Evening star., 1928-03-13
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

The burning question Is no longer,
Have you little fairy in your house,"
but Has the House or Senate little in
sidious lobbyists in the offices?"
A lobbyist, like rnicrobe, may be in
visible to the naked eye, but whenever
1t gets under the skin Of a statesman IL
bores and bores-and bores. One can't
kill lobbyist with a window weight or
hammer: 1t is dangerous to attempt
chemical warfare upon the pests, for
they thrive on gas. so that the bareback
might kill the statesman. and his sue
cessor. after the congressional commit
tee attended the funeral. would be even
less immune 10 lobby influences.
The modern measure of true states
manship. according to the anti-lobby-
lists. Is the ability to swat lobbyism and
decide all problems out Of ones own
cunning brain without regard to facts
| acquired through long experience or
concentrated study by specialists.
In that respect, Congress differs radi-
| cally from modern court OF law. which
persists in hearing alienists In the vIn-
dication of confessed murderers: Con-
gress. so far as concerns the Senate. Is
now on record as opposed to allenistic
methods. In which the blacker the
crime the fuller the confession of
guilt, the greater the activity Of an
alienist In proving to the court and
Jury that Ii was justifiable homicide.
and the victim is still living. while the
accused has a perfect aiibi so with
the lobbyist; the bill ne supports Is
ever righteous. his pay is too small.
for he Is poor but honest patriot, and
he Is opposed TO that measure any,
how. on principle. All the splendid
dinners to members are given only for
pure sociability. because the members
are recognized as potential social lions.
Many members confess the soft inn
oeachment without resenting the lobby
classification.
Biu the Senate has passed without
opposition the Carawav anti-lobby bill.
Senator Caraway says that his bill docs
not forbid lobbying. but simply requires
IL TO be perpetrated in the open. and
makes II open season" all the time 10
shoot lobbyists of the other side.
Over in the House. where the meas
ure now rests in the committee on
judiciary. a prominent member explains
that the reason the "anti-constitutional
bill' forb!dding the right OF petition,
etc, passed the Senate so readily Is be-
cause the Senate has become just one
great investigating committee. differing
from the House OF Representatives.
which still remains representative of
the actual sovereigrs--thc pae-pul
The prediction is freely made III the
House that the bill will never see day.
LIGHT through the begrimed windows Of
the "iudic.ous committee"
But while the period ot suspense
keeps up the interest of the plot, IL
Is well 10 ccmplicate the incidents Of
the story and hold the reader breath
less with uncertainty as 10 the de-
nouemcnt
Senat,r Caravan, without the usual
foroiddtng against being quoted. dis
closes In newspaper confession:
Now the bill does not provide that
lobbyist shall not lobby
OF course not. Farthest from the
Senator's thoucht! Shall moi bird
nv? Shall law be enacted forbid
ding u fish to SWIM Who ever cx-
peeted such cruelty to animalS-con-
cedins that lobbyists are OF the animal
kinGdom-aS to choke loeoyiSt for
exercising his normal functions Of
!ohoyinge rwere easier, far. To choke
Senator for attempting 10 defend
America from the Pope. or tear the
masks from u ku klux procession, or
starve n glutton in the presence of a
feast
So, little lobbyists. 60 right ON lob
esing while the harhingerS ot SprinE
make merry.
&&&A
ut will be- observed" SAWS Senator
Caraway. that the whole purpose and
scope Of the measure depends on the
words for pay"
THE point Is that the Democrats,
under the Senator's guidance. are ieal-
Gus of the Coolidge slogan. "Eronomvt'
Tie name Caraway IL not Scotch, but
Is there no Scotch blood In his veinSe
For payl" Aye, there's the rub
Whether 'twere better to leglSlate In
Egyptian darkness than to fty 10 tight
which We know not Of unttl some hare
lobby glare dasaleS uS' DOWN with
lobbying for pay, The rcSt ct lob.
hleS Il added to the salaries of states
men and the price We challenge tcr
ourselves as members is given uS--~
grudeinsly, A millionaire Senator says
us too high,
Does the Senator overlook famous
German provefh that should he the
kew To eccnomy'
What he might have done, really.
toward curtausng lohhytSM would have
been ~ double the salaries ot all lob
hsists, for the old German rruverh
pniOted the way, The dearer II II,
the cheaper to me. tor shall buy less"
There's your Democratic slogan, offset.
tins the Coolidge "eeenomy," Raise the
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