Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-06-13
ny }. rrc,lcrick E,,nry.

n
WASIiINGToN. June IL when Il
jadcd Congress OF the United ssta,es
can thirh OF nothiug else To get cx-
cited about, II has tn, liunit Of turn
ing upon the poor old lobby rag
ing f"rociously against that group
Of sinister practitioners WHO make u
pr"carious living by promoting the
cause Of special interests Lobbyists
are merc!lcssly g!bbctcd a. such
times. rhcY arc drawn and uuartcr-
cd They are publicly tortured Th"y
are suJcct"d 10 ali the suffering oi
a Spanish inquisition. And thcn. ~
ter The Roman holiday is staged with
appropriate effects. alter the coGu-
! Try has been rcassurad that the
would-bc corrupturs o. the national
Legislature have been dungeoned for
iic and after legislators have given
an affecting vindIcatlon OF their own
virtue. all hands 20 back quietly 20
tn" old game. The corruptor ard tho
corrupt"e live happily together. on
iriendships n" renewed Social 70
iat!ons ar" restored Dinner par,ic3
20 on Just as before. Latch striuss
on the legislators front door ana on
tho lobbyists back door hang on IT,.
outside Just as though noth!n.; had
| happened 10 disturb the ainity thai,
hitherto had existed
Average "Proba" II Farce.
There is nothing moro farcIcal
than the average congressional IN d.
vestisation. And tho mos, r-o,.go,,..
inGuiri"s which Congress .cn,ur.s
"a a
| Lobby" Some individual s,atcsna,
feeling personally outraged becmu1a
| he suddenly discovers tn. actly. lob
! .y against instead Of for his be, him
/ RIGGS in his place and sayayciv
! charges that the third hous." y
| pr"s'itUting the processes az Ic...
latIon. that men. pockcting colo.sst.
ices are engaged in defeating the
WIZ 81 IN" American peopls that the
! '"fTiH"rS ~ tho Capitol arc crowSo
| WIN araEcn representatives. OF ~.
| !nster,sis' All II ,hcm arc t,rI.r.
| mining the sacred institutions Of tho
| government. and :. lot more 9, m.
same sort Oftcncr than no, mi.
starts tn" bal! rolling II tho out.
! RACED statesman is Sufficiently va
ht'h'n' he causes Sensation" The
pap"rs all print what hc has sna \
resolution y offered for AN .,ny.s,f.
CATION Usually ,h.s is smoth.roa
| ~ committee. but occasionaI!y i,
y n"ss'a and IN. actual slauclt.,
begins
! Active Lobby Away, ON .to,
| The fact is. ana an Legislators ,.ho
! Know anything about any,hinp -,
! al" know il 10 be tru. rha, mo-. ID
! an hctIN" lobby in Washington "a, no
i'''"ht moment and mos, OF ,h.r,
! khG" that there has alwavE neon !,
| i"bhy here There is no sccre; abot,,
! :. an" 'hcT" need toe no mystery.
som" OF the special nlcad.rs rurn,.
openly before Tho House and s"n 80
"'htFS masquerade Som" OF these
/ practitioners haunt their colnr. NJ
! tIHshinSiy In the faces OF IN. l,v-
| makers; others disguise thousclv.e
as propagandists. exercising ,h.ir
t"nst ituioual right OF petition. som.
/ ar" lawyers who appear before com
M!,t'eS instead Of in open court.
'"'nc arc hht-Saloon Lcagucrs and
hhlph iSncrs ot tina, typc who's.
! speciality IS building back-nr un-
! der statesmen by nrousing tn. toIks
hacI: home
There are all kinds Of LOBBYISTS now
ana probably VIII be al! Kinds Il,
| 'he years TO come. Investigations
sHch hs that just proposed. does no,
break up the business They may
expose few OF the rough-n.ck ,vne
as the Mu!halls. dcprivine them ~
.u"hi opportunity TO operate in
| Washington. but inGuisltions ro-niv
,uh more than mere handful Of
| LOBBYISTS to cover and most Of mos
| VINO temporarily tax. 10 the woods
| emerge as soon a. the sn,ok, ,,l.,-s
from the battlefield