The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-03-30
BY RUTH FINNEY
Tines Special Writer

but the political lobby goes on for
ever. Il has more lives than a cat.
mcre heads than the hydra, more
colors than a chameleon
Years AGO its methods were bru-
tally direct II relied. principally
on seduction and blackmail. Con-
gressmen we're lured 70 sam Ward
parties. where wine and women were
supposed 70 turn the trick for the
luers. OF they were taken 10
Pendlet0n's gambling hall; or they
were framed and photographed N a
compromising situation.
Even as recently as the days OF
the Ku-KluX Khan. William Yum
brInn. its Washington agent. kept
Yacht anchored on the Potomac.
provisioned with food and liquor and
ready for a party" at a moments
notice. Sometimes Follies girls were
an added attraction
But congressman became wary
and the public became outraged.
Eventually the lobby had TO buy it
self a dinner Jacket or plus fOurs
and resort 20 subtlety and indirec-
ton Every lobby that could start
ed operating through a Washington
drawing room. and most of those
that couldn't fell prey TO the claims
Of gentlemen who represented them
selves as very close" TO this official
or that one. a friend OF a sister or a
cousin Of some one. and ready 10 sell
their influence for a price.
The Era Of Petitions
Usually the employers Of these
gentlemen found they had been
bilked and this establishment may
have had something 20 do with
lodgings new deal The success
enjoyed by prOhibitiOnists and vet
Grams Immediately after the war
probably had something to do with
II also.
At any rate. the Hobbies discov-
cred that just one thing counts with
a CONGRESSMAN today. tomorrow and
all the time-the approval OF his
individual constituents. They swung
into the spirit Of mass production
and started mOlding opinion whole
The era of associations. leagues
and declarations began Every lobby
ist for a tariff schedule or against a
tax rate tried 10 impress Congress
with the number of voters he repre-
scented. They began carrying IN pc
titions. some Of them with genuine
names. some Of them inspired by
tombstOnes.
Then the electric power industry
decided 10 pioneer in the slower.
more impressive task Of actually
stirring the voters themselves.
Speakers Are Trained
They began their ambitious cam
paign Of training speakers to go be-
fore Sunday schools. Boy Scouts.
women's clubs. mems luncheon
clubs. and every other kind OF or
ganizatIOn: Of preparing text books
for use in kindergaTtens. grade Y
schools and high schools: Of finding
remunerative research work for COL
lege professors and other members /
of the starving professions of
buying newspapers and hiring news
paper men,
They also evolved the idea Of Gus
toner ownership. Wherever they
could. they sold small blocks of
stock and then argued TO their Gus
toners that their financial stake in
the industry Outweighed their in
terest in getting lower power rates.
This campaign laid the ground
work for today's crusade against the
holding company bill. Lobbying in
1898 IS 'grasSrOOt" lobbying. Every
investor in utilities has been in
formed. either by a company or by
the American Federation of Utility
Investors. soon TO be investigated by
Congress. that his investment is in
danger Ways Of protesting 70 his
congressman are suggested
Defends Patriotic Drive
Congressmen charge that form let
tiers and kilograms are provided.
At any rate. protest mail is being
hauled to Capitol Hill by the truck
load and congressman are either
working their CLERKS overtime 20
answer il or are having II swept
out unopened according TO their in
dividual temperamentS.
There has never been a drive on
Congress in which II vas more diff
ficult TO distinguish between the
right OF petition and the political
lobby.
Dr.. Hugh s. Magill. president Of
the American Federation Of Utility
Investors. calls his campaign "a
great patriotic movement"
He says: IF the democratic pro-
cess Of petitioning Congress. con-
Stitutionally guaranteed as an in
alienable right Of citizens. IS de-
nounced by the trainers Of this bill.
then they have indeed arrived al a
new philosophy Of government IN
der which the brain truSter dictates
and the people are ignored"
Roosevelt Hits Propaganda
But Of the same campaign. Presi-
dent Roosevelt says:
4 have watched the use OF in
vestors' money 70 make the investor
believe that the efforts OF govern I
ment 10 protect him are designed to
defraud him. have seen much Of
the propaganda prepared against
such leCislation-even down 70
mimeOgraphed sheets Of instructions
for propaganda TO exploit the most I
far-fetched and fallacious fears.
4 have seen enough 10 be as I'M
impressed by IL as was by the
similar effort 70 stir UP the country
against the Securities Exchange bill /
last spring"
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Come
Home 10 ROOSt.
DOLL SHOW HELD HERE
Norma Huse Wins HOnors at Taber-