Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-10-29
LOBBYISTS
REPLACED
BY AGENTS
Master Minds Watch
Over Congress In In
terest of the Special
Class Nowadays

washington, Dct. 70 ne HiO0e
clever men about Congress are
those who have their seats in the
galleries.
The galleryites are the regulars
who are on hand to observe. Most
Of them are paid for their obser-
vations and are professionals at IT,
The lobbyist" has long since
been deceased in Washington. In
this day OF advancement In things
political we have Legislative
agents They are perfectly iegiu-
mate workers and can not be the
successors OF the oId-time lobby
lists, but at least they are the OUT
growth Of the demised gentleman
lobbyist.
Legislative Agents
Legislative agents work In the
open. They appear before com
,mittees to plead the cause Of their
various interests, and they do
missionary work with the var
Ious members but they are very
circumspect IN their transactions
and most careful not to cross the
line Of demacration between pro-
priety and impropriety in influ-
encing legislation.
These legislative agents are
Nmaster minds" They are clever
men, most OF them conceded to-
be more clever than the men with
whom they are working.
Foremost in the ranks OF thel
legislative agents at the present
time Is Wayne b. Wheeler, gener-
al counsel for the Anti-Saloon
League. SO far as congress Is con-
cerned, Wheeler is the Anti
Saloon League.
Alfred r. Thorn, lawyer OF
note. represents the cause Of the
railroads before congress, as a
rule. Thorn is the Washington
representative OF the American
Association OF Railway Execu-
tiyes. and he turns up everywhere
that matters affecting the rail-
roads are being discussed Short
in stature and given to much
advoirdupois, Thorn is not Inn
pressive in appearance. but when
he speaks he generally gets atten-
tion.
Farmers Representative
Benjamin G. Marsh gives an
entirely different angle on the
legislative agent. Marsh carries
the title OF legislative agent for
the National Farmers Council
Ewi sundry kindred organisa-
tiona. He IL most active agent
and resorts to the buttonhole
method OF persuasion. Marsh Is
perhaps the most frequent con-
gressional witness. and he ap-
pears before every and any COM
mittee that will hear him.
Charles Lyman, secretary OF the
American Board OF Farm Organ
izations gives still another slant
on the sort OF men who keep their
finger on the pulse of congress.
A college man. who looks like a
college man, and a student. Ly-
man appears before congresslon-
al committee with a rapid-fire
line OF argument that sweeps
most Of the members OF congress-. ,
doing In their chairs. into ac- I
tion. Lyman always llvens things
up by his snappy assertions and
his snappy replies TO cross-exam-
Enation.
Labor On Job
Labor's legislative agents are
Of still another stamp. Edgar :
the little Welsh man.
who bears the title Of legislative
sgent for the American Fedora
lion Of Labor, is retiring indi-
Vidual who speaks with hesita- (
lion and who seems half afraid.
This may be a pose and it may I
not: at any rate. his looks and his, {
voice are belying, for Wallace Is a {
,elligerent OF no mean powers I
when he Il aroused. When labor's
sause needs some good. strong
lration, Frank Morrison Is sent
10 do the job. and he cuts loose
with some verbal pyrotechnics Il
hat arouse furious envies among I
hose members OF conwress who I
IRE given to orati ns.t When labor J
needs cool, collected legal argu- b
nent. Jackson Ralston comes up
IN the hill aud does the job. 1
r.ousniracv Ts