New Britain herald., 1929-10-25
L0BB|ES DECLINED
 IN 10TH CENTURY
Railroads, However, Put Over
 One Last Big "SteaI"

Washington Oct, 25 = Although the old-fashioned Washington lobby continued it's vicious and insdious methods through the last century Various checks upon its influence developed and the extent to which ii was able 10 create general cor ruptioh by widespread bribery grad ually became modified,
 Two of the most powerful lob bies of the present day were born in this period, thu dry lobby and the lahor lobby.
 As early as 1881 the American Federation of Labor had begun a campaign here demanding en- forcement Of the federal eight hour law for mechanics and labor CTS on. the pubic works. At that time :, the federation was also working on state lvgislatures for child labor laws, though it did not seek 2 national child labor act un- til some time later.
 " Got Little at First
 Labof''s power grew slowly. how ever, and for many years it had to be content with such minor crumbs as measures excluding Chinese cool ies and forbiddng entry to Euro pean workers under contract. Ii could no nothing to stem the great incoming tide of other foreign la bor
 The, Anti Saloon League opened Its national legislative office here in 1899 and at once began 10 super wise the introduction and watching of bills. lobbying before commit tees and among congressman direct ing the, sending of petitions and per sonal communications to members and other methods. In q very short time the league lobbyists were showid, resudts, claiming credit for the army canteen law of 1901 and many subsequent measures.
 MeatiwhiIe. great industrial and financial groups, instead of rely ing entirely on lobbyists. were more inclined to encompass the election whereter possible of men to the sen ate ana house who were already pledged to their interests. They have always been able to keep certain men in the senate especially, first because state legislatures elected senators and state legislatures were easily bribed and, second. because the siX-year term of senators ren- dered them more immune 10 pop ular sentiment than the two-year term 'congresmen. There came to be "stGel senator's "coa1 congress- men," meat senator's timber congressmen' and "railroad mem- bers.''''
 The tariff lobby with the aid of controlled senators won q memor- able victory in 1894 when the dem- ocrats had the White House and both houses of congress. The house bill put sugar, coal, lumber iron and wool on the free list and slash ed rates on cotton, woolens and linen. .Rut the Senate, thanks to. a few democrats. made q high tariff bill out, of it and Cleveland had to let it become law. A congressional investigation subsequently, produced unsavory evidence concerning the pressure Of interested groups on speciif schedules and gave 1m- petus 10 the movement for pop ular election of senators.
 Lobbyists had comparatively thin pickingc under Cleveland however Although he had a republican con- gressional majority against him in his first term, he vetoed bills that came along with the smell of graft, including many pension measures and a'shuge pork barrel river and harbot, bill He went further and rested. more than S0,o00,o00 acres of public lands illegally obtained from more or less corrupt land of flee officials in previous administra- tions.