Evening star., 1938-04-26

Norris and
Bridges, who had pronounced views
on the T. " A. question, were, not
appointed.
So 1t came about that spirit OF
fairness began to pervade the at
rosphere on Capitol Hill, and when
President Roosevelt was beaten by
majority in the House of Representa-
tives in his effort to put through a
bill to reorganize the executive de-
partments. he sent letter to Ma
lorlty Leader Rayburn promising that
there would be no determinations"
In the face of such professions of
fair play. it is rather depressing to
report that the Senate Lobby Com
nlttee now has turned on the oppo-
nents of the reorganization bill in an
effort to produce evidence that might
smear or discredit such opponents in
the public mind. And President
Roosevelt himself, one regrets to OBJ
serve. has gone so far as to hand over
to the Lobby Committee by special
executive order the confidential in
come tax returns Of the persons who
are about to be smeared.
Never Intended as Weapon.
The original purpose of Congress,
no doubt, in making it possible for the
President to hand over income tax re-
turns for the examination of con-
gressional committees was to let such
committees ascertain whether the
income tax laws were being evaded or
avoided or being complied with. 1t
never was intended that the income
tax returns would be utilized as a
sort OF weapon Of slander or smear.
Even more unfair Is the fact that
the present majority members of the
Lobby Committee are the same ones
who took an active part on behalf
OF the administration in connection
with the Presidents reorganization
OIL. BY all the rules of fairness. II
men like Senators Bridges and Nor
rls are disqualified from sitting on a
congressional investigating committee
because of the militant character of
their espousal of a cause, so also
are the members of the Lobby Com
mlttee unsulted to carry on investiga-
tions relating to subjects in which
they have special interest.
The Lobby Committee of the Senate
was appointed a couple of years ago in
response to Senate resolution seek
ing to investigate lobbying by public
utility companies. The inquiry was
headed by Senator Black, and during
the course of its proceedings an ar
q of Ii,
with the Federal Communications
Commission for the seizure of private
telegrams, which seizure was de-
nounced as illegal by the Circuit
Court of Appeals of the District of
Columbia.
Useful for Smearing.
= In the face of that record. when
ever the administration wants any
smearing done, it apparently sends
word to revive the Lobby Committee.
1t is somewhat of a surprise that
when President Roosevelt said some
thing recently about the votes of
Senator's being purchased" in con-
nection with the vote on the reor-
ganization bill no effort was made to
find out through the Lobby Com
mittee just whose votes in the Senate
could be purchased.
The continued existence of the Lobby
Committee is proof of the fact that
several members of the Senate think
their colleagues are not to be trusted
to take care of themselves when petit
tlons are presented to them on be-
half Of the citizenry, and that a
special committee must continue to
investigate the exercise by the people |
OF their constitutional right of petit
ton
The right of petition is as sacred |
as the right Of free speech, because
1t is guaranteed by the Constitution |
as part of the Bill of Rights. While |
the right of petition cannot be taken |
away afiirmatively. there are plenty
OF ways negatively by which its ex-
ercise can be hampered if not i'm
peded. The administration has bill
lions Of dollars for public propaganda
and, by the way, there never has
been any congressional inquiry into
that matter-and the citizens in Or
IL,
must band themselves together into
organizations. It is precisely because
the individual citizen often feels help
less in getting his petition into the
hands Of members of Congress that
national organizations representing
various causes function.
Might Shut on Funds.
In sense every effort to influence
q legislator can be called lobbying"
and wrong connotation given to
the term. But. on the other hand,
there are many legitimate causes In
which efforts are made to influence
legislation, and it would be q serious
blow to them If congressional COM
mittee succeeded in instilling fear so
that contributions Of small sums to
defray expenses in carrying on the
work Of petitioning government were
not to be forthcoming.
Take the Committee to Uphold
Constitutional Government Whether
its views are right or wrong is be-
side the question. Their members
feel justified in appealing to their fel-
low cltlzenS 10 appeal 10 Congress.
If the Senate and House cannot be
depended upon to distinguish be-
tween proper and improper appeals,
then dozen lobby committees will
not help them. What Is most i'm
portant is that the Senate give to
the American people another example
Of fair play by asking either that its
Lobby Committee be discontinued or
that its operations be limited to spe-
cific acts of legislation on which s
prina facie case Of improper lobbying
has been made before the Senate it.
self. Otherwise the continued pres
ence Of this committee will tend to
destroy al confidence In the admin.
Ntrations new cry Of fair play.
(Copyrisht, 193s)
4