St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-18
THE STAR CHAMBER SESSIONS.
The Senate will MOT Vote to Abolish
Them. =

Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 17.-Some of the
newspapers are reviving the talk about
abolishing executive sessions in the senate.
1t is represented that there are number of
Republican senators who are anxious
to have the nominations of the
president discussed in open session. l do
not believe, as matter of fact, that two
senators could he found who would vote to
abolish executive sessions. Senator Van
WYck of Nebraska is the only one Of the
Republican senators who has ever
publicly expressed himself in favor
of this change There is nothing
that the senators prize more highly than the
privilege of the executive session. The
moment the doors are closed and the GAL
Ieries cleared the senators are at their ease.
They can tighten the burden of the dull
routine of business by having lunches
served on their desks. They nearly all
smoke during the executive session. There
is nothing to prevent senator having a
bottle of wine opened to fortify himself
against the heaviness of the work on hand.
There is spicy personality in the talks in
executive session which makes them very
interesting. The senators have habit of
mercilessly
CHATTING EACH OTHER.
If a senator in executive session attempts to
talk in a strained, unnatural way, or for
mere effect. he is very soon brought up
standing by the groans and coughs and jeers
of his associates. 1t is the personal COM
fort involved which will protect these eX-
ecutive sessions unless public sentiment
should some time be sufficiently aroused to
produce their abolition. AS the matter now
stands the public is perfectly Indifferent
upon the subject. 1t is theory of the
senators that appointments are discussed
more freely in an executive
session than they would be
in an open one, because its
alleged secrecy is said to give an OppOrtu-
nifty for preferring charges that an open ses-
sion would not. 1t is further urged that the
character of the men under discussion is
protected also by this star-chamber process,
and that injustice is often prevented by the
secrecy in which nominations are suffered
to be considered. All of this talk has no
good basis. There is nothing which ever
takes place in executive session which does
not reach the public Sooneror later. Instead
of the secrecy of the sessions being pro-
lection to mans character under discus
sion. it often affords means for
INCREASING THE EFFECT
of any charges which may be brought
against him. There is nothing ever
charged against the character of an ap-
pointee in executive session that does not
get out Immediately. Often these charges
are distorted and garbled through the per-
sonal prejudices of those who relate the
story of them. But there is never any
doubt about the charges reaching the pub
lie. They get to the newspapers as rapidly
as if the senate had considered them in
open session. A Western senator, speak
ing of these executive sessions the other
day. said:
You need never expectthe senate to abolish
them. The senate is fond of unique things.
1t is the only first-class star chamber left in
this country, and because 1t is the only one
and such a devilish comfortable one you may
be sure that we wone yot6 Tor Change 1t. /
tell you it is great satisfaction to know that
there is such place in this country where
public men can escape even for hrief time
from The hawk-like inspection of the journal
ISIS of the country.