Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-07-14


pending legislation invariably is
brought up"
Social Lobby Summarized.
At the time Prof. E. Pendelton Her
ring of Harvard University, in his
book, Group Representation Before
Congress-" summarized the social lobby
as follows:
"All that may be said Of 1t today is
that it demands certain amount OF
political agreement at the price Of
social intercourse. If this is refused,
the weapon is ostracism. The social
lobby is not organized. Taken as
whole, its influence is decidedly sec
ondary; the results, if any, are quite
Intangible. The lobbyists acting as
the spokesman of the great associa-
lions, have more powerful mediums
for attaining their ends"
The late Senator William S. Ken
yon, Republican, of Iowa, once said
that Senator Truman Newberry OF
Michigan had come into the Senate on
"a flood of tea"
1t is an accepted fact that the ratio
of lawyers in Washington to the rest
of the population is higher than in
any other city in the country. A large
number formerly we're on the Govern
ment pay roll, and not a few were
members of Congress. Men go out OF
the House and Senate and even the
cabinet to be spokesman for groups.
The 'lame-duck" lobbyist empha-
sizes his former membership in Con-
greSS. His stock in trade is his right
as a former member to go on the
floor of the House or Senate, where
he wanders, talking to members, while
his employer sits proudly in the GAL
lerieS watching him. Former Presi-
dents Coolidge and Hoover both had
former Representatives as secretaries,
and President Roosevelt has Charles
West, former Democratic Representa-
tive from Ohio, as liaiSon of1cer be-
tween the White House and the Capt.
toll Mr. Vests activities, and those
of Thomas o. Corcoran, counsel for
the Reconstruction Finance Corp, are
subjects of inquiry in the present in
veStigation.
The Caraway inquiry of l929-l93O
also disclosed the existence In wasp
ington of the Monday Luncheon Club,
an organization of highly paid repre-
sentativeS of business organizations.
Presided over by Nathan B. Williams,
its members we're inclined to regard
themselves in the nature OF "ambassa-
doris of American industry" The
method of influencing Government,
described by members as wholly above
BOARD and legitimate" briefly was this;
An Ambassador" was employed by
a business organization to represent
it in Washington. Unlike the lobby
ist of the past who worker under
cover for a single corporation, the
Ambassador" represented an aSso-
citation, and his job was to keep watch
on every committee of Congress. Every
line of the Congressional Record was
scanned. At the slightest sign OF
danger or benefit, there was action.
Speaking with full authority OF a
group, the Ambassador" bombarded
Congressman with petitions, warnings
and arguments.
Card Indexes Used.
The National Woman's Party, an
organization which fought for adop-
ton of the suffrage amendment even
to the extent of picketing the White
House in the days of Wilson, used a
card index on Congressman with tell
ing results. There was demand in
the CaraWay investigation that it be
Scrutinized, as it was being main
tanned concerning members attitudes
on the equal rights amendment pro-
poSal.
1t was commended that, in addition
to being a record of the official mem
bers of Congress, it contained infor-
nation concerning their private lives.
Others said it was merely guide to
small traits and weaknesses of in
dividual members. It was said that
after a young and pert blond lobbyist
had been unsuccessful in persuading
a Congressman, she would write on
his card, He must like brunettes."
Only the most trusted workers in the
Woman's organization had access to
the card index.
Woman lobbyists in organized form
first appeared in Washington some IS
years ago with the growth Of the club
movement, prohibition and the suf-
frage agitation. It became a we'll
paid profession, and still is.
Many Come and Go.
But not all lobbyists in Washington
flash diamonds. Many causes are
promoted by individuals who come
and 60. Names of some organizations
whose representatives have interceded
with Congress tell their stories. Once
there were the American Pedestrian
Protection Association, the Anti
Cigarette Alliance and the Anti-Blue
Law Association.
When members of Congress now
dipping into the efforts to influence
the proposed holding company con-
troll legislation look back several years.
they are inclined to acknowledge that
there was nothing more hammer-and-
tongs than the warfare waged for and
against prohibition. First came the
powerful Anti-Saloon League, and
then its adversary, the Association
Against the Prohibition Amendment
Infinitely more words were said and
written in this contest, which lasted
decade, than will come of the utin-
ties inquiry. If Congress failed then
to legislate against the lobby, it ap-
pears unlikely that concrete law will
be enacted to correct conditions now.
(Copyright 1891