OCR Text |
Show i THE LOBBY INVESTIGATION. Town Talk, San Francisco: Tho lobby investigation Is a two-edged blado, and tho kconnoss or it is relt at onco hy tho Just and tho unjust. Bad aro tho lobbyists, unprinclpaled rascals all, but what shall wo say or tholr righteous dupes and tools in Congrcssj those eminent uncompromising roes or capital who have boon putting water on tho wheels or tho black-mailors or Wall street? Tho Investigation has takon a turn that nobody had any prc-;sclonco prc-;sclonco or. IT tho Administration had boon able to rorcsco the courso or tho probo and to sonso tho mass or pungent detail Into which It was going to ponotrato tho country assuredly would havo boon denied the illuminating Intimacies Into which It has boon rortultuously brought. Tho lobby Investigation It may bo woll to remember Is a mark or Democratic candor, but It was never intended to bosmirch zealous Democratic statemen or to lot tho people know that vicious demagogy has boon In alliance with sordid charlatanry at the capital or tho nation, rresldont Wilson unwittingly mndo tho Investigation imperative impera-tive whon, to rrlghton tho recalcitrants or his party, to compel them hy Intimidation, Intimida-tion, ho publicly announcod that those vaguo hut torrlhlo abstractions, "tho in-torosts," in-torosts," woro lobbying against tho tariff bill. it was in solf-dorcnso that Congress ordorcd an investigation. Statesmen wished wish-ed it to ho known that thoy woro not being be-ing tampered with. Thoy woro passionate ror vindication. And doubtless they would long since havo given themselves, a line coat or whitewash ir J ml go Lovott had not told or tho ovorturos that had been made to him over the telophono and tho un-sneakahlo un-sneakahlo Colonol Mulhall had not como forward to achlovo Infamy hy his gratuitous gratuit-ous treachery. So many aro tho matters or pressing Interest now clamant Tor Investigation In-vestigation that everybody hns lost sight or tho llrst subject or tho inquiry. Tho tariff lobby has been consigned to myth-land. myth-land. It appoars that there aro other lobblos moro deserving or Investigation. Tho Lamar-Lauterbach lobby is ono or them, tho lobby personally couductod by Colonol Mulhall is another. From what hns been disclosod respecting the first It appoars that a man commonly known as "tho woir or Wall street," a notorious, unscrupulous trlckstor, has boon able with tho assistance or Congressmen to sot tho llnanclal world hy tho oars and agitate business circles rrom ono ond or tho country coun-try to tho othor. IT tho disclosures aro Tar from conclusive con-clusive or corruption on tno part or Congressmen Con-gressmen they at loast provo that Congress is suscoptlblc to strange inlluenccs and indicate that tho groat parliamentary body which longs to arrogate to Itsoir tho power or tho Supremo Court is vory much in need or a guardian. As to tho disclosures mado by Colonol Mulhall they Imply something some-thing moro than tho soir-gratulatory lobbyist lobby-ist is ablo or willing to porcolvo. Tho Colonol Is posing as a Tactlo corruptlonlst only with a view to bemlrchlng his ronnor musters, but It. is clear that ho Is making out a case embarrassing to tho whole Administration. Ad-ministration. It appoars that ho was employed em-ployed to opposo tho labor lobby and that ho was not vory successrul, tho reason being that he was under a great handicap. The labor leaders hud only to Inspire terror and appeal to tho domagoglc Instinct which domlnalos all othor instincts in tho halls or Congross. Mulhall could accomplish nothing oxcept among men who woro not inclined to curry ravor at tho root or Samuel Gompers and whalovor resistance they offered to tho labor lobby Mulhall attributed at-tributed to his own orrorts. Tho truth or courso Is that Mulhall was doing nothing to oarn his salary, that in timo ho was found out and discharged. Nevertheless his dlscloures ir not inhor-ontly inhor-ontly deserving or crodonco aro not to bo dosplsod. it may not bo truo, what ho says in one or his lottors, mat President Wilson when Govornor or Now Jersey promlsod Samuel Gompors to support a radical lahorlte ror tho Sonato, hut there aro many circumstances Indicating that tho l'rosldont neglects no opportunity to cultivate culti-vate tho esteem of tho loaders or tho labor lobby. Ho has In his Cahlnot rormer 'Congressman Wilson, ono or tho most aggressive ag-gressive or union men. When Secretary Wilson was In Congress ho was put in control or tho Committee on Labor which was conductod as a ramily affair, and bo-roro bo-roro his election to Congress ho was on tho oxocutlvo committee or tho American Federation or Labor. Boforo that ho was a conspicuous llguro In mining labor troubles and was onco arrested on a charge or conspiracy In connection with a strike. Or those things we havo boon romlnded by Colonel Mulhall, and therefore wo say Hint tho lobby investigation is worth while and not altogothor a blessing to tho Administration. |