Evening star., 1926-05-30
LOBBYISTS IN WASHINGTON
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

Lobbyists. after many years OF
being regularly denounced by politi-
clans, received q good word In Con.
gress the other day when William 3.
Culbertson, former chairman Of the
Tariff Commission and now Minister
to Rumania, testified that lobbyists
are mot only justified but necessary
in order that members Of Congress
and other Federal agencies may be
informed Of all the facts surrounding
any proposed action"
When it Is recalled that Mr.. Cul.
bertson was appointed to the Tariff
Commission by President Wilson, and
that it was Wilson who roundly de-
nOunced the lobbyists when the
Underwood tariff law was being
written, the kind word for the
lobbyists appears as quite potent
Endorsement.
The lobbyists, Of course. have always
claimed that they merely helped Con-
gressmen or other Federal agencies
to become fully informed Of all the
facts" But the politicians have
claimed that the lobbyists schemed
and connived and plotted and used
improper tactics to get their bills
passed, or to get their views incor-
porated into bills. President Wilson g
a congressional investigation, made
the word lobbyist" anathema around
Washington for some years. Even
today nobody admits he is lobbyist.
He may be a especial representative"
or q Legislative agent" or just a
plain lawyer, but never a lobbyist. "
Perhaps Mr.. Culbertson's defense will
take some Of the odium away from
the term.
There are a great many lobbyists in
Washington, il the term may be ap-
piled to persons whose business IS to
represent before Congress or the Gov
ernment departments and bureaus
the interests Of q client who wants
laws passed or repealed, or regula-
tions altered, amended. abolished or
Instituted. Nobody ever took census
Of lobbyists. but there are certainly
more than O. thousand In Washing
ton, and probably near 5000. II their
aides, clerks, statisticians, publicity
helpers and others are included. This
takes no account Of the volunteer lob
bies which come to Washington from
time to time to impress their views
on Congress-. They are amateurs. The
regulars are the professionals.
Chief Dry Lobbyist.
Perhaps the best known lobbyist Is
Wayne B. Wheeler, general counsel
for the Anti.Saloon League. He rep
resents the drys at all congressional
committee hearings. in dealings with
the prohibition enforcement official,
in lawsuits in the Supreme Court,
and in planning political campaigns.
He has q suite Of offices with various
assistants, clerks, publicity workers,
and so on.
He Is a leader in the class Of pub
lie" lobbyists, representatives Of pub.
lie or semi.public groups, which main
tain Hobbies in Washington. His mas
ter stroke was the passage OF the
eighteenth amendment and the Vol
stead act. A dozen farmers organi-
cations maintain public" lobbyists in
Washington. Three or four war vet
Grams societies maintain them. John
Thomas Taylor, national legislative
chairman for the American Legion,
achieved nationwide fame when the
soldiers bonus bill passed. He had
lobbied for it for several years. Gray
Silver. representing the Farm Bureau
Federations, was the real organizer
and power behind the ''farm bloc"
which cut a big figure In Congress for
many years. While he stayed in
Washington he was in the front rank
Of public" lobbyists.
There are great many Of these
lobbies for causes" The women's
organizations have several. Miss
Alice Paul led the fight for the suf.
frage amendment, and has had no
equal among the woman lobbyists.
Every big reform cause sooner or
later has q lobby.
There are perhaps an even greater
number Of 'semi-public" lobbfes.
These are the representatives Of COM
mercial associations. such as the Beet
Sugar Growers, or the Association of
Railroad Security Owners. or the Meat
Packers, the Security Bankers. the
National Association Of Manufac.
turers, the United States Chamber Of
Commerce and manufacturers In a
score of groups. the motor bus op-
orators and the like. A few Of these
groups maintain publicity forces, and
hence are more or less In, the public"
lobby class. Others have attorneys
here who would probably resent be-
ing called lobbyists, although their
objectives are largely legislative.
The labor lobbies are also more or
less public. and very numerous. rep
resenting all of the big unions and
groups of unions.
The private" lobbyists are, as we
have classified lobbyists here. the reiJF
resentatiyes of Individual interests.
ushasy arsIlsally Of1erafe without any