Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-03-05
THE SENATE AND THE PRESS.
What Shall be Done With Contuma-
cious Correspondents?


cious Correspondents?
THE wE1aHrY PROBLEM DISCUSSED N "sHoRHr
SESSION. - WHOLESALE ARRESTS AND THE
ABOLITION OF THE PRESS GALLERY FAvoRxD-
VOICE FROM THE NORTHWEST.
zone man may lead horse to water" says
the old proverb, but eighty-two Senators can't
make him drink. Just now the smelling"
committee of the Senate is beginning to real
ize the force Of the ancient saw and in its utter
helplessness has appealed to the Senate to
awake to the situation. For more than q week
Senator Dolph's little aggregation Of inquisi-
tors has been endesvoring to compel q few
newspaper men to divulge the sources from
whence they secured information as to Senate
proceedings in secret session, and the commit
tee has failed in every instance. Now it has
taken its complaint to the body which made It
and it asks for power to confine the contuma-
cious ones In some of the committee rooms at
the Capitol. Yesterday afternoon, shortly be-
fore l o'clock, Senator Dolph moved to go into
secret session and the motion was adopted
The lobby OF the press gallery was cleared Of
correspondents and the upper floor was de-
serted by all save the door keepers, and they
were at least 10 feet away from the solid Affect
walls and the iron doors. The Senate then
wrestled with the question, els there a penalty
for contumaciousnessr' and there was a very
interesting debate, in which the smelling"
committee dolefully requested its brethren to
listen to its tale Of woe.
NO HALFWAY MEASURES.
The performance was opened by Senator
Dolph, who took advantage Of the alleged
secrecy Of the occasion to offer resolution
authorizing the arrest and imprisonment of two
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of the Associated and
United Press. Others Senators thought the ar
resting business should be run on a wholesale
scale and insisted that the number Of prisoners
be increased until the press gallery was practi-
cally disabled
Senator Wilson of Iowa, Senator Harris and
Senator Blackburn, all members of the smell
ing" committee, insisted that the Senate must
now speak forth or forever hereafter hold Its
peace. They produced prodigious amount Of
newspaper comment, which they regarded as
villifying in character, and they sounded the
senatorial war bugle very loudly.
Senator Wilson of Iowa thought a dungeon
too pleasant residence for those newspaper
men, who insisted on printing the happenings
in what custom had denominated ''secret SEES
sions of the Senate" The guilty ones should
be promptly run in" and kept in until they
divulged the sources of their information.
TO ABOLISH THE PRESS GALLERY.
Senator Blackburn's support Of the Dolph
resolution was unyielding. He very gravely
repeated a suggestion which he made publicly
day or two ago. He wants to wipe the press
gallery out OF existence; not because that
would prevent the reporting Of secret sessions,
but simply as matter OF vengeance. Sena-
tOrial wrath could find vent in this PROPOSE
ton and the newspaper men would be incon-
venienced not little.
Senator Teller allowed Mr.. Dolph and his as
sistants to carry on for awhile and then he of
fered a substitute for the smelling" commit
tees resolution. The substitute provides for
the consideration of
NOMINATIONS IN OPEN SESSION.
In presenting it Senator Teller told the Senate
much wholesome truth. He said that the en-
tire country was laughing at the ludicrous con-
duct of the Senate in endeavoring to find out
who gave away executive matters, when it was
well known that Senators themselves were the
culpabie ones. Suppose they did imprison
few newspaper men, what would be gained?
There would only be an increase In the volume
of popular laughter-and the laugh would not
be on the newspaper men.
Senator Plat supported Senator Teller's res
olution, but Senator Harris did not He was
with Dolph.
Then came the new northwest-breezy. clear
and cool Senators Moody aud Pettigrew were
in the lead and they told the Senate, in unmis-
taxable language, that the present movement
was
NOTHING LESS THAN A BLuyDER.
For five hours the matter continued under
discussion and then the Senate adjourned with
an understanding that vote shall be taken, if
possible, this evening" There are numerous
legal difficulties which Senators seem to think
need attention. So Senator Evarts will give his
views on that phase of the teapo: tempest this
afternoon.
Senator Blackburn's plan to abolish the press
gallery has not yet commenced to alarm the
correspondents. Strange as it may SEEM this
absurd proposition has a number Of advocates.
If it became a fact the newspaper men would
not object. There would be one less gallery to
attend to. Should the Kentuckian's scheme
succeed there will be sweet music in the upper
atmosphere, for the result would be a boycott
that Senators would speedily tire of. 1t is be-
lieved that all of the prominent newspapers of
the country would agree to completely ignore
the Senate and its oratory. Senators would
then be compelled to make heavy investments
in the equally heavy Congressional Record or
their constituents would never find out what
they had been talking about.
SENATOR HAwLEY TOOK THE GROUND
that the correspondents were blameless in this
matter. Their papers demanded the informa-
ton and it was sent them. He thought Senator
Dolph's idea that the newspaper mems conduct
was seditious was absurd.
Senator Vest thought so too, although he is
one of the ''smellers." He is not such an en-
thusiast as Mr.. Dolph would like him to be.