The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-10-03
Light on LOBBYISTS

The senate judiciary committee has opportunity
to do great job For years secret and selfish obbes
have helped make the laws of the land. Now there
is a chance to strike at that evil.
Under the Caraway resolution, the committee will
investigate the manyheaded system of indirect con-
gressonal control. Senator George Norris, chair
man, will be the key in choosing the sub
committee and perhaps in conducting the inquiry.
No man is fitted better.
There really are two jobs to be done. One is to
find out how lobby operates. Who pays the lobby
st and the propaganda, and why? What methods
are used by these self-styed legislative agents How
much power have they in influencing actual legis-
1ation2
Obviously such survey will throw a light on this
rocky field in which the sheep and goats will stand
separated. 1t will show the already open organiza-
lions and agents. working by legitimate methods to
keep before congress the opinions and needs of
citizens.
It should reveal that other group of more or less
secret agents of organizations and corporations work
ing predatory interests under the guise of unses
patriots or disinterested expers-such the recently
exposed agents of the electric power and ship build
ing companies.
The second job of the committee is to tell the
country and the senate what to do about it. There
have been lobbying exposes before But they resulted
chiefly in moral indignation and nothing more.
Diagnosis of the disease is not enough. After a
century and half it is time to try to bring about
cure and to practice bit of preventive medicine.
Senators of the Norris type whose years of public
service have afforded long observation Of this I'M
healthy condition, should be able, on the basis of
investigation to formulate bill to correct the worst
evils.
Such corrective legislation will get nowhere If 1t
takes a lobby-busting line-any more than trust
busting laws corrected the evils of industrial CONSOLE
dations. Lobbying must be recognized as natural,
legitimate and permanent part of the legislative
process in democracy But it must be recognized as
a thing to be controlled.
Government regulation is the way out.
That of course is not so simple as it sounds. But
it is the only way and the sooner start to develop
an effective regulatory system the better.
The Caraway bill proposes registration of lobby
lists and certain other safeguards against secrecy But
as the committee and congress go deeper into the
problem, other safeguards will suggest themselves.
It takes two things to make a lobby, agent and
money 1t is as necessary to have record of the
money behind him as of the lobbyist himself. The
hundreds of organizations engaged in this business
make regular public accounting of all receipts and
expenditures
Corpora tons-such the armament makers who
secretly paid the propaganda Shearer and others
should be made to report such pernicious funds to
the government
Now that congress finally has reached this funda-
mental problem of governmental control, it should do
more than simply uncover another national scandal
until the next time There is for next time.