New-York tribune., 1886-04-26

EXECUTIVE SESSIONS OF THE SENATE.
We notice that most of those who are de1enu-
ing omen sessions of the Senate to consider EX-
ecutive nominations express the opinion that
treaties should still be considered in secret
session.
In our Judgment, these propositions, if they
are to be pushed at all, would be wiser and
stronger if reversed. We can readily see that
annoyance and needless personal injuries might
result from the consideration of nominations to
office in open Senate. There might be some
flaw or defect in the personal character or
record of q man which would unfit him for
official station. but which. at the same time, it
would be wrong and even cruel to proclaim
from the housetops. In such case, might 1T
not be better sometimes to reject him IN prl-
vate, instead of turning the Senate into Grand
Jury to publish an Indictment against him and
blast his prospects for usefulness or happiness
Again The Senate, more than any Legisiat-
ure in the land today, is disposed to talk
Nominations which are now settled in secret
session without word of discussion would be
sure to give rise in open session to long debate
and even where there was no objection to a
nomination. the Senators from whose State the
nominee came v Ould deem an Endorsement OF
his character necessary, and if he were an emil
nent person fulsome eulOgy would be pro-
nounced. Obviously a vast amount OF time
would be needessly wasted in this way.
In regard to treaties it must be remembered
that they are the supreme laws of the land,
and. like other laws, they should be subjected
to public opinion before being fastened upon
the people. Undoubtedly, there are occasions
when the relations of this to foreign countries
are of so delicate a nature that the opinions OF
Senators might better be expressed in private.
But there is no justification whatever for Sen
ators claiming that they should settle in pro-
found secrecy important public laws which
nav affectthe rights and interests of the whole
people. We witnessed in 1871 the gross alb
surdity of newspaper persecution las well as
prosecutiOn) for giving to the public tho treaty
of Washington, upon which the Senate was so
seriously committed, when directly afterward
the British House of Commons discussed it as
openly as if it had been supply bill.
Public discussion of treaties in the Senate
would often have an especially salutary effect
in cases where the subsequent action of the
House is demanded. If adopted by the Senate
after public discussion, the treaty would go to
the House with the force of popular opinion be-
hind it and not be imposed upon the Repre-
sentatives as an assumed constitutional obliga-
ton following from the action of the treaty
making power.
Above all, in so important an action as the
confirmation or rejection of great treaty like
those of 1912, 1916 and 1871 with England,
or that of lS49 with Mexico, each Senator
should vote upon his full responsibility to his
State. He has no right to avoid that response
bility by hiding away in a secret session. II
there had been a fair. open vote, we can recall
treaties whose fate might have been changed
and changed to the advantage of the country.
A treaty adopted is at once proclaimed. Why
should not the reasons for and against its
adoption be proclaimed while it is under con-
sideratiOnf