The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-04-24
AN ANNUAL FARCE.
THE SENATE AGAIN AGOG OVER
SECRET SESSION LEAKS.
Unprecedented Precautions Taken -
/ Guasd the Sanctity of the Executive
| Sessioa-How Correspondents Get News
from Unsuspecting Senator's
Ispecial Correspondence.i

Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, April I've have been en-
loving our annual laugh at the expense of
the United States senate. About once a
year the senate permits itself 10 become ex
cited concerning the manner in which its
proceedings, while in secret session, get
into the newspapers. 1t is a queer fact
that the secret sessions of the senate ara
more carefully reported in the papers than
the open sessions As rule, special cor
respondents do not pay much attention to
the sessions OF the senate which are open
TO the public. Visitors TO the Capitol are
always expressing surprise that the press
galleries of the house and senate are 50
empty. Usually one can see in these gal
leries but three or four men. Apparently
the representatives of the great newspapers
of the land do net care rap what is going
on down below. Explanation of this is
found in the fact that all the papers de
pend for their reports of ordinary proceed
ings upon the Associated or United Press
reporters, who occupy seats on the floor,
who are shorthand writers and who make
q running account of ali that takes place.
But suppose an extraordinary proceeding
is on the tapis-a silver fight or something
Of that sort coming up. In twinkling
the press gallery will be filled TO overflow
ing. Every seat will be occupied, and cor
respondents will be hanging over one an
others shoulders. 1t is surprising where
all the newspaper men come from and
what they all find to do. In all there are
more than $50 of them, and keen, well
informed, influential lot Of men they are
too.
Unless there is something of special in
terest in the senate the press gallery is left
unoccupied. When an execu session is
held the correspondents everybody
else are driven out. 5 II the same
correspondents who we wing no atten-
ton whatever to the die session be-
come possessed of a consuming desire to
know what is going on executive session.
Perhaps the secret session is of no greater
importance than the public session had
been. That makes no difference; inforna-
ton concerning a secret session Is sort OF
forbidden fruit, and newspaper men are
Just like the remainder of humanity in
their proneness to pursue that sort of re-
fresbment. So it happens that next morn
ing pretty full accounts of what was said
and done in the executive session appears
in the newspapers. This goes on day after
day for about twelvemonth, and then the
senate rises up and gets angry and talks OF
doing something.
We had such an uprising few days ago.
and it was attended by some comical fea-
lures. In the first place the older sena-
hA r1 ba
ticular champions of the inviolability OF
secret sessions, attempted to institute
sort of reign of terror. They knew that
senators had been talking too much to
newspaper men, and they pretended TO
know who the offenders were. They de-
clared with great sOiemnity that the sena-
tors caught revealing the secrets of the
body would be sumnarily dealt with. IL
was intimated that resolutions TO expel
the offenders might be introduced. Natu-
rally this sort of talk from the leaders Gre
ated good deal of excitement among the
younger members of the senate. They
looked one at another and held whispered
consultation in the cloakroOms. In a few
minutes there seemed To be an understand
ing throughout the chamber that every
body was to appear quite a. indignant rs
the old senator's at the violation of the rule
of secrecy. Everybody did look indignant.
Every body lifted his voice for ferreting
out the offenders and Furnishing them.
Every face wore an expression Of limo
cence and virtue. And when it was all
over and nothing done, every one smiled
TO himself and the younger senators
nudged their neighbor and shrugged their
shoulders.
That night. for the first and perhaps the
last time in the current year, newspaper
men found it difficult TO get news Of the
executive session. Senators were not at
home. They were out 10 dinner, were at
the theater, had gone to the club. The
few who could be found shut their lips
tightly and refused to utter a whisper.
There were rumors that the old senators
had hired detectives and set them TO watch
the houses Of these Of their colleagues who
were suspected Of giving away the senate
secrets. For one night they were cautious,
timid. awed, but for one night only. Next
the newspapers had little or no
news Of the previous days executive ses-
sion, but from that day to this they b
had better reports than usual.
The old senators who were determined
tive secrets went TO an extreme In this
case, which has brought down upon them
the maledictions Of all the newspaper men
in Washington. They turned out Of the
secret session the old and trusted employ
ees o. the senate. men who had been there
for year after year, and against whose good
faith not a whisper had ever been mAds.
One Of these old employees whom the sen
ate thus insuited was Captain Bassett. who
for sixty years has been in the employ OF
the American house Of lords. Old man
BasSett loves the senate as be loves bis
child. He guards It's interests, ia dignity,
the prophecies Of its every form and pro
ceedIng with a jealous eye. He would
make any possible personal sacrifice 70 pro
tect the senate His zeal in this direction
il the consuming passion 81 his lhs-a pas-
sion which has gathered force through al!
these years Of faithful labor. A. a reward
for II senate turned him out into tie
corr a. much a. TO SAP that In bis Old
age had fallen under suspicion and
CO. no longer be trusted. ~ frst the
o naa could not understand IL. H.s
senses refused " credit the words in which
b. vas informed tina, be had been turned
out Then be burst into tear. and il wa
an boar or more t,efore he Lad resalnsd kls
coDposlre.
Another cd employees who fell under the
ban wasJemes = Iossng, a nsvFsy.ap4sr rEao
by profession. but for many yezrs the sx
ecutive clerk * tie ssT4ate- Great seas,
toriai minis have co8clf6ed tha1 Dir
Young having b@en 8 Newspaper had
,nust Be the cslprit who was giving news
paper men information concerning the
proceedings In seerst session. Il psvsT &C
eurrei 20 then thai ;nIs sss a TiiEsalosas
assumption. aud Thar Mr. Young - The
last man n the world rsewss,aEer core
-s,o-sslent would AK for information cpa
min. u. .KeeglftEe aek.sla.s q tie ~