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JULY 11, 1913
The Commoner
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Interesting Charges Concerning Corporation Lobby
Work at the National Capital
Martin M. Mulhall, a lobbyist at the national
capital, has made a statement in which ho makes
a general confession as to his work as a lobby
ist. He makes accusations involving a large
number of well known men. The men accused
have issued general denials and have denounced
Mulhall as a common liar. His story is, how
ever, so explicit that it will be thoroughly in
vestigated by both houses of congress.
The New York World and the Chicago Tri
bune for which the Mulhall story was originally
written have summarized his confession in tho
following way:
"Revealing the hidden secrets of the lobby at
the capitol of the nation and throwing instruc
tive illumination upon the methods of 'Invisible
government,' Colonel Martin M. Mulhall, for ten
years a lobbyist, field worker and strike breaker
for the National Association of Manufacturers,
herewith makes public through the World an
amazing story of his experiences while carrying
out the orders of the organization by which he
was employed.
"Colonel Mulhall was subpoenaed in Washing
ton yesterday to appear on July 7 before the
Overman lobby investigating committee of the
United States senate to repeat his statements
and answer any questions that may be asked
of him.
"In presenting to the World his own story,
backed up by moro than 20,000 letters, tele
grams, reports, expense accounts and corrobo
rative memoranda, the colonel is actuated by
a twofold purpose. The first is to render a
service to the public by disclosing the identities
and undertakings of the men at the head of
the most powerful business organization in tho
United States and their allies among officials of
the United States government.
"The second and, to his mind, the most im
portant purpose of his determination to make
public the disclosures that follow, is to compel
reform through legislation of the evils revealed
by him.
"This man, who was constantly active, though
deliberately inconspicuous, in the daily under
takings and achievements of the lobby, has given
the World his personal narrative of these activi
ties and has turned over to it his voluminous
correspondence. His narrative and correspon
dence establish tho following facts:
"One That the National Association of
Manufacturers has a membership of 225 organi
zations, embracing 4,000 individual members,
employing more than 5,000,000 of persons, and
representing an approximate capital of $10,
000,000,000, and claims to be a. non-political
business and trade organization.
"Two That, in reality, this association has
for more than ten years secretly played an im
portant and frequenly decisive part in promot
ing tariff, labor and general business legisla
tion favorable to its own interests.
"Three That, together with a 'paper organi
zation' called the national council for industrial
defense, it has also maintained a lobby at Wash
ington for the purpose of defeating all legisla
tion hostile to its own interests.
"Four That for these purposes it has always
Bought, and often managed to secure, control of
the committee on labor and the committee on
the judiciary of both the senate and the house
of representatives.
"Five That the National Association of
Manufacturers was solely responsible for the
creation of tho tariff commission during the Taft
administration, the object of the association be
ing to forestall revision of the then existing
tariff.
"Six That the officials who received financial
reward for services rendered or for political
purposes from the National Association of Manu
facturers while in office were:
"(A) Former Congressman James E. Wat
son (republican) ; 'whip' of the house of repre
sentatives from 1902 to 1908; republican candi
date for governor of Indiana in 1908; floor
leader of the republican national convention in
Chicago in 1912 and a favorite with tho 'stand
pat' republicans for the nomination for presi
dent in 1916; most important ally of the N. A.
M. while in congress and served as its principal
lobbyist after hla retirement.
"(B) Congressman James T. McDermott
f(democrat) of tho Fourth Illinois district;
avowed champion of, labor in the house of rep
resentatives but secretly in tho employ of tho
lobby of the National Association of Manufac
turers at Washington; accused of forging the
name of Colonel Mulhall to a check drawn by
order of Harold McCormlck, a son-in-law of
John D. Rockefeller and an official of tho har
vester trust.
"(C) Former Congressman John J. Jenkins
(republican) of tho Eleventh Wisconsin district,
chairman of the judiciary committee of tho
houso of representatives, 1904-S; defeated for
renomination in tho latter year when his cam
paign was openly financed by the lobby of tho
National Association of Manufacturers, and who
received money through Colonel Mulhall, its
agent, and Edward Hines of Lorimer fame dur
ing' that campaign.
"(D) Former Congressman Kittrcdge Has
klns (republican) of the First Vermont district;
member of the labor committee; sent written
acknowledgement of money transmitted to him
by wire during his campaign for re-election in
1908.
"(E) Former Congressman Charles E.
Llttlefield of Maino (republican), chosen by
President Roosevelt to frame legislation to regu
late tho trusts; was in intimato touch with tho
officials and chief lobbyists of tho N. A. M.;
accepted aid through his campaign managers
during his two last campaigns for congress until
ho withdrew in the face of certain defeat; per
mitted tho N. A. M. to pay his hotel and travel
ling expenses when keeping appointments with
its officials and lobbyists.
"(F) Former Congressman Henry M. Ban
non of Ohio (republican) ; acted as adviser of
tho N. A. M. lobby in the house of representa
tives and as secret agent; handled money pass
ing between the shoe manufacturers and dis
loyal strike leaders in the shoe strike at Ports
mouth, 0 in 1907; sought employment as
lobbyist for tho N. A. M. upon retirement.
"(G) Former Congressman Henry M. Coudry
of Missouri (republican) ; acted as secret agent of
the National Association of Manufacturers in the
house of representatives and accepted aid in
campaign for re-election; accused of passing
bad checks at Washington; indicted at St. Louis
for fraudulent use of the mails; released on
$10,000 ball after being sentenced to four years
and six months in prison; now in New York city
conducting an exchango business.
"(H) Former Congressman J. J. Gardiner (re
publican) of New Jersey, chairman of tho com
mittee on labor in 1903-1911; started In to an
tagonize N. A. M. interests until threatened with
defeat through tho use of money and other in
fluence in his district; afterward surrendered
and become one of its most subservient allies;
last campaign almost entirely financed by tho
N. A. M.
"(I) J. H. McMichaels, chief of pages in tho
house of representatives and principal spy of
the N. A. M. on tho undertakings and movements
of members; afterward transferred to attend
door at the press gallery of the house of rep
resentatives and now serving as elevator opera
tor In the capitol.
"(J) Former Congressman Ralph B. Colo
(republican) of the Eighth Ohio district, acted
as adviser and emissary of tho N. A. M. lobby,
which financed his campaign In 1908 at the re
quest of James S. Sherman; rebuked by Lobbyist
Emery for joining movement against Cannonlsm
in 1909 and promised to bo good In tho future.
"Seven That among the men whom tho lob
byists of this association had no difficulty In
reaching and influencing for business, political
or sympathetic reasons during recent years
were: President Taft, Senator Lodge, the late
Vice President Sherman, ex-Senator Forakor,
Senator Nelson, ex-Senator Hemenway, ex
Speaker Cannon, ex-Congressman Dwight, re
publican 'whip' of the house from 1909 to 1911;
former Congressman James E. Tawney of Min
nesota, former Congressman J. Adam Bede of
Minnesota, Senator Isaac Stephenson of Wiscon
sin, former Senator Aldrlch of Rhode Island,
Senator Townsend of Michigan, Senator Gallin
ger of Now Hampshire, Congressman Webb of
North Carolina, former Congressman J. Sloat
Fassett of New York, former Congressman W.
B. McKinley of Illinois, former Congressman
Vreeland of New York, former Congressman
Dalzell of Pennsylvania, former Senator N. B.
Scott of West Virginia, former Congressman W.
S. Bennet of New York, former Postmaster
Goncrnl James A. Gary of Baltimore, tho late
Congressman George A. Southwlck of Now York,
Congressman W. M. Caldor of New York, Coa
grossman Jamos F. Burko of Pennsylvania, for
raor Congressman W. II. Ryan of Now YorJc,
former Congressman W. M. Wilson of Illinois,
former Congressman Denby of Michigan, for
mer Congressman Edward H. Hinshaw of No
braska, former Congressman Jesso Ovorstreot of
Indiana, former Congressman J. G. Boallc of
Pennsylvania, former Congressman W. A. Cnul
derhead of Nebraska, former Congressman
Diekema of Michigan, former Congressman M.
A. Driscoll of New York, former Congressman
G. J. Foster of Vermont, former Congressman
P. M. Fowler of New Jorsoy, Congressman
Swager Shirley of Kentucky, former Congress
man J. A. Sterling of Illinois, former Congress
man J. P. Swnscy of Maine, former Congress
man Charles E. Littlcfleld of Maine, Govornor
W. T. Haines of Maine, Ambassador Myron T.
Horrick of Ohio, Ambassador Curtis Guild of
Massachusetts, Congressman Richard Barthold
of Missouri, former Congressman Sidney Mudd
of Maryland and Congressman George W. Fair
child of the Thirty-fourth New York district.
"Eight That tho professional lobby staff of
the National Association of Manufacturers dur
ing the last ten years was composed of tho
following persons:
"(A) J. W. Van Cleave, president of the
N. A. M. from 1907 to 1909 and aftorward presi
dent of the national council for Industrial de
fense, an auxiliary organization with pronounced
political purposes, since docoased.
"(B) John W. KIrby, jr., president from
1909 to May 24, 1913, when ho was succeeded
by Colonel George Popo.
"(C) J. Philip Bird, general manager and
personal director of the operations of tho lobby
and strike-breaking; also disburser of funds
collected for political and labor campaigns,
"(D) James A. Emery, general counsel sad
chief of lobby at Washington; formorly active
In San Francisco as tho promoter of business
enterprises; very secretive In mothod, but now
prominent In Washington as an entertainer of
influential members of the senato and houso of
representatives.
"(E) Ferdinand C. Schwedtman, assistant
to President Van Cleave and KIrby and author
of lotters and telegrams directing tho work of
the lobby, tho efforts of the N. A. M. to re-elect
"its friends" in congress, to defeat "its cneinieg"
and strike-breaking.
"(F) George S. Boudinot, secretary of the
N. A. M., author of letters and telegrams giving
orders to its 'field agents' similar to those Issued
by Bird.
"(G) Marshall Cushlng, former secretary of
the N. A. M. and in active charge of its secret
lobby, legislative and strike-breaking undertak
ings. ' "(II) Martin M. Mulhall, chief of N. A. M.
lobby forces at Washington (residence, Balti
more), succeeding Cushlng and afterward 'field
agent' in charge of strike-breaking and political
campaigns from 1903 to 1912; political manager
for the late President McKinley in his congres
sional campaigns; colonel on tho staff of Gover
nor McKinley and for four years an operative
in the secret service; also author of tho narra
tive that Is to follow detailing his experiences as
lobbyist and strike-breaker and tho holder of
more than 20,000 letters, telegrams and report!
from and to officers of the N. A. M., United
States senators, members of congress, political
bosses and labor leaders.
"(I) Mr. X., a publicity agent of the N. A,
M., intrusted with tho task of attempting to
bribe Sampel Gompers, for which $40,000 was
appropriated by tho N. A. M.
"(J) Mr. Y., former newspaper reporter and
publicity agent, employed by tho N. A. M. to
trail Gompers through tho south and attempt to
bribe him; failing In this sought to entrap
Gompers Into a compromising conference wltk
President Van Cleavo at tho Victoria hotel In
New York, which was afterward abandoned bo
cause of the precautions taken by Gompers for
his own protection.
"(K) Thomas Littlepago, former secretary
of Senator Hemenway of Indiana, with offices
on the sixth floor of the Union Trust building,
at Washington, adjoining those maintained by
Emery, chief of tho N. A. M. lobby; engaged la
tho practice of law and regarded as tho right
hand man of Emery In lobby undertakings.
"(L) Frank Nunomaker, formerly a pub
lisher at Louisville; active In the lobby wijrk
of tho N. A. M. at Washington.
(M) John Mclntyre, former secretary of the
Natioual Typothetao of America; managed cam
paign against striking job printers Several years
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