Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-04-07

have been on the pay roll as "a witness
awaiting orders for nearly three months
at $3.50 day, and now have received
notice that nay services as witness are
no longer required. l consider this wit
ness-fee business as a soft snap, and
| want to know by what influence have
been withdrawn from the pay roll as a
witness" That was the last shaft of
sarcasm and ridicule which broke the
back of the committee. Very soon aft
erwards all of the Correspondents who
had been summoncdGs witnesses Were
notified that they wGAld be no longer
needed. Hosford's @atire was simply
CALLING. He had only tsen before the com
mittee one hour, butgeis name had been
retained on the witrsSss roll as await
ing orders, and he was entitled to the
daily fees which he demanded and drew,
expressing great indignation, apparent
ly, that the witness fees could not so on
forever. Since that time the statesmen
of the senate have been very reserved
and dignifcd in their reference to gen.
tlemen of the press gallery and their
methods of obtaining information. But
within the last few days local paper
printed q brief synopsis of the discus
olOhS LII SACCutISC SCSSlOu O1 tIlC SullI
question. Certain members of the SEN
ate are very indignant about the mat
ter, and are threatening an investiga-
ton concerning the senatorial leakage
upon this question. 1t is probable that
there will be sufficient sober sense
and good judgment in the body to pre-
vent them from enacting another farce
like the Dolph smelling committee.
Ten years ago Senator Edmunds
asked Gen. Boynton how senatorial
secrets were discovered, and the re-
Spouse of the distinguished correspon-
dent was: senator Edmunds, if you
will give me your word that you will
not repeat to anyone what say to you,
will give you the information which
you desire" The senator from YER
mont gave immediate acquiescence of
secrecy, and Gen. Boynton added:
''Thcre is a large air shaft leading to
the senate. which is covered by brass
CRATE on the floor Immediately in front
of the vice presidents desk. The cor
respondents crawl up that shaft, one by
one, taking turns, and taking notes of
everything that is said in executive ses-
sions."
1t is probable that the senator never
until this day told anyone what he
had learned, but it is well known fact
that the door leading to that air shaft
has been locked from that day until
this, SO that it is impossible for any of
the wicked fellows to crawl in there.
AS a matter of fact, Gen. Boynton gave
the senator fairy story out of his own
imagination, because none of the cor
respondents ever had entered that air
shaft, and it would be physical impos-
sibility for any of them to ascend it
under any circumstances. But the
senator was satisfied with the explana-
ton given him, and no harm was done,
not even to Gen. Boynton's conscience,
| because he was joking when he told
that story and had no idea that the sem
ator took it in dead earnest until he
learned afterwards that that air-shaft
door had been Theoretically scaled.
And, after all, nobody knows how the
correspondents gather their forbidden
| news concerning secret sessions.
SMITH D. Fry.