. or
by other processes to secure for them
selves and to defeat for others legisla-
We are afraid of them. since they now
help each other and expect mutual ia
vors."
Senators and representatives are said
to be irritated and annoyed by the
pressure being brought to bear upon
propaganda in behalf of this, that and
the other measure pending in Congress.
propaganda Is classed as the most Of
fensive of all the processes, since 1t
burdens their mail and has the ap-
pearance in most cases of not only be-
tory to degree. representing not the
thoughtful judgment Of the authors, but
response to a specific appeal from some
central authority for support
"LObbyn M Senator Used Word.
The word lobby as used by the
Colorado senator is not construed in the
sense formerly applicable to the terms
lobby and lobbyist" The methods
nave changed. and the words are taken
to relate to organized effort and pro-
motors. in many cases for an admitted
~ good object, but frequently regarded
Dy congressman as superf1uous az well
as trksome to them.
In the old days the lobbyist" was
an Individual OF parts-a man of wide
acquaintance with public men, a
genial soul who was a judge OF good
liquor and had a discriminating taste
Tor tarrapin," who could identify a
vintage upon the fragrance following
the ceremonious. almost sacramento.
drawing OF the cork. He accomplish
ed his ends through the social graces,
ana his victims were unaware of their
own capture by him. There was the
venai lobbyist, largely imaginary. who
was supposed to corrupt legislators
by brides. existing mainly in the i'm
agination OF muckraker writer's on
Washington affairs
Female Of Species.
Then there was the female of the
species, found in novels and on the
stage-the lovely vampire. who led
her men willing slaves to her charms
and twisted them about her taper
fingers to their undoing and her own
pecuniary advantage. She disappear
posed Washington life went out.
senator Thomas slapped the term
lobby on the lbs separate move
ments IN behalf Of pending or pro-
posed legislation, with possibly the
bies and bad Hobbies. as it used to be
said that there Were good trusts and
bad trusts. Nevertheless. II is said.
congresmen are finding the Important
ties or many of the organized propa-
possibly the subject may be aiverIed
to in the House and Senate in more
pointed terms as the next session of
Congress gets under way.
Congressmen's CompIaiut.
Congressman complain that most Of
these propaganda movements flood
them with unnecessary information
and the course they should follow in
|leg1slating upon specific questions In
some instances. 1t is said, the COM
munications take the form of threats.
implied II not in actual terms, in
event of failure to comply with the
demands made.
The most vicious feature of the al
legged evil, however, is said to be the
attempt to give the communications
an appearance of being the uuani-
nous demand of a class, group or
particular interest Industrial or
economic. A new representative, un-
familiar with the practices OF recent
times, might be led, it is said, to be-
lieve from the volume of communica-
tions upon a given subject received
by him that the country was wild for
the bill, and. that he would be WELD
ing to well nigh universal demand
in supporting it. and likely to bring
down Widespread anathema on his
head if he opposed
"Wise Owlsn Familiar.
In point of fact, it is said at the
Capitol, the wise old owls in Con-
gress have become so familiar with
this form of propaganda that they