Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-27
Contributions and Legislation.


Contributions and Legislation.
Dealing with the broader aspects of
the situation revealed by the Senate
lobby committee, Senator George Of
Georgia, addressing the Senate, yeSter-
day laid his finger on the sore spot. 1t
is the evil that may grow out Of having
the men who raise huge funds for the
election of President and members Of
Congress come to Washington after the
| elections to collect legislative Swag.
Taking Joseph r. Grundy, president Of
the Pennsylvania Manufacturers Asso-
citation, high priest of the protective
tariff, and his activities in Washington
during the consideration Of the pending
tariff bill and his activities during the
last national campaign as O case In
point, Senator George said:
$50 far as Mr.. Grundy is concerned,
he honestly believes in the high pro-
tective tariff theory carried to the
nth power, and he believes it is en-
tirely legitimate to come down here and
to urge his views, and so 1t is, and no
body disputes 1t. But when he happens
to have been the man who was respon-
sible for the collection Of something
over 100000 in his own district, and
who had to do with the collection Of
81 100000 expended in the last cam
paign for the election of President Of
the TTnttad Q+akoe onA ~ ~,,n1a ~~aa,,a
bers Of the House and Senate as were
up for election, his presence in the
gallery, his constant presence in the
committee room, his constant pressure
upon men of his party as well as men
Of other parties, becomes an altogether
different thing"
And so it does. It is one thing to
take an interest in the Government Of
the United States and in its legislation
| for the benefit Of the people at large
and quite another to take an interest in
the Government and legislation for
benefit of ones own pocketbook and the
pocketbook Of an allied group Of man
ufacturers. It is one thing to advance
the interests of candidates of Office dur
ing the campaign on the ground that
they would give good government If
elected and another to come to WASH
irgton following the election of these
officials and demand q pound of flesh.
II the American people become con-
WINGED that the election of the present
Chief Executive and the present Tepub-
lican Congress was bought and paid for
by any group or groups of manufac-
turers and that these manufacturers
have demanded and received a Quid
quo, it will be an evil day for all of
those concerned.
There is something about the linking
up Of large campaign contributions to
favors obtained later from the executive
or legislative branches that sticks in the
craw. It is difficult to swallow. There
are stringent laws which penalize can
didates for high ONCE who seek to win
their elections by making promises of
favors to those who support them.
Senator Borah of Idaho, whom Mr..
Grundy attacked in a statement sub
mitted on Thursday to the lobby COM
mittee as having been for industrial
tariff revision during the campaign and
against it now. made few pertinent
remarks, too, in regard to the activities
Of Mr.. Grundy during yesterdays de-
bate in the Senate. He said:
This did happen; between the time
that special session was mentioned
last Summer or last Fall In the cam
paign and the time that we came here
| in special session these same interests
that Mr.. Grundy represents began their
fight to have this special session ex-
| tended to taking in all the industrial
schedules. I venture to say that had
1t not been for their influence here and
elsewhere-their persistence influence
that we would have legislation in ac-
cordance with the intention Of the
| special session and not in accordance
with the influence exerted by industrial
interests"
President Hoover, when he called
Congress into special session, urged a
limited" revision of the tariff. 1t was
not long, however, before 1t was clear
that Mr.. Grundy and others would not
be content with a limited revision OF
the tariff such as demanded by the
President-even though they now pro-
fess to believe that the President wished
what they wish. Their influence has
been thrown on the side Of a general
revision, In the interests of the manu-
facturers. And their influence has done
much toward bringing the tariff legis-
lation into the pass where it now
stands.
Campaign contributions when linked
to legislation have an unsavory aspect
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