Evening star., 1948-02-05
Truman Called Remiss
In Failing 10. Demand
Lobbying Repeal
Act Seriously Interferes
With the Constitutional
Right Of Petition
By David Laurence

If this Is O. week devoted to the
glorif1cation Of civil rights, then
President Truman was quite remiss
in failing to ask Congress to re-
peal statute which, under the
guise Of regulating lobbying, "
really interferes with the constitu-
tional right of petition"
Also the effect of this same law,
passed by a Democratic Congress
in 1916, is to permit bureaucracy to
propagate propaganda in favor of or
in opposition to pending legisla-
ton while interposing between
private citizens and their Govern
ment obstacles Of harassment and
interference.
Only in recent weeks has the far
reaching nature of the so-called
lobbying" law come to the public
notice. On the surface the statute
seems to exempt newspapers and
magazines. Actually, it does not, be-
yond exempting newspapers and
periodicals from registration. This
exemption, however, covers only one
section of the law and leaves the
press subject to harassment and
interference by Congress in respect
to other provisions of the same
law, which calls for punishment by
fines and imprisonment.
The law requires every person
receiving any contributions" for the
purpose Of aiding in the passage Or
defeat of any legislation by the
Congress" or for the purpose of in
fiuencing directly or indirectly the
passage or defeat Of any legislation
by the Congress" to file with the
Clerk of the House of Representa-
tives an itemized account Of all
such receipts in excess of ten dollars
each and the names and addresses
of persons making the expenditure
and the purpose of the expenditure.
Word Legislation" Defined.
The word Legislation" is defined
as covering bills, resolutions,
amendments, nominations, ana
other matters pending or proposed
in either house of Congress and in
cludes any other matter which may
be the subject of action by either
house"
This is a sweeping prohibition, as
the person who makes an expendl-
ture or receives the money spent
must assume that some day almost
ANYTHING in the way of a public
problem could conceivably be the
subject of action by either house"
The term contribution" Is de-
fined as meaning the deposit OF
money or anything of value" so II
a newspaper receives money Tor
paid advertisements discussing a.
public issue, it must file details of
this item every quarter year with
the Clerk of the House of Repre-
sentatives.
This section of the law is an
independent entity and is not to be
confused with another section,
which also stands separately and
does contain an exemption for the
press from registering as lobbyists
if they print an editorial or ad-
vertisement urging the passage or
defeat of legislation.
But In this very section is a SEN
tence which does tend to harass
the press of the country by inter-
fering with the collection OF news
from all persons involved IN pubic
controversies because only the
sources which have paid representa-
tives will be publicized and no refer
ence will be made to the fact that
organizations without paid repre-
sentatives were also contacted.
This section of the law requires
every paid representative to file a
statement under oath with the Clerk
of the House and the Secretary OF
the Senate, stating "the names OF
any papers, periodicals, magazines,
or other publications in which he
has caused to be published any
articles or editorials"
The tendency may arise to avoid
contact with paid representatives
altogether so as to avoid the en-
barrassments of such unfair records.
The exact purpose Of the provision