Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-08-17
AGAINST LOBBYING
Editor Askov American:


Editor Askov American:
Your publication has in the past
had some editorials exposing the lob
bying evil in our legislative halls, and
has advanced the need for law to
make lobbyists register. The progress
sive minded citizens of Pine county
are agreed on this proposition. Re-
Gently an excellent editorial on this
subject appeared in the Capitol Times,
the progressive paper of Madison,
same in the columns of your paper.
ERWIN L. NELSON.
Pine City, Mimi, Aug. IA, 1888.
THE COST OF LOBBYING; TIME TO
CALL FOR A SHOWDOWN
The Capital Times has just obtained
some startling figures on the amounts
paid to lobbyists at the legislature of
Wisconsin. The figures cover the reg
ular session of the legislature of 1881
and the special session of 1912.
Until the present session adjourns,
figures ON lobbying will be unavail-
able, but there is every reason to be-
lieve their total will be greater than
that of the 1892 legislatures.
These figures are the ones on file
with the secretary of state as reported
by the lobbyists themselves. That,
of course, means that they represent
only the minimum which had to be
reported. How much was actually
spent by the lobbyists is another mat
ter: conservative estimate might
place it at one and half times the
reported figure. But here are the
amazing facts as compiled from fig
ures in the secretary of states office:
1. That the total amount paid
lobbyists at the 1881 regular ses-
sion of the Wisconsin legislature
was $179,1S7.
2. That the total amount paid
lobbyists at the 1892 special
session was $22,7O9.
In striking contrasts are the actual
costs of running the legislature. For
the regular 1881 session the total cost
of the legislature itself was $296,034.
OF this $116,016 was for printing.
With this item omitted, the net legis-
lative expense was S1SO,01S,-practi-
cally the same amount paid to lobby
lists at the regular session. At the
special session the proportion is
little less startling,-legislative costs
exclusive of printing, were S57,572.
In other words, the cost of the third
house of the legislature,-the lobby
lists, was almost equal to the cost of
operating the state senate and the as
sembly during 1881 and 1892, exclu
sive of printing costs!
To those who ridicule warnings that
lobbying at the Wisconsin legislature
is assuming dangerous, alarming pro-
portions and becoming subversive of
good government, we commend these
| figures. This third legislative house
spends thousands for meals, liquor,
and entertainment of legislators. 1t
works upon legislators at off hours,
using every subtle device of influence
and persuasion. 1t defeats the spirit
of representative government and fOs-
tiers government and special favors
for a privileged, powerful few.
The Capital Times believes these
| figures reveal a system that warrants
severe condemnation. Lobbying should
be confined to sending legislative rep
resentatives to the capitol to appear
publicly before committee hearings.
If there is any merit to their argu-
ments for or against pending legisla-
ton, let these arguments be expressed
honestly and publicly in open hear
ing. If the purpose of the lobbyist
is honorable, he need not plead his
case with steaks and booze behind
the locked door of a hotel room. That
kind of thing is vicious and illegal
and should be treated as such.
1t is about time for sweeping in
vestigation of all lobbying,-one that
has teeth in it which can't be turned
into a whitewash party like the pres
ent probe into small loans lobbying
The utility lobby, in particular, needs
expurgating. The big utility interests
maintain highly paid lobbyists in
Madison during every legislative day
Many never appear before commit
tees but do their work covertly anC
on the sly. They cleverly work them
selves into friendships with senators
and assemblymen until they are or
their good side" Then by one means
or another they use pressure, persona
and otherwise, to influence votes. Rol
calls in the past have shown how this
practice works.
The third house of the legislature
the powerful lobbyists and their ques
tionable methods, have no place IL
honest, public service law making. Il
should be legislated out of existence
as it exists today, and made to play
the game openly and on the square