Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-04-15
AT THE CAPITOL TO-DAY.
OPEN EXECUTIVE SESSIONS.
SENATOR LOGAN'S SPEECH
HOUSE COMMITTEE REPORTS.
The Presidential Count Bill, Etc.
The Senate.

The Senate.
MIR. Miller presented memorial of the Sara
toga Monument association. The memorial
recites that the monument has been completed
and the association desires to have it publicly
dedicated during the coming autumn, and asks
an appropriation in aid of that object. The
petition was appropriately referred.
MR.. LOGAN ON OPEN EXECUTIVE SESSIONS.
Mr.. Logan then took the floor in support of
the movement for open executive sessions. He
preferred his own resolution, be said, because
1t provided broadly for open sessions on all
matters of nomination and confirmation.
Without going into the history OF secret ses-
SlOnS, Mr.. Logan would simply premise by say
ing that there was not now, and never was, any
necessity for secret sessions of the Senate.
He read from Story's Commentaries on the
to public business and a statement that it was
not in accord with the spirit of the Coustftu-
ton. Mr.. Logan could not understand what
there was about the character of any man
nominated for public office that should require
his case TO be considered in secret The secrecy
that might have been necessary in the early
years of the republic found no basis in neces-
sity nor propriety now. The House OF Repre-
sentatives had first opened its proceedings to
directly. The Senate had stood out longer on
the theory that it more properly represented
In, Inc states: senators, however, were responsi-
know what they were doing.
MIR. LOGAN WANTS TO HEAR FROM THE OTHER
SIDE.
Mr.. Logan hoped the Senators who favored
secret sessions would be heard from in this
debate. The talking should not be all on one
side in the discussion. Those who believed in
secrecy should openly state their grounds for
that belief He (Mr. Logan would like to hear
those grounds: Let the doors be opened and
let senatorial courtesy give place to fair and
and the condoner of bad records would both go
down before the open consideration of nomi-
nations. The treacherous stileto would give
place to open and manly warfare, the man whO
with crooked record, wanted public office,
would then have to seek other channels than
the Senate. In a peoples government, why
should not the people know the reasons for our
consent, which meant the peoples respect, to a
nomination? Secret sessions were demonstrating
Was there one Senator who would hesitate to
frankly tell the truth to man, ii he was
opposed to him? He (Mr. Logan had known
cases in which men believed they would be
confirmed, and had good grounds for their
belief, yet were rejected. He Mr.. Logan would
not say that Senators had told sucn men I'M
truths.
THE SENATE SECRETS GET OUT SOME WAY.
The secrets of executive sessions were let out
in some, way, MIR. Logan said. He would not
say how correctly. Was there ever an executive
session to consider an important matter from
Which something had not leaked out? He &C
Quilted the officers OF the Senate OF any fault in
| this matter He did not believe they let the
secrets gut. Still, the newspapers were full of
Statements OF things that happened or were
Hsafd to happen in executive sessions. If they
Edid not make correct statements they pro-
{ foessd TO do SO. II the Senate would not open
issdoors was il not encouraging deception on
the part OF the newspapers? Was 1t not better
to have the country know exactly what the
Senate was doing? The newspaper 1nen did the
nsy gH the not kneW
whom-probably from the spittoons or the
desks OF the Senate chamber-of course not
from any Senator Were not Senators encour-
aging newspaper men to state things that were
not true?
THE SENATE WAS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE
for any incorrect statements as to secret seS-
sons. II the doors were opened the speeches
in executive sessions would be shorter the pro-
ceedings more orderly and the debates of a bet
ter and more elevated character. AS to the
publicity Of votes, Mr.. Logan was perfectly will
ling that his constituents and everybody else
should know how he voted in executive ses-
sion, and If he dared he would tell every day
what his vote was, but he never did.
THE POWER OF PUBLIC OPINION
was raising on this subject, he said. The people
felt that they must and should know what
Senators were doing. Everywhere in this coun-
cept in the United States Senate. That princi-
Pile was coming to be recognized every
pie pe''e of liberty was Spreading. pt Take
the case of Ireland-so long down trodden and
tramplcd under foot. Why was it that the
duced was struggling in behalf of long suffering
Ireland? 1t was because of the growth of the
principle of liberty-of the principle OF fair deal
ing. Education and reflection were lighting up
the minds OF all people. In this country, too,
the people were getting more enlightened and
bear i'll mind that there were but two ways of
righting wrongs. Those ways were reformation
and revolution. He (Mr. Logan) preferred re-
formation.
House OF Representatives.
LOTTERIES AND POOL SELLING IN THE DIS
TRICT OF COLUMBIA.
Mr.. Hemphill Is. CO., from the committee on
the District of Columbia, reported bills prohib-
iting boOkmaking and poOlselling and punish
Ing the advertisement of lottery tickets in the
District of Columbia. House calendar.
Mr.. Singleton (MisS.), from the committee on
the library, reported Senate bill accepting from
Julia D. Grant and William II. Vanderbilt GER
tain objects OF art presented by foreign govern
ments to the late u. :. Grant House calendar
Also, Il Senate bill establishing commission
to report to Congress on manuscripts belonging
to the government. Committee OF the whole.
Mr.. Bliss IN. ", from the shipping commit
tee, reported bill amending the statutes re-
lating to yachts. House calendar.
THE PRESIDENTIAL COUNT.
MIR. Caldwell (Tenn.), from the committee on
the presidential count, reported with amend
ments a Senate bill to Il the day for themeet-
ing of electors of President and Vice President,
and to regulate the counting OF the votes. House
calendar.
Mr.. Tucker (Va,) from the committee on the
judiciary, submitted an adverse report on the
memorial OF John Nice. Perkins Tor the inn
parchment OF Thomas l.. Nelson, United States
district judge for the state of Massachusetts, and
the memorial was laid upon the table.
Mr.. McCreary (ky.), from the committee on
coinage, weights and measures, reported a bill
to establish q sub-treasury at Louisville, KY.
Committee of the whole.
COMMERCIAL RELATIONS WITH SOUTHERN
AMERICA.
Mr.. McCreary (Ky.) from the committee on
foreign affairs, reported bill authorizing the
President to arrange conference for the pur-
pose of promoting arbitration and encouraging
reciprocal commercial relations between the
United States and the republics of Mexico and
Central and South America and the empire Of
Brazil. Committee OF the whole.
Mr.. Belmont obtained leave to submit q
minority report.
Mr.. Ermentrout (Pa.), from the committee on
military affairs, reported a Senate bill, grant
Ing the right of way to the Schuylkill Eastside
Railroad company through the arsenal and
naval asylum grounds in Philadelphia. Pri-
vete calendar Also, granting the right of way
TO the kensington and Tacomy Railroad COM
pany through the arsenal grounds at Brides
burg, Philadelphia. Private calendar.
OKLAHOMA.
Mr.. Hill (Ohio), from the committee on terri
tories, reported a bill for the organization OF
| the territory of Oklahoma. House calendar.
Mr.. Richardson (Tenn.), from the committee
on facihc railroads, reported a resolution arl-
tnorizlng an investigation of the books and &C
counts ana system of accounts of the Pacific