The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-06-18

W880I0R ko0s ". ~ 9U0O
.inyisibjo government has BECOME
one of The most evident and QkrikiAg
features Of fhe Warrington scene.
For the tsrm hrs always beeu ap-I
piled to lobbies and loobyt1ts, and
there are BOW over 1oo Hobbies in
Warrington, most q which have y.
hoes and telephone numbers. and
are open to visitors. and Will tell
any honest enqutrsr Just what they
want Of congress and how they
hope to get Il
The right OF any citisen or group
OF citisens to come to Warrington
and petition congress. or any menu
Der thereof, for what they want. -
indisputable. All the excitement
about invisible government" has
been based upon the assumption
that the lobbyist = one who en-
ploys secret and corrupt methods
to influence congress.
Il cannot be denied that . con-
gressman who IL open to corrup-
ton can probably find someone 10
corrupt him. and this situation will
probably never change until all
congressman become absolutely
honest But tho fact that there
may be some dishonest congress-
men and some dishonest lobbyists.
it is urged, should not be made the
occasion for trying to make =
scandal out Of every honest and
open effort to influence congress by
argument and . show Of voting
strength.
The Great Lobby Scandal.
Eight years ago there was great
excitement when congress set out
to investigate lobbyists. Weeks and
weeks OF testimony followed the
adoption of the resolution of in
vestigation. Sensation after sen
sation, soma real, some forced,
were sprung on the public. Many
professed to see the two branches
OF congress clutched tight in the
tentacles Of the mysterious, mon-
strous octopus, invisible govern
ment." Senators and representa-
tives, many were were given to be-
lieve, were at the beck and call OF
the interests. Congress was q sor-
did thing, its members in the pay
of great corporations.
All of this nonsense blew up
shortly afterward, when the net
result of the Investigation simmer
ed down to the besmirching Of Il
lone member OF the house, out of a
total membership Of 435, the dis
closure that a negro employee al
the capitol had received $50 a
month to reveal to a certain lobby.
ist' the names Of the. people who
were received by the chairman 81
a powerful committee, and the pub.
LEGATION OF an enormous report
which nobody succeeded in read
ing all the way through.
After that the grim spectre of Sin
visible government" lay dormant
for a long time. There is some re.
vival of talk of insidious lobbies
operating in Washington, but these
underground methods have nc
chance Of accomplishing anything
of value in competition with the
frank and open lobbies maintained
here by many great groups the
country over.
The farmers, manufacturers, or.
ganized labor, ex-service men, aad
scores of other groups have theil
national organizations, and almost
without exception have legislative
agents. In very many cases these
organizations are going openly tt
congress and organizing blocs o.
senators and representatives VIII.
represent states and district!
where labor is strong. or where tn,
farmer is strong. These men ar;
being pledged to support certain
Legislative programs. There is littl,
or nothing secret about it. Otter
public announcement is made O
the organization of these group,
in congress.
| True, there have been revelation.
in the past Of state legislatures hav
ing been corrupted by the use O
money. For a great many years tn