The Washington times., 1936-02-26
Human Side of News
By EdWin C.. Hill

} Make a concession to the Con.
gressman's superior masculine wis
dom and manage a nice, friendly
getaway. But leave an opening
for a return engagement-per.
haps In some field Of mutual in
terest, such as Copley prints or
first editions.
Learn to suggest, subtly, that
you are laying down a nice op-
portunity for the Congressman to
do something for himself, not for
you. Drawing on Swift for an
illustration, you represent a ma
tional organization Of women who
want $50, 100000 to make syn.
thetic sunshine out Of cucumbers,
for rickety slum children. Don't
labor too much the plight Of the
sunless children. That's been
done a lot. But, in a nice, genteel
way, make it pretty clear the sun
shine women are an aroused and
compact group, capable Of doing
a lot for their friends. This
mustn't be too overt. It's always
q good idea to let a Congressman
think he's a jump or two ahead
of you.
THE PRESSURE
Such are the rough, general out
lines, merely enough to suggest
methods of the unique school for
lobbyists. These techniques, sig.
nificantly, are specifically adapted
to the uses of pressure group ac-
tivitieS, observable in Washington
now to a degree more intensified
than ever before, in this year in
which all the House members and
twothirds of the Senators are up
for reelection.
These groups, suggestive to a
new power alignment in American
Government, are, in their lncep-
ton, manifestations Of political
and economic solidarity, regional
or occupational, as distinguished
from the private business lobbying
groups Of the past.
They are representative Of a
deep political flux, reaching clear
out to the widening lunatic fringe
and they write some startling new
equations among the traditional
checks and balances OF American
Government.
The Rev. Mr.. Russell, Of Ohio,
started something interesting
when, in the nineties, he showed
the Anti-Saloon League the tu-
tility of their moribund third
party-turning up a handful OF
votes in 20 years campaigning
and the certain efficacy Of COM
pact, negotiable balance Of power.
Politicians listened when they were
convinced that the dryS instantly
could shift a block Of votes for or
against them.
Alice Paul, astute leader Of the
suffragists, learned their formula,
and the Nineteenth Amendment
was the result. Now the Town
sendites, the Coughlinites and, to
a degree, various farm blocs are
turning to the same procedure.
And there are others. All Of them
are perfecting not only skill and
| drC1IlC6, DuG OIL CIV dGAO AOA\OAW eN0
sertions of power. These groups
and activities are almost entirely
in the strictly economic field.
The Constitution makes Repre-
sentatives answerable to their
constituents every two years and
Senators every six years. It is
plausible that the continued ad-
vance of pressure group activity
will transform the Government to
something like the European sys-
tenn of Interpolation and bye-elec-
tions, for good or i'll.
Certain it is that the two old
party labels don't tell what's in
the bottle, and out of all this
heaving and hauling of the pres
sure groups there may issue a new,s
valid and realistic national politi-
cal lineup, where a plain citizen
could find home ground without
hiring a brace Of lawyers or
pSychoanalysts to tell how to vote.
copyright. 1885. by King Features
! Syndicate. 1nc.)