New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-04-17

SENATOR LOGAN ON SECRET SESSIONS.
Senator Logan speaks Of secret sessions, AS
he speaks on every subject, boldly, sincerely
and 18th incisive directness. He believes that
secret sessions for the consideration OF appoint
ments are unnecessary that the Senate repre-
sents the people and ought to let the people
know what it is doing; that the traducers OF
character. the condoners of bad records, and
the tricky bargaining of Senators with the
President. would go down if appointments were
publicly c0nsdered that the treacherous
stiletto would give place to open and manly
warfare that Senatorial seer cts already get out
in trne or false shape. and it would be better
| for Senators to have the truth known about
them. These are All strong and subs antial
reasons, and sho I'D be fully weighed by Sen
ators. There are other considerations, 1t is
true, which should not DO forgotten. But
| Senator Logan hoped. with some sal castle EN-
phass, that the Senators who favored secret
SESSIONS would not hesitate to speak out their
reasons freely. The suggestion calls attention
to the fact that those Senators have seemed
disposed to vote down the proposition for open
sessions withoIt giving their reasons at all.
1t would BE- n mistake to treat the subject in
that fashion. Public opinion is already aroused
to a considerable extent The people are
coming to feel that secret sessions
cannot be for the public good. If those
who still favor such sessions refuse to
state their reasons, the public desire for a
change may rapidly increase and it may soon
become 80 strong and general that argument
against the cnange may then be too late. III
there are sufficient reasons for refusing to con-
slider appointments in public, now is the time TO
state them fully and cOnvncDgly. In the alb
sence of any such statement of reasons the
people may soon conclude that sufficient
| reasons cannot be given.
| II would not help the Republican party to
have this feeling prevail IN regard to the only
| Republican branch of the Government. For
what is wrongly done in the White House, the
DEPARTMENTS, or The House Of Representatives,
the people rightly hold the Democratic party
responsible. The Presidents secrecy, where he
had promised to do the public business behind
glass doors, has not helped him. The SANDER
| mongerng in the Departments, the bIackenlng
of the names OF worthy men because Their
places are wanted for partisan ends, has not
| helped Cabinet officers. But ii the Republican
Senate should persist in secret sessions without
| giving adequate reasons for that course. me
| confidence of the people In that body would
| certainly not be increased. The same reasoning
applies to the main question, whether appoint
ments should be considered in secret. If the
reasons for that course are not convincing, II
would be better for Republicans Of the Senate
not to allow that branch of the Government to
refuse information 10 the people. After all,
Senators are the peoples servants, and the
whole people have IL right to desire all the in
| formation regarding the conduct OF their
servants which can be given consistently with
| the public welfare.