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Show Lobbies Described as Groups Seeking To Influence Members of Legislatures A lobby in the political sense is a group of persons or organizations seeking to influence the members of congress or a legislature in order to obtain the passage, or secure the defeat of, certain bills. The verb "to lobby" means to solicit the vote of a legislator or to attempt to influence in-fluence him in the exercise of his official duties. Although in this sense the term is an Americanism it is occasionally used in England in reference to measures before the house of commons. It originated before be-fore the Civil war, relates a writer in the Indianapolis News, and arose from the fact that lobbyists work in the lobbies halls or vestibules of congress, and not actually on the floor of the senate or house of representatives. repre-sentatives. . The lobbies are often facetiously referred to as the "third house." In 1871 M. Scheie de Vere wrote on this subject: "The work done by members of congress is very largely influenced by agents from without, and by certain cer-tain established usages of their own. The former is collectively called the 'lobby,' a term which, originating in the German laube, a bower or small summer-house, meant for many centuries nothing more than a small hall or entering-room, preceding pre-ceding a larger room. In America. the rooms and passages surrounding surround-ing the hall, in which legislative bodies hold their meetings, soon monopolized the term, and in a short time the men who assembled there to exercise whatever outside pressure pres-sure they could bring to bear upon the legislators, were themselves called the 'lobby.' All who had petitions pe-titions to be granted, contracts to be given, or favors of any kind to be bestowed, either went themselves or sent weltqualified agents to Washington, Wash-ington, to 'lobby' their cause, as it was called. Capitalists used the power pow-er which wealth gives, even where no bribery was attempted; high social so-cial standing was made serviceable, and even beauty and the charms of a silvery voice were not wanting to secure the votes of susceptible members." |