Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1889-06-19
SENATE CUSTOMS.
Ex.secretary George c. Gorham r:arra
Some OF His Observations.

Ex-secretary George c. Gorham r.arrates
Some Of His Observations. ,Hn
Debate in the Senate is entirely freq.
The only way debate can be cut off by
the majority and a vote on measure
be compelled il by refusing to adjourn.
IF the minority is small one, con-
tinuous session of two or three DAYS
and nights will usually bring it to
terms. In such a case members of the
majority can relieve each other and
get some rest, still leaving enough con-
stantly on guard to vote down an ad-
journment.
If the minority weary of speech,
there is still another method for OBJ
structing vote, and that is by alter
nate motions to adjourn and go into
executive session. These motions are
always in order and are not debatable,
and the yeas and nays can be ordered
on them every time by one-fifth of the
Senators present. Sixteen members
are one-ftth Of the Senate as it is row
constituted. A minority strong enough
to keep that number always in the
Senate chamber without any being
continuously deprived of rest could
revoluticnize the Government.
When the debate begins the effect is
to relieve Senators from further atten-
ton to the business in hand. Some
member, charged with the subject,
commences a speech to which half a
dozen may listen some of the time.
Others commence writing letters to
| their constituents, some go to their
| committee rooms, and still larger
number repair to the cloak-room to
| smoke, tell stories and do little log
rolling for measures of their own. The
two cloak-rooms open directly out OF
the Senate chamber They are spacious
and comfortable, well supplied with
sofas and easy chairs. The Democrats
use one of these and the Republicans
the other. There are legends of an
Olden time when some of the old boys
Of the Senate INDUCED themselves in
q convivial way in some Of the COM
mittee rooms, but the better opinion
now prevails that they are all very
circunspect. In the Senate restaurant,
where the sale Of liquors and wines is
strictly forbidden, the sinful caterer
appeals from the rules to the higher
law, and serves whatever is called for.
This is an improvement upon the time.
not twenty-five years ago, when liquors
were dispensed from a regular bar in
the Capitol, in an out-of-the-way room,
| known as the "hOle in the wall.
It was my fortune for eleven years to
have access to the Senate in secret se5-
sion as secretary Of that body. Slow
as the Senate is in changing. saw two
hundred different men sit as Senators
during that time. When I LETT it to
make way for one Of the opposite
party, then dominant, it contained but
four who had been members when
entered its service. My observation in
the executive sessions of the Senate
lead me to the opinion that the aver.
age man, like the average boy. be.
, HAYES himself better before folks thar
!. he does in private groups. Not thai
, any thing goes on behind the closed
, doors of an unseemlv character. The
proceedings are rs orderly as at other
, way of moving about and smoking
But men do not always vote as they
would under the public eye. Scene
, from the school for Scandal are
; sometimes enacted by the picking t.
pieces Of private character. and, OF
f the other hand. unsavory reputation
, are sometimes mended by the PARTIAL
; ty Of strong, personal friendship.
1t is a fact which is not general,
t known that the Senate sat at all time
2 with closed doors during the first 81:
years after the Government went int
operation under the Constitution. No
/ even the members of the House of Rep
, | resentatives were permitted to invade
: its hiding-place. A resolution pro
viding that 1.-The doors of the Senat,
; chamber shall be open when the Sen
: ate is sitting in their Legislative ca
: pacity, to the end that such of the citi
, | zens of the United States as may choose
, | to hear the debates of this house ma,
have an opportunity of so doing" wa
= voted down APRIL 80, 1890, just on
= year after Washington's first inaugu
; ration, and the same proposition wa
, rejected at the two following sessions
; On the 18th of April, 1892, some boil
, and venturesome Senator made mo
ton to admit the members of tn,
House of Representatives to attend tn,
debates OF the Senate when sitting il
its legislative capacity. 1t receive
but 6 affirmative votes against Is il
the negative. On the 9th of Decem
Der 1895, secresy was abolished excep
in cases when specially ordered N
, Y. Sun.