Evening star., 1948-12-01
Attacks on Lobbying
Seen as Move 10 End
Right Of Petition
Labor Union Proposal
Held Attempt to Squeleh
Expression Of Opinion
By David Laurence

Expression or OPinlon
By David Laurence
Once upon a time the trainers OF
the Constitution wrote into the
Bill Of Rights a declaration guaran-
teeing to every citizen the right to
petition the Government for a re-
dress Of grievances"
This Is a very important right,
and one of the first that an in
tolerant majority in any republic
would seek to destroy.
BY subtle attacks on so-called
lobbying" the effort now has beer
begun to squelch the legitimate
expression of opinion. Congress is
prohibited by the First Amendment
to the Constitution from making
any law abridging the right of
petition and yet there is a law
on the statute books today which
tnterferes with the right of petit
ton. President Truman, moreover
has just given offlcial Endorsement
to a plan Of national labor union
to press upon Congress a resolution
for an investigation of lobbying"
Mr.. Truman has been a member
of Congress and he ought to know
whether or not there is integrity
in the legislative branch of the
Government. For the inquiry might
just as well be entitled investiga-
ton of the receptiveness of Repre-
sentatives and Senators to the pc
titions Of the citizens.
Seen As Probe of Citizens.
If, of course, a Congressman is
bribed or unduly Influenced by an
offer of material rewards, this is
logically and properly subject for
Investigation and there are already
laws on the statute books to punish
those officials who accept bribes.
But the President apparently is
not asking that the members of
Congress be investigated. He is
asking that the citizens who present
these petitions in Washington shall
be Investigated.
There have been investigations Of
lohhies before but not until re-
Gently was law passed setting
forth burdensome procedures of
registration amounting in many in
stances to a virtual interference
with the citizens right of petition.
It Is a very simple matter to
abridge any constitutional right by
making the requirements Of regis
tration so cumbersome as to dis
courage altogether the use of that
right In these days of vehement ar
gument about civil rights, 1t is
significant that there should be de-
veloped a means Of harassing the
citizen in the exercise Of one OF
his most important civil rights.
The average citizen is helpless as
an individual He can, of course,
write to Congress but he does not
know the details Of legislation. This
is left to organized groups to handle
for him. Thus the biggest single
lobby in Washington for many
years has been the labor lobby. 1t is
effective, too, having succeeded for
13 years in warding of amendments
TO the Wagner Labor Relations Act
by the simple expedient of influence
ing members Of two congressional
committees to sit on the proposed
amendments and keep them from
going to the floor.
Held Sinister Development. -.
The labor lobby, however, has had
every right to do this and so have
businessmen's groups. 1t is rather
O sinister development that the
labor groups always want the busi-
nessmen's lobbies driven away from
the National Capital but want their
own lobby to operate unhampered
by the presentation Of an opposition
viewpoint.
There is no reason why legislative
agents should not be required to
register but 1t is of no public con-
Germ what their fees are any more
than the fees of lawyers or other
professional consultants. 1t Is i'm
portant only whether any money
Is used to bribe members of Con-
gress. If there is to be an investi-
cation of lobbying there ought logi-
cally to be an investigation of the
behavior Of members of Congress.
This would probably result In dis
couraging citizens from petitioning
Congress and likewise cause men,
bers of both Houses to hesitate to
receive representatives of national
organizations. 1t is an easy way to
Illustrate the exercise of the right
of petition. Maybe that is to be
the trend of the newest phase of
the New Deal.
1t would be strange indeed II So
called liberalism, triumphant at the
polls, set out in the name Of liber-
alism to squelch in free America,
directly or indirectly, the right Of
the citizen to petition his govern
ment for o redress of grievances.
Depreciation Rights Reserved.)