The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-04-08
SECRET EXECUTIVE SESSIONS.

Day by day it becomes more ana lnore
apparent that the will and opinion Oh the
people is the factor in formulating legls-
latiOn.
The theory of this government has al
WAYS been that the will of the people con-
trolled legislation through their repre-
sentatives in the state legislatures ana III
congress, but these representatives were
wont, in times gone by, to take the bit IN
their mouth and travel their own gait. In
the last few years the people seem to be
getting nearer the government IN their
political relations, and impressing upon
their representatives more directly their
thoughts and feelings, and woe to the
stiff necked and rebellious representative
that does not heed the voice of the peo-
pie! Laws may be made and engrafted
upon the statute books, but unless those
laws are endorsed and approved by the
people they are for awhile indifferently
or not executed at all, and at the next ses-
sion they are repealed
The people also seem to be taking a
greater interest in measures of reform
than ever before. They are looping off
the old and dead branches that have be-
come useless and bear no fruit, and en-
grating on the body polite healthier
and more vigorous shoots. In the matter
of secret executive sessions of the senate
the pressure coming from the people
without has been so strong that even that
dignitied and independent body has been
compelled to take note of it, and give a
fair hearing to it's voice.
The executive sessions of the United
States senate have long been kind of
swapping ground for political trades that
might be INDUCED in without compro-
missing the august dignity of that body,
and it is natural that they are 10th to
abandon the custom that allowed them so
much immunity from criticism.
As much as they object, they are com
PEELED to yield to the demand. The fair
est of the senators, and those who regard
the secret executive sessions as affOrding
an opportunity for personal chicanery,
are willing to abolish custom that would
be honored more in the breach than in the
observance, but such politicians as Ed
munds, who have presidential axes to
grind, are attempting to make compro-
mise with public opinion and permit the
journals to become public, in which the
bare proceedings are recorded, but still
retain secret sessions as far as all debates
are concerned.
This would not effect the purpose for
which public opinion was formulated.
Under the present system the public
become aware of who is nominated
and who rejected, and the press
representatives generally ascertain and
record the votes of the senators for
the enlightenment of the people.
We know about as much now as we would
know under that halfway system. That
is not the demand of the people and the
press. The demand is for the com
plete abolition of all secret legislation.
These men are the servants of the people,
and the people have right to know what
arguments are used and judge therefrom
what motives influenced their particular
representatives in the senate to vote for
or against the confirmation of an officer
nominated by the president. They be-
lieve. too, that it is necessary to remove
their senator's from temptation to dick
er" for places for personal friends and
supporters.
But most of all are the people influ-
enced in this reform by the fact that any
thing secret in political body is obnox-
ious to the spirit of our institutions, and
that it is degrading to the highest legislat,
i've body in the land to set such an exam
pie. They think that any kind of politi,
cal secrecy is unhealthy and unsound and
that good cannot come of it.
The people are determined and settled
in their opinions on this subject, and will
not be content or allow any compromise
that merely abolishes the forms and leaves
the substance of evil to darken the land
with its influence and example.