New-York tribune., 1882-03-06
UNNECESSARY MYSTERY.

| average man to contain q secret, especially
political or Government secret. The con-
sciousness of knowing something that bis
neighbOrs do not know and would like to
know has tendency to initiate him. Superior
| knowledge always engenders intellectual
pride, and the habitual carrying of great pO-
litical secrets is apt to beget arrogance and
| "airs." We are not certain but that the lofty
| manners of some persons who have served
| long periods In the United States Senate are,
| in measure, due to their being pulled up
with the secrets of so many executive ses-
siOns But the possession of great secrets is
not always an unmixed comfort. 1t has its
| drawbacks Take, for instance, the executive
sessions of the Senate. There are Senators, no
| doubt, who derive great comfort from them !;
Senators who for some time after emerging
from the mysteries of this National Lodge of
Free MasOns wrap themselves up in serene
| self-cOntcnt over the reflection that they hold
dead secrets which less than a hundred of
their fellOw-mcn possess in common with
them. But ii Is by no means so satisfying
when rumOr, pretending to uncover the sacred
mysteries misrepOrts their own words and
misrcpresents their action. That is tho time
when the seal of secrecy is incOnyenent: per-
haps seriously damaging. There is very
seldom, perhaps never, an executive session
of the Senate whose proceedings are
not to greater or less extent
misrepresented. When the devious ways by
which information is extOrted are considered it
is hardly possible that it should he otherwise.
And the public msapprehension of a Senator's
action or utterances cannot be corrected with
out breach of faith on the part of somebody.
case in point was the first executive ses-
sion upon Mr.. Conking's nomination to the
Supreme Bench, where Senator Hoar was re-
ported to have made certain observations
touching Mr.. Conkling's reputation for hon
esty and integrity, which there is excellent
reason for believing he did not make,
and sundry other Senators were more
or less incorrectly reported. Sooner or
later, we presume, it happens that such
mistakes are corrected but it is only after
considerable lapse of time, and then not au-
thoritatively meanwhile the victim of the
false report suffers the annoyance and damage
arising from it. The blame for this state of
things is, Of course, put at once upon prying
newspaper correspondents and reckless press.
But suppose we grant that there is some
truth in the complaint and suppose we grant
further that the excuses which they naturally
offer that the business transacted in execu-
tive session is of public interest that with
the exception of proceedings concerning
treaties there is nothing put at risk
by giving them publicity, and that they are
justified in using any means to crafty a rea
sonable public desire for information on such
pOints-grant that these excuses are insufficient
to warrant such reckless publicaton-what
then7 This is an evil, if it be one, which the
Senate cannot remedy or even reach. They
may be sure that wherever there Is mystery
or secrecy curiosity is sure to be piqued; and
that where the mystery is put around any
public proceeding of which the people think
they have the right to be informed,
there will be attempts to penetrate it, and
without much scruple as to the method or
the effect. The question for Senators is
whether all this mystery and secrecy is
necessary whether any good end is subserved
by all the solemn closing of doors and whis-
pering among themselves over "the cOnfirma-
ton of Executive nominations; whether the
scandal that results from it is not greater than
any that could come from open and free de-
bate. 1t is not to be denied that there are
subjects considered by the Senate-chiehy re-
lating to the ratification of treaties or the re-
lations of the Government with foreign Pow
ers-which are discussed very properly
with closed doors in secret session. But
what is there in the confirmation of
Executive appointments or the proceedings
in connection Herewith that calls for such Sc
crecy and mystery Why should there be any
more secrecy in the discussion and vote upon
combinations than in the proceedings of NOM
mating conventions 1t certainly is not more
necessary to make secret inquisitiOn into the
character and capacity of postmaster or rev.
enue collector than of a member of Congress,
Governor or United States Senator. Senators
themselves are nominated in open caucus
speeches in favor and in opposition
to them are publicly made ordinarily
the ballot Is an open one; and all
the proceedings are given to the public
through the press. What is there in the func-
tions of postmaster, collector or assessor, or
even Cabinet officer or Judge, that makes it
necessary to submit the candidates quaifca-
tons to the scrutiny of a secret tribunal, when
candidates for other places equally high and
important stand in the market place and have |
their claims openly canvasscdf 1t may seem
almost revolutionary to say so, but we
really can see no practical good in the |
secrecy with which the proceedings upon
the confirmation of Executive appointments
are invested. AS n matter of fact there is no |
real secrecy about them, for they almost in |
variably leak out within forty-eight hours. |
The opportunities they furnish for misrepre-
sentation and deception and stabbing an op- |
ponent in the dark are no ground for justi- |
ication, and yet that is about all that can be
claimed for them. We honestly believe that
The discontinuance of the practice of confirming
NJ