New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-08
prB1IC BUSINESS AND SENATE SECRETS.

Those members OF the lul'u -iil'S '7'hh''
who are so anxious to be defended from scdl-
ton that they arc ready 70 hold newspaper
correspondents guilty Of that crime might pct
ter appropriate another petition OF the Litany'
and pray to be delivered from PRIDE vain
glory and hypocrisy. When the Senate has
grown weary Of the farce OF pretending amaze
ment and righteous Indignation ~ the revea-
ton of secrets which Senators themselves dis
close with view 10 publication. some sensible
and courageous man. like Nlr. Platt, OF Com
necticut. may perhaps find favorable oppor-
funitv for pointing ont once more 70 ms col
Leagues and the country the advantages OF dis
Matching executive business IN open session.
Even now It may do no harm to cnumerate q
few Of them.
Speaking broadly and without reflection upon
anv individual. the practice Of considering nom
nations in secret session is upheld for two main
reasons. neither of which is frankly aclnowl-
edged. One Of these is that secret sessions are
tradition that they are supposed 20 add 10 the
mystery and dignity Of the Senatorial Office,
and that they enable Senators 10 escape from
dress parade whenever they see II. The other
is that the custom can be- conveniently ON
ploved 10 conceal deals and bargains which
NAV be- and sometimes have been, OF shame
ful character The country will never be con-
WINGED that the first Of these arguments for
secrecy supplies any proof OF It's utility, ana
nobody would pretend that the second Is any
! thing but scandalous. As for the excuse that
frivolous charges are frequently made in secret
session which, if openly proclaimed would IN
! lure an innocent man, II i sufficient 10 say III
reply that frivolous accusations would not be
made in open session. The nominee to whose
confirmation honest objections exist deserves
10 90 through the ordeal OF publicity. The
fear Of expo,ure in an open discussion would
deter many a bad man from becoming can
| didaIc for Office would tend to make Presidents
more careful and conscientious in exercising
the appointing power, and would riISe the
standard Of the Civil Service.
Nor are the arguments for pnbnc consldera-
| ton OF treaties less obvious and forcible. II
the United States made treaties OF alliance the
case would be different The treaties which
this country concludes are commercial treaties
and in respect TO these the argument Tor secrecy
is that a public discussion would disclose our
hand TO another Power. and thus hamper us III
some future bargain that we might wish to
make. But this theory assumes that intcrna-
tional agreements are concluded like dickcI
in Chatham-st. clothing store where each
party TO to the transaction is DESTROYS OF trick
ing the other; whereas the truth is that no
commercial treaty can reasonably be expected
TO endure the conditions of which are not, al
the time Of its conclusion, honorable. equitable
and advantageous to both parties.
A reference TO the Spanish Commercial Treaty
negotiated by Mr. Foster in the closing months
of the Arthur Administration Will show how
the rules of the Senate IA TO secrecy might
operate il they were strictly applied. lndcl
the rules that treaty would have been ncgO-
tiated in secret sent to the Senate in secret
considered in secret, ratified in secret, anc
secretly returned TO the President for proc
lamation. Some fine morning thousands Of
merchants. importers and manufacturers, hav
inc millions invested in the Vest India trade
would have walked mp 10 find their business
disorcanized if not ruined without having hat
an opportunity of protesting. This particular
treaty contained u tariff schedule of sevcra
hundred items, and however admirable the
character and talents Of the average Senate
may be, he Is not qualified to vote intelliscntil
upon n proposition like this without previous
consultation with men whose business make
them experts in such matters. And yet thu
rules, strictly construed, forbid a Senator t'
say word to any outsider about executive
business. With respect to this particular cast
the fact is that scores of petitions from com
mercial bodies poured in upon the Senate th'
moment that, owing to the publication OF The
treaty in an incomplete form. the injunction o
secrecy had been removed. Moreover, it mus
be borne in mind that the House is usually re
quired to adopt legislation before treaty cal
be carried into effect. For instance in 1884
+ after the Senate had ratified rcciprocit,
treaty with Mexico, the House refused to pas
the necessary legislation.
There are other moral and practical objec
| tions to secret sessions TO which we may Tin,