The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-03-16
OF THE SECRET SESSION.
THIS SENATORIAL INSTITUTION IS
NEARING IT'S END.
IL 7. Really an Absnrdity, According 70
Robert Graves-He Gives Ills Reasons
for the Faith That l. in Iiim-Why Lit
lie Interest u Felt in the Senate.


erufive session is absurd and unnecessary.
For some days the senate BIAS been carry ing
on % sort Of inquisition, endeayonns 20 as
certain how its secrets Teak out SD promptly
and find their way with such regularity ana
accuracy into the newspapers. A committee
appointoi Tor the purpose has questioned
score or more Of newspaper correspond nus
but without learning very much Tor JUS
pains The correspondents one and an nave
admitted the publication VI news about eH-
ecutiye sessions. and then declined 20 teA
whence that news came, except to say that 10
did not come from any cmp.oye of the sen-
ate. and was not gathered boy caves lropplng
at keyh0lcs or any such method as that The
correspondents who appeared before this
committee noticed that ono question, and
that q very natural and important one, was
never asked them.
Not one witness was asked ii be had ever
obtained information concerning the alleged
secret sessions from senator's Themselves.
The omission Of this question with such sus-
picious regularity was OF it-eii confession
Of the farce like nature OF the investigation,
for every senator ON the committee, and
every senator not a member Of the commit
tee, knew very well that senators are inc
regular and unfailing source az Information
concerning executive session matters which
correspondents use and depend upon.
But few OF the senators now in congress
have mado 10 an infexble rule 90 give out no
information OF this nature. Every corre-
sDondont has his friends iu the senate, every
senator has his friends in the newspaper gale
lery. The basis OF all friendship is service or
favor. and these seuatorai-noWspape friond-
ships are no exceptions 90 the rule. Senators
occasionally need the good offices of news
paper men, and once in q while tle news
paper men draw on their friends the seniors
for news of the so-callel secret sessions. Ihey
do not often draw in vain.
A correspondent sits jon IBIS office on News
PAPER row. A lum0r steals in, as rumors do
steal I'm al newspaper doors-hy ina eneeri
casual visitor. telephone, telegraph. somehow
flint i'm the executive session vi the day
some business was transacted Of importance
or interest % the readers of tho journal
which he represents The CORES p0ndent
forthwith puts on his coat and hat and saIlici
forth into the night Perhaps Doc calls cab
g. his assistance Tie knows just where Doe Us
r0inr. Senator SO-and.so first, Senator oucn-
aud-such second and Senator Iheoiher third
Perhaps tine fret man is out TO dinner Wash
.ngt0n is a city Of dinners, and tine institute
zion of dining causes no end OF annoyance 70
newspaper correspondents. A. stere0typoi
announcement at the front door of Washing
ton residences IS, "Out 20 dinner"
III senatorial friend number two is also out
TO dinner, recourse is had tonumbar three
Chance it that De-, too, is dining out, The
choice is left between possible fourth friend
or calling one of the aforesaid trio from IBIS
,hair at his hosts table. Some of The best in-
scrviews which The corps Of Washington corr
respondents have ever printed were secured
I'm the hall, the interviewer with bat in hand
and the cold Of the weather lingering ON his
dabiliments. while the interviawee was fresh
and rosy in the face with good wine and good
"wittlesn-a rosiness which the white napkin
worn over his capaci0us breast served only 20
intensity by contrast Tn half au holr or
such a matter the correspondent returns to
his office with the executive session secret
at his fingers ends, and shortly afterward,
duly written out and elaborated, 10 is lying
along the wires
Journalists the world over have q trad.-
ton that the best place 20 approach man
of Importance. or "a man without Importance
for that matter, is bis own home. There he
is the host There, if any place on the face
of the footstool, is he inclined TO DE generous
and laxative When l first came 70 Wash
ington l asked an old newspaper correspond
emit here for bit Of advice about executive
session news. Said hes
Executive sessions usually close late in
the day. At that bour senator's are tired and
nervous. It. is just before dinner. Keep away
from your mau-and never approach man
ON this crraud unless you know him we'll
tl after dinner. just before dinner every
man old enough 20 be a senator Of the United
States is pessimist; just after dinner he is
an optimist.'
But sometimes one can't wait tin after dim
ner Occasionally newspaper correspond
emit wants 20 dine out himself, just as if Doe
were human, and in that case DO is desirable
o. get bis work ont of the way at au carly
hour Of the evening. Not long ago ] ape
preached rough and ready senator from
the west with am inquiry about an executive
session matter, while wo with others were g0-
ing down stairs i'm the senate elevator
81 would have You know, sir said the
senator, drawing himself up proudly and put-
ting a most severe expression upon h.s face
"that j never under any circumsiances talk
about executive sesions of the senate Please
remember that sir, and never dare t0 ap-
proach me again ON that subject"
The people in the elevator looked az me
with an amused sort of expire sion on their
faces aud / fe.tso badly crushed chat I SUNK
into cornoraud comuued with my thoughts
AS we were leaving DE elevator. however,
the senator grabbed my arm and pulled me
into bis committee room, not far away.
Once inside De turned with "A smile and nee
marked:
"Do't you know that I never talk about
secret sl0ns-ln the elevator. Vow what
is 30 you want 20 know
On another occasion another crnr and
plain spoken old senator was accostel for the
same sort OF information.
81 can't say word " DE replied. u must
not say word ] ought not say word,
can't tell you; lcouid tol You, if wanted 90.
and, hang me, / will te.i your
And. smiling at his own peculiar way az
captivating (Which was merely As little way
of impre ing mo with tine Importance of the
favor ho was doing mel, le proceeded 90 give
lne "a very pleasant piece of news.
A newspaper acquaintance of mige has a
very good senatorial friend who nes aid him
"a great favor The journalist wa. going out
t0 dinner and just as Dee was starting be
heard of an important action of tlo senate
in secret session. There was uo one ol whom
De could cab FOR assistance. and De was pu1-
cling bis brain as 20 way ont of the diili-
culty-wAIch was one of missing either the
news or The diner-when a happy idea Oc-
Cured 20 him. hewroto a note o. Ids friend,
tle senator briefly explained l.s predica-
meut, and a,sei tho statesman % write O
dispatch for l.m aud put it ON the wires
This tho senator kaiiy dl, and very full
ana authentic report ol ne secret session Oi
that day DO proved t0 ba, too.
SO, of course, the senatorial inQui,itiou I'M
veslgatiou into the manner in which execu-
tive secrets leak ont is absurd-alml-t as ab-
surd as tle session ITSELF
Actually DO is enough % make ones blood
boil With Indignation 10 witness the g0.nrs
ON in the senate wing Of the Capitol WHOM the
senate has concluded that 10 viii sit in secret.
Three gong, sound in all thecomnitteeroom