Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-04-29


Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, April 5.-We have been en-
joying our annual laugh at the expense of
the United States senate. About once
year the senate permits itself to 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 are
more carefully reported in the papers than
the open sessions. As a 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 so
empty. Usually one can see in these gal
leres but three or four men. Apparently
the Representatives of the great newspapers
of the land do not care a 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
running account of all that takes place.
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
unoccuped. When an executive session is
held the correspondents and everybody
else are driven out Suddenly the same
correspondents who were paying no atten-
ton whatever to the public session be-
come possessed of consuming desire to
know what is going on in executive session.
Perhaps the secret session is of no greater
importance than the public session had
been That makes no difference: informa-
ton concerning 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-
freshment SO it happens that next morn
ing pretty full accounts of what was said
and done in the executive session appears
day for about a twevemonth 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 bv some comical fea-
lures. In the first place the older sena-
tors, who regard themselves as the par
ticular champions of the invioability of
secret sessions, attempted to institute Il
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 he Summarilv dealt with. 1t
was intimated that resolutions to cNpel
the offenders might be introduced. Natu-
rally this sort of talk from the leaders Gre
ated Il good deal of excitement among the
younger members of the senate. They
looked one at another and held whispered
consultation in the cluakroGms. In II few
minutes there seemed to be an understand
ing throughout the chamber that every
body was to appear quite as Indignant as
the old senators at the violation of the rule
of secrecy Everybody did look indignant.
Everybody lifted his voice for ferreting
out the offenders and Furnishing them
Every face wore an expression of inno-
cence and virtue. And when it was all
over and nothing done, every one smiled
to himself and the younger senators
nudged their neighbors and shrugged their
shoulders
That night for the first and perha 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 to dinner were at
the theater, had gone to the club. The
few who could be found shut their lips
tightly and refused to utter whisper.
There were rumors that the old senators
had hired detectives and set them to watch
the houses of those 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
morning the newspapers had little or no
news of the previous days executive SEES
sion. but from that day to this they have
had better reports than usual.
The old senators who were determined
to put a stop to the giving away of eXecu-
tive secrets went to an extreme in this
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