The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-02-09
c CONGRESSMAN
CITES POWER !.
Of GROUPS
Tells How Organized Minori-
ties Exert Great Influence
on Legislation

An interesting commentary on
the inflnence of OrgG,tSzed aVGisIOFS-
ties IN politics Is Contained IN an
article scs-itten by Congressman
UnderhiII, and recently published
| bv the NesU York Commercial. The
article manifests keen OBSERVE
taOn of nffuSrs u the National Cup
itdE. It folEo1cs.
By CHARLES l.. UNDERHILL
/ recently asked well-knwn Con.
gresham what was the greatest de-
mand coming from his people back
home. One would suppose, after q
program OF education carried on for
the past year, that the answer
would be q reduction in taxes. On
the contrary, it was for a further
exuenditure Of public funds.
The country is divided at the
nresent time into taxpayers and tax
spenders. Before our entrance into
/ the war the taxpayers were not
burdened with extreme taxation,
and the taxspenders had not been
thoroughly educated to the posi-.
bilities OF their profession. With
the advent OF the war and the
necessary collection OF billions OF
dollars the education OF the tax
spneders proceeded rapidly.
Fxtravagance ran riot during
the war, particularly In Govern
ment departments. The taxpayers
were told they were unpatriotic
unless they contributed q large part
Of their income The taKspenders
pinned medals upon themselves for
the ability with which they dis
tributed these vast sums.
Economy Cry For Expediency.
The. same situation exists in a
somewhat lesser degree today. AL.
though. the voice Of the politician
proclaims economy. it is. however,
only the economy Of political ex-
pediency, Economy Is a good slo-
gan for the entire country, but must
not be applied locally or individu-
ally.
Washington Il full Of job hunt
ers, office seekers, organiza tons.
social climbers. reformers, radicals.
philanthropists and others who
want to show Uncle Sam how to
spend the taxpayers' money. Every
group or Individual considers their
sor his proposition absolutely inn
perative even though they or he
may denOunce the activities of
others along different lines. These
groups, as said before, are well
organized and through the med
ium OF modern propaganda bring
tremendous pressure to bear upon
Congressman from back home.
IT is hard to understand how
some limited organizations can
exercise such an influence upon
demands are so clearly antagonistic
to national economic interests.
The average office holder knows
that the majority of voters are
neither vocal or aggressive and that
they do not possess long memories.
The organized .minorities keep up
persistent propaganda and can
and do make things uncomfortable
for the individual Congressman.
They are persistent, vociferous and
threatening. They delude the Con.
gresham into a belief they are
much more powerful then they
really are.
OF course it may be said that the
| politician should have more courage,
| but there is another phase of the
situation which is overlooked. The
| thoughtless majority are not appre.
ciatfve and man in public life who
| does his duty is seldom rewarded
for 1t. whereas, IL he favors a par
/ ticular class he is likely to have an
energetic group fighting for him at
the primaries and elections.
Calls Business to Take Hand.
If taxpayers and business men
would take a more active part in
politics there would be less DISPOSE.
ton on the part of public men to
seek the support of organized minor.
| tiles.
| Apparently q great many citizens
are pursuing the policy Of not let
ting their left hand know what their
right hand is doing. They sign
petitions to Congressman for new
land larger appropriations with one
hand. while they write him with
the other protesting against tax
alton.
From a rather hurried and incom
plete investigation, / have found
a few less than one hundred com
missions, bureaus and subdivisions
of the Federal Government in ex
istence in Washington. These cover
almost every activity of business
and private life. Some of them are
legitimate functions of the National
Government; others are an inter
| ference with and control of State
rights and duties. Many interfere
with business and private activi
ties. These are few, however, in
comparison to proposed Legislation
introduced in every recent Congress
providing for the creation of new
bureaus and commissions and the
extension of powers and personnel
OF those already existing.
In twenty years independent COM
missions alone have been increased
from three to thirty-three, and the
| cost of same from three-quarters OF
| million dollars to $3.50 .00O, 900.
II 4 F0r effIcienf Denfai