Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-29
RELATIONSHIPS in CAPITAL
SELDOM GET in SPOTLIGHT
Hint of Undersurface Conditions Comes
to Public in Cases Like the Shearer
Investigation.

uIQlCeQ QeIlulClON. by WlQeT UellIlA-
ton, the number Of lobbyists and prop
agandists in Washington is much
greater than the number of newspaper
correspondents. It is greater than the
number Of Representatives and Sena-
tors combined. If all the lobbyists and
propagandists in Washington should
form union they could detail one lob
byist to stay with each Congressman
day and highland have enough left
to detail one lobbyist to accompany
each newspaper man with similar ASST
duty. One would be inclined to say
without exaggeration, that If all the
leave Washington the empty Offices and
empty hotel rooms would make q glar-
ing cash across the prosperity Of the
Capital.
If we make the definition broad
enough, propaganda and lobbying is
one Of Washington's principal industries
It would include good many lawyers
in Washington and elsewhere, because
the function Of lobbyist and propa-
gandist frequently overlaps on that Of
lawyer. Not always Is q lawyer en-
ployed solely with the view to his tai
ent for presenting case In court.
ability to get the case favorably before
the public, or because Of his familiarity
with Government departments, or be-
cause Of his personal relations with
Government officials. If this type of
legal service be included, the lobbyists
and propagandiSts employed in Wash
ington are probably as numerous as the
lawyers in the stricter sense.
Lawyers From Other Parts.
Some Of the most successful lawyers
irriVN lINy
either as members Of Congress or as
of1ceholders Of some other sort. A
young lawyer in a distant part Of the
country gets himself elected to Con-
gress or he gets an appointment in a
Government department.. He remains
10 years, 20 years. Then he Is defeat
ed, or, feeling the need Of better for
tune for the sake Of a growing family,
he retires. Does he go back to the dis
tant county seat from which he came,
where the annual income of the leader
year net? AS rule he does not. He
puts out his single In Washington. In
many cases he practices legitimate law
IN the most strictly legitimate way.
But he has been out of practice for
many years. AS practitioner, in the
strict sense, he Is at a disadvantage,
compared to men who have remained
active in the courts. But the ex-Con-
gresham or ex-oficeholder knows the
routine Of Government departments.
He knows the personnel OF Government
departments. There lies his advantage.
Some Of these lawyers lobby. Others
do not. Some of them practice in q
way in which the strictly legal function
merges indistinguishably into lobbying.
II an ex-senator uses his privilege to
appear on the Senate floor, and If he
there urges the passage of bill or the
granting Of a claim, that Is, fairly
plainly, lobbying. II a rich man In jail,
or in danger Of Jail, should employ a
distinguished ex-Representative or ex-
Senator to press for a pardon, or for
might reasonably be assumed that the
client relies no less on his lawyers legal
ability than on his acquaintance with
public officials.
Reporters Not Lobbyists.
No newspaper man in Washington
can be a lobbyist and remain q news
paper man. The rule Is rigid and Is
enforced ruthleSSly. There are about
$50 Washington correspondents. Before
any Of them Is admitted to the press
gallery of either the Senate or House
he must sign q pledge. The pledge is
Official. It Is addressed to the Speaker
Of the House and the Senate commit
tee on rules. The pledge reads, In part
as follows:
IT am not engaged in the prosecution
Of any claim pending before the Con-
gress or any department. am not en-
ployed by any foreign govern
ment or any representative thereof.
am not employed directly or indirectly
by any stock exchange, board Of trade
or other organization or member there
of, or brokerage house or broker en-
gagged in the buying and selling Of any
security or commodity, or by any per-
son or corporation having legislation
before Congress, and I will not become
engaged In any of these capacities while
retaining membership In the gallery"
Infractions of that pledge are inter-
preted with extreme strictness and are
penalized ruthlessly. Some newspaper
men give up their newspaper connec.
lions and become publicity men OF one
sort or another. The opportunities Il
do SO are many and the allurement Il
great. The pay publicity man Of
propaganda may get Is many times
the average pay Of newspaper men
Many propagandistS become wealthy
One of the most greatly to be desired
conditions in the United States Is thai
newspaper men should receive bettel
pay.
in an ideal book Of history. the wore
happen" ought never to be used. except
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