LOBBY, The, a class of persons who seek to influence legislation outside of the regular legislature which has come in the United States to be known derisively as the "third The term was originally applied to the waiting rooms of legislative halls, and then to those persons who frequented these rooms for the purpose of interviewing legislators with a view to influencing their votes. The lobby includes both those who are regularly employed in the work, and those who on particular occasions wish to promote or oppose some specific legis lation. All, large corporations and firms have regular paid lobbyists at Washington and at State capitals where legislation is likely to affect their interests. Women as well as men are employed as lobbyists, and are said to be very successful. The lobby is not in theory, nor necessarily in practice, a corrupting agency. It may furnish an entirely legitimate and de sirable method of giving legislators necessary information in regard to certain laws; but it may also be, and often is, the means of obtain ing legislation in the interests of a few with out regard to the public good. The methods of the lobby differ with the character of the lobby ist and of the legislator approached. They vary from the legitimate presentation of facts and argument in regard to a law to the use of bribery, threats of preventing re-election, etc.; and include the obtaining of letters and peti tions from constituents, the employment of press articles and social attentions. The suc cessful lobbyist must thoroughly understand the men with whom he has to deal and the methods of legislation; it has been found, therefore, that former members of the legis lature make the most successful and sometimes the most dangerous lobbyists. The dangers of the lobby are due to three chief causes: (1) the large number of special and private bills, all of which cannot be fully considered at the reg ular sessions; (2) the system of referring all bills to committees, and accepting, as a rule, the report of the committee, so that the lobby ist has practically but few men to deal with; (3) the secrecy which attends the work of the lobby, giving the public no effective means of knowing or dealing with its evils. To oppose
the grosser evils of the lobby both Federal and State laws attach heavy penalties to giving or taking a bribe for legislation. Many of the States also have lessened the number of bills to be presented by forbidding in their constitu tions the passing of special acts in certain cases. Among States that have passed enact ments to lessen the lobbying evil are—Cali fornia, Georgia, Utah, Tennessee, Oregon, New York, Montana, Arizona and South Dakota. Massachusetts has sought to lessen the secrecy by requiring every promoter of a law in the interest of others to be registered, with the name and address of his employer and a state ment of the matter on which he is employed.
This law has had the effect of giving legal sanction to the lobbyist's work, improving the character of the lobbyists, and of lessening, though not entirely preventing, the evils attend ing secrecy. The lobby sent to Washington to oppose the Underwood Tariff Bill of 1913 drew forth strong criticism and warning from Presi dent Wilson, and the operations of the Na tional Association of Manufacturers were in this connection severely animadverted on by the Investigation Committee in 1914. Consult Bryce, 'American Commonwealth' ; Bridgman, 'The Lobby' (in New England Magaznie, n. s. Vol. XVI, p. 131) • Tanner, H. C., 'The Lobby and Public Men' (Albany 1888); Reinsch, R. S., 'American Legislatures and Legislative Methods) (New York 1907); 'First Report of the Interstate Commerce Commission' (Wash ington 1:•:7); and the 'Cyclopedia of American Government.)