Telegram-herald., 1890-03-28

41l tho protection tnrEeOF. most So
rio1s COMMITTEES Of EhLs dixai6sd body .
n0~ at work trying 70 ascertain tbs
names u the anholy wretehes = news
paper men Who print facts which The
senator's think ought not 70 be printed
''fhs diguity 0f the senate must - main
Lained az all hazards s2y these sristo-
crafts Of the national legislature. even Il
Ee have 10 put Ia l4il the whole news
paper outfit" As Il the dignity Of
great body ike this depended upon ths
srrion of feW newspaper writer's, and
could 10 maintained by locking those
writers behind irSn bars for performance
q their duty u their employers and the
public. There Is nothing new Ia all this
Ever since iE was torn the United States
senate has been striving - Keep up its
dignity. IL has paid more attention 70
dignity than 10 brains, and Ia oonseque
has constantly degenerated. There has
oos been q really brilliant senate since
the days OF the war. These old chaps
who sp.nd half their tims thinking up
ne~ devices for maintaining their dignity
are as a matter OF fact a commonplace lot.
Ia Is the judgment Of every close OBJ
server IN the national capital that il one
were 10 swoop down on the house of rep
reveneatives and take the first ghty men
be came upon he would have body Of
Legislators of more learning, sincerity
and ability than Is contained in the
Unisod States senate az the present mo-
menL The men Of the house do not suf-
fer from the dry rot Of laxiness and in.
difference 70 the popular opinion as DO
their oompecrs at the other end Of the
Capitol They remain closer to the peo-
pie, are more anxious TO please and be
right and useful Their dignity is thing
that bothers them little. What they go
In for Is action and accomplishment
Any sort Of an old rtick who happens 10
break OF bay his way into the senate can
maintain q good status in that body.
Thore is precious little brains In his old
head, and the manners he has are OF re-
cent and forced growth, but he Is, for
sooth, q senator. and that is everything.
One Of the traditions of this body is
that every senator must help every other
senator out in maintaining his dignity
and status. So the weak carry the strong
along with them, and thus help out the
general average and delude the people
who look on from a distance into believ-
ing that IL is the wisest and most elo-
quent and most patriotic legislative body
in the world. 1t is quite different over
In the house. There no artificial standard
/. raised, and a man rises or falls by
virtue of his own native force and the
brains he carries about with him. The
nincompoop in the house is quickly dis
covered and sized up. He goes TO the
foot Of the class. But in that body which
has such anxiety about its dignity they
decline TO have foot 10 the class. There.
in their own traditions, il not in their
owu belief, they are all smart boys.
Unfortunately for itself the senate
started in on this campaign of eternal
dignity the day it came into the world.
At first Is was going 70 hold all its ses-
sions in secret, and actually did so
until il discovered that an election TO the
senate was like the burying Of man
alive There were newspapers in those
days and sensible men running them, as
now, and the old time newspaper men
concluded that the dignified, secret and
stupid senate was not worth bothering
with. They published no reports, rarely
mentioned the names Of senators. and,
after three or four years Of that sort OF
experience, so much OF the dignity OF
the BODY as was embodied in the secret
proceedings was reluctantly abandoned
Early in its career the senate sought
70 borrow a little dignity from the Office
Of president Of the United States: il con-
strued the constitutional provision con
ccrning appointments 70 mean that the
president must personally confer with
the great senate about the men whom he
wished TO appoint to places in the gov
eminent service. Washington did for a
tine go 90 the senate chamber for the
purpose OF holding these consultations,
but his good sense enabled him very
quickly % perceive that such methods
were beneath the dignity of his office.
AM he soon discontinued the practice:
sill. 10 this very dav the senate keeps
i1 its standing rales the clause. when
the president Of the United States shall
meet the senate IN the senate chamber
Tor the consideration Of executive busi-
ness. be- shall have a seat on the right Of
tho presiding officer
The senate had no sooner been called
into existence than it endeavorsd 20 lift
itself upon a PEDESTAL above the other
branch ~ congress- This was strikingly
shown in tine effort which the first sen
arc made 10 compel the house of repre-
sentativcs to bow the knee 20 senatorial
dignity in the matter Of transmitting
messages between the two houses. The
senate insisted that its communications
20 the house should % sent BY the hand
Il one ~ Us employees. the secretary. who
WAS deemed a person Of sufficient i'm
portance 70 wait ur1n the common
members of congress. When the houss
had a com municsti0n 20 make 10 the
august senate. however. a committee Of
members vas 20 take the bill OF resolu-
ton In their hands. and with uncovered
heads ard cautious tread approach the
senate door There they we're - he an
nounced by the doorkecper. and. as salvs
fer The wounds caused their PRIDE By
serving in The capacity u renials. we're
q - received BY toe seraee standing.
T.uckiiy The bouse had 10 liking for such
distinction between The dignity q the two
bodies. and held its ground in favor Il
sending cuununicasions in 10Th instan-
ces BY re hand q employees till the seu-
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