The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1951-01-04
Schools of Nation
Lobbyists Target,
Prober Declares

tons schools are special target
of the pressure groups, according
to Rep. Frank Buchanan ID, Pa.)
who headed the House Select Com
mittee- on Lobbying Activities.
| In a message read to the annual
meeting here Of the American Poll
teal Science Association, Buchanan
said the long-range aim Of these
groups ais nothing less than the
establishment Of their views as the
ultimate standards Of orthodoxy,
both in education and more gen
orally"
These lobbying groups go after
the schools, Buchanan said, because
they hope to influence tomorrow's
Legislation by molding the minds of
today's youth.
The complexities of modern in
dustrial society have changed the
nature of lobbying in recent years,
Buchanan said. Back in the 70s
land sos "the lobbyist was a poll
tical freebooter, trading on his con-
itacts and the marginal honesty of
a few members Of Congress. He
might be called a kind of primor-
dial five-percenter, but his activ-
tiles bear little resemblance to
modern pressure group tactics.
where he fixed and bribed, the
modern pressure group tactics,
and threatens.
"While the old-time lobby baron
spoke only for himself and his
client, the modern group at least
represents itself as the flexed leg
islative arm of thousands or per-
haps millions of voting citizens. =.
Where the lobbying Of two gener-
ations ago was essentially direct,
making up in forthrightness what
it lacked in honesty, the major
emphasis these days is on indirec-
tion, on the use of large scale pub
lie relations campaigns rather than
personal contact-public relations
designed to stimulate broad public
support for the groups aims"
Buchanan was summarizing his
findings as chairman of the House
Committee on Lobbying which step
ped on many toe in 1850 as it
followed the devious paths taken
by such big business lobby groups
as the Committee for Constitution
al Govenment-not to mention the
Civil Rights Congress, which has
been tabled a Communist front.
"These groups recognize that the
issues Of tomorrow will be decided
by the mature opinions of today's
youth; consequently, they make
Ievery possible effort to catch this
opinion in the bud," the Congress
man continued. 'The schools of the
country have thus become a special
target for long-range pressure
politics. Free books embodying the
groups views are distributed by
the thousands; teachers are hound
ed in numerous ways; and a watch
ful eye is kept on textbooks in such
publications as the Educational
Reviewer.
"The pressure groups have learn
ed well the lessons taught by the
public utilities in the 20's and 3O's.
Now as then, the long-run aim of
these groups goes far beyond. the
conventional brand of lobbying; it
is nothing less than the establish
ment of their views as the ultimate
standards of orthodoxy, both in
education and more generally. !
We have already seen too many
cases in which honest and thought
full educators have had to yield
precious ground to self-appointed
protectors of the public interest. 1t
is no. longer education when cur
ricula and course content are tail
ored to mete the special demands
of whatever private groups hap-l
pen to be most vocal in the com
munity."
Buchanan singled out the Com
mittee for Constitutional Govern
ment because of the furor aroused
when lobby probers asked theI
CCG's executive head to reveal the
identity of his chief hackers.
Groups like the Committee for
Constitutional Government which |
have by their own deed shown no
thing but contempt for our pro-
cesses of popular government and
free education took refuge behind
a shifting variety of self-servingl
labels" Buchanan observed. "Sud-
denly from a self-interested pres
sure group of the most obvious
kind they were transformed intol
publishers or 'educators'-termsI
which they presumed to be more
socially acceptable and less openI
to close examination than so flat
a label as lobbyist" ed. note:
Edward A. Rumely, the CCG's ex-
ecutive head, faces trial in the
federal courts for refusing to ans
wer Buchanan's questions about
his financial backing.)
Under the Lobby Registration
Act of 1916, lobby groups are sup H
posed to register with Congress and
disclose their main hackers. Buch-
anan said he believed the act