Evening star., 1948-12-03
Truman S Jest Leaves
Much Specializing
On Lobbying Law
Should Have Asked Act
Be Clarified Rather
Than Strengthened
By David La,Crence

President Truman was in jocu-
lar mood when he met the Wash
ington correspondents yesterday
so much so that serious questions
of Government seemed at times to
be treated rather lightly.
Thus the President was asked
whether the proposed restriction on
lobbyists" might become an in
fringement on the right of petition
guaranteed by the Constitution. He
said any one who raised that issue
was wrong. He stated that there was
a difference between a paid lobbyist
and a citizen who wrote to Congress
or urged something in the public
interest. Here is how the United
Press described the reply:
The Chief Executive separated
spokesmen for what he seemed TO
regard as legitimate causes and
those he called paid lobbyists. He
said paid lobbyists constituted an
other thing and he was against
them
ASKED how he would regard lob
byists who worked in behalf OF his
program, Mr.. Truman with a broad
grin, said that was a different mat
ter-that these were citizens ap-
pearing in the public interest, and
he promised that anything requested
by his administration would be in
the public interest"
Presumably Only Joking.
Obviously the phrase with
broad grin" was intended to convey
the idea that Mr.. Truman was jok-
ing. 1t is best to interpret such an
extreme statement as having been
made in lighter vein. Read seri-
ously, it would give considerable
comfort to the Moscow press, where
totalitarianism is practiced on ex-
actly that same basis. If the cause
is in the public interest the
party in power decides what is or
is not in the public interest-then
there can be discussion and even
petition to the government. But
If it's an opposition viewpoint, it
is squelched.
But presumably Mr.. Truman was
only joking. For he knows better
than anybody else outside of Con-
gress that paid lobbyists are en-
ployed by worthy as well as I'M
worthy causes. He certainly did not
mean to imply that paid lobbying
was improper and not in the public
interest. There are paid lobbyists
for labor organizations as well as
for employers and all sorts Of
causes. This is because the average
citizen often prefers to allow or
ganizations to take care of legisla-
tive matters for him. There are, for
example, many veterans organiza-
tions with paid lobbyists.
1t would be difficult, indeed, to
draw line between what some one
in the Government itself decided
was proper or improper cause for
purposes of lobbying. To allow any
body in the Government to make such
distinctions would, in the language
Of the lawyers, be arbitrary and
capricious," and the courts probably
would throw it out as an unconsti-
tutional procedure.
Laws Far From Clear.
The present lobby laws are far
from clear. Mr.. Truman intimated
that he wants the laws strength
ened. If he had said that he
wants them clarified, he would GER
tainly have been on better ground.
For it is doubtful whether the pres
ent law is a valid exercise of con-
stitutional authority.
Certainly If it is unconstitutional
to ask a man what his political
beliefs are, 1t is equally invalid to
ask him to make a public record
of what he says to a member of
the legislative branch of the Gov
eminent on current issues. The
present law stipulates that lobby
ist must tell where he has exerted
influence and how he has done so.
A more absurd statement is not to
be found in any statute today gov
erning individual rights and liber-
ties.
Congress without doubt can pass
laws regulating the use Of money
or the offer Of bribes or rewards to
members Of Congress in considera-
ton of their votes or action In the
legislative body. Such laws are al
ready on the statute books. But it
is serious question whether Con-
gress will be upheld in the present
law, which requires individuals who
petition their Government to sub
ject themselves to an invasion of
their private conversations and even
their private affairs. For clearly
the fees paid to professional men
for their advice to organizations or
institutions are not matter of pub
Tic concern except where fraud or
bribery has been perpetrated.
II the President is really inter-
ested in the lobbying that goes on,
he might inquire into what happens
away from Washington-among the
political leaders who call up from
back home and exercise political in
f1uence on members of Congress.
This probably would be called ac-
tivity In the public interest"-es-
pecially If Democrats are involved.
This last sentence is written with
O broad grin" too.
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