Evening star., 1928-03-11
BY BEN McKELWAY.

7 T might be an excellent thing to get rid Of
the professional lobbyist. just as 1t is highly
desirable to abolish the measles. But to ac-
complish either through legislative process Is
impossible. The Caraway bill, which has passed
the Senate and is expected to pass the House
does the next best thing. 1t requires paid lob
hy:,t~ to say they are lobbyists, just as health
regulations require official recognition Of the fact
that ole mas the measles. If the lobbyist prefers
to wear Sleeps clothing, he must. nevertheless
publicly admit that he is wolf He may be
altogether harmless. the .salt of the earth and
one of natures noblemen. Under the Caraway
bill, however, he must first brand himself lob,
routes to complete eXcupaton are left open and
he may follow them as he chooses.
There is nothing fundamentay wrong in the
sonal lobbyist" wears certain opprobrium
which it can never shed, 1t must be renlem-
bered that the professional lobbyist is almost
necessary and not always, an evil Our various
legislative secretaries of the innumerable Or
ganzations in Washington which strive for bet
ter things are all paid lobbyists WAYNE B.
Wheeler was paid lobbyist. So was Pendleton,
who. in the days before the Civil War ran the
Hall of the Bleeding Heart" on Pennsylvania
avenue, an elaborately furnished gambling eStao-
lishment where legislators. frowned upon by Lady
Luck, could always recoup with money borrowed
from affuent gentlemen interested In the passage
or defeat Of legislation So was , Sam Ward rd a.
Vestari," and who. according to the late Uncle
Joe Cannon gave dinners and entertainments:
always had plenty of good food and drinks.
prcSent-day lobbyist and will have nothing 10
do with them. I was not afraid OF a lobbyist
In the old days. I could go to Sam Wards DIM
ner and was never asked to do anything But
others who went to Sam Wards dinners were.
s; y X X
There are lobbyists-and lobbyists. The die
tionary definition of the word Is sufficiently
broad TO cover any one who solicits a member
OF legislature to influence his vote on legisla-
ton. But the Caraway bill restricts lobbyists to
those who shall engage for pay to attempt to
influence legislation by the National Congress-
It defines lobbying as "any effort to influence
the action Of Congress upon any matter coming
before it. whether 1t be by distributing literature.
appearing before committees OF Congress or in
terviewing or seeking to interview individual
or the Senate" While the lobbyists affected by
the Caraway bill are restricted to those who
engage for pay" the bill recognizes as lobbying
attempts to influence the action of Congress on
anything-whether 1t be the approval by the
Senate of a presidential appointment or It's ac
ton treaty.
Many and varied estimates have been made
upon the number of lobbyists In Washington.
Frank Kent of the Baltimore Sun wrote a few
years ago that there were las different repre-
sentatives Of special interests and groups in
Washington whose business Is to exert
pressure upon Senators and Representatives"
William Bennett Munro states In q recent book
that there are about $50 Of them on permanent
station. with regular Headquarters. About as
many more come TO the CAPITOL and camp there
until the measures In which they are interested
Of them are going and coming all the time"
Edward F. McGrady Of the American Federation
of Labor recentlv csttmsted that there are nearly
1000 lobbyists here. Under tbs Caraway bills