St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-19
EXECUTIVE SESSIONS.

The Washington correspondent of the
New York World, who has been investigat-
ing the matter. says that there is 10 prob
ability of ever getting the senators to sup
port proposition to abolish executive ses-
Sions unless an aroused public sentiment
should demand it. AS long as the public is
Indifferent to the matter the senators are
going to stick to the executive session bust
ness. In fact. an executive session is moth
ing more than senatorial picnic. AS
soon as the public has been driven out and
the doors closed the senators drop their dig
nifty and resume the levity of ordinary
men. They are perfectly at their ease
in executive session, and whenever
senator attempts to talk in
the strained and dignifed way they have on
the floor when in open session. the other
senators commence a series of groans
coughs and jeers which soon bring the
speaker up standing and to a realization of
the fact that he is now in among the boys
and is not expected to do the dignity act.
They tighten the burthens of the dull
routine of executive sessions by having
lunch served on their desks, and frequently
bottle of wine opened to fortify themselves
against the heaviness of the work in hand.
When the lunch is cleared away the cigars
are lighted and. with their feet cooked
over the top of the desks, the grave
and reverend senators discuss in an
informal way the secrets of state. The
tedium of discussing dull treaty OF of in
vestigating the offensive partisanship of
some luckless appointee is frequently re-
lieved by the telling of good story or
cracking jokes at the expense of
each other. Just as Senator Ed
MUNDs is about to launch into
learned disquisition on the constitutional
features of the latest reciprocity treaty.
Senator VANCE will divert the attention of
the body by relating the Tar Heels coon
hunt, OF as Senator SHERMAN is in the
midst of a TRADE against the bloodthirsty
rebels, who have, by the cOnnivance of the
CLEVELAND administration, usurped the
power Of government, Senator VEST will
interpose to convulse the senate with laugh
ter by telling how PUGH of Alabama went
to the White house to secure some appoint
ments in his state, and, when the president
Seeuleu 10 give nlnl zeal ear, HOW,
in rage of disappointment, he
was found walking up and down Pennsyl-
vania avenue next day matchmaking
THAT hindquarter of beef up there in the
executive chair" The senators have a
good time of it beyond all question when
they get into executive session. The per-
sonal comfort of the senators is SO much in
v0lved i'll these star-chamber proceedings
that it seems pity to disturb them. But
the people are getting tired of this behind
the-scene business. 1t is as much out of
place i'll the senate as in the saloon. The
popular theory nowadays is that if an i'll
dividual wants to take glass of toddy he
ought to step right up to the bar and drink it
publicly. And there is the same theory in
relation to matters which come before con-
gress. If the senators want to discuss an
executive appointment they ought to be
made to stand right up in their places in
the senate and have their say right before
the whole nation.