The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-04-10


almost his language. word for word The
newspaper corps OF Washington believes in
standing together for the rights OF the pro
fession, and they not only took the trouble
TO give this object lesson of the manner in
which executive session secrets are and are
not obtained, but they have agreed TO await
a fitting opportunity to make things par
ticularly disagrceablc for one or two sena'
tors who have been most bitter in the un-
just and unmanly persecution OF Executive
Clerk Young.
Correspondents do not find 1t necessary
20 use monographs nor 10 impose upon
confidential officers Of the senate IN obtain
ing information concerning the so called
secret sessions OF the senate. lhcre Is nc
secret about the manner IN which this
information is sought and obtained day
after day. and II there is any senator who
doesn't know the modus operandi, shall
be clad 10 enlighten him. The informa-
tiOn is obtained from senator's themselves.
The mouth of n senator is the only source
Of executive session news winch any CORE
snondent over thought Of tapping Because
correspondents do not accost senator's NJ
the Capitol after the executive sessions
are over is no sign that they do not do so
elsewhere and at more fitting oppor-
tunitv. II is a rule among newspaper men
To- LET senator's alone az the senate. so far as
secret sessions are concerned. That is not
the Mace in which a senator opens his
mouth and lets fall those precious bits of
information which go TO make up the
Trustworthy and skillfully constructed dis
patches 10 the daily newspapers. The cor
respondents know n trick worth three or
four Of that They wait till evening, Till
senators have had their dinners and set
tied down in their libraries or dens, with
good cigars between their lips, when they
are at peace with all the world and con-
scious that no eavesdroppers or watchers
arc there TO make them afraid 1t is then
that the correspondent drops in on few
OF his senatorial friends, one after another,
and chats about the topics of the day.
Senator" the correspondent may say to
one of his friends from the American hOuse
of lords what do You think is likely to
bcthc outcome Of the Behring sea matter?"
1T looks as if we would ratify the
treaty." may be the senator's reply. "Sen-
ators So and So are for it. Senator This
says such and such reasons are convincing
TO him, and Senator That argues that these
other reasons are quite rs convincing. Sen
ator Tother is opposed to it, and his argu-
ment is a very good one. 1t runs in this
fashion"
And D the senator continues 10 gossip,
the CORRESPONDENT carefully listening. Not
a word is said about the executive session.
Not a word is uttered to show that the Sc
crct session Of the senate has been IN the
mind Of the senator or his visitor. But the
newspaper man knows just the same that
Senator This, Senator That and Senator
T'other have made speeches in the execu-
tive session. and still better he knows
what they have said After a correspond
ept has called on two or three of his sena-
torial friends and has had two or three
chats OF this nature he knows as much as
he wants to know and as much as the sub
scribers TO his paper will care read about
the executive session. As rule three or
four corresp ondents club together on execu-
tive session news. What one doesn't pick
DID another does, and when it is all put to
cether it makes a satisfactory story. 1t is
very simple, very easy, very common. This
is the manner in which executive session
news is gathered, and a majority of the
senators know it quite as well as the news
gatherers.
A wear or so ago the senate went into a
long. tedious and very solemn inyestiga-
ton Of the manner in which secret session
news leaks out They called many CORE
spondonts before them, and asked where
they had obtained news, and if from SEN
ators from which ones. At first they
asked these questions somewhat timidly.
They were not quite sure but what the
witnesses would tell, and that was just
what they didn't want. But it soon be
came apparent that the newspaper men
did not intend TO give away" the senators
who had befriended them, and then the
Questions were boldly and IN some cases
savagely put.
where. sir, or from whom, sir, have
YOU obtained information concerning the
secret sessions of the United States sen
ate?"
From you, sir" the witness might have
answered, but he didn't. What lie did re-
DIV was, From senators"
From which senators|
Il decline to say"
"You say you obtained your information
from senators. and that you decline to give
the names Of those senators?"
Precisely"
"That viii do"
And with this meager result the great
and solemn investigation came to an end.
Many Of the most sensible and progress
i've senators are in favor Of abOlishing the
secret session Of the senate. They regard
it as not only un-American, unrepub-
lican, unnecessary, but farcical and fool
ish They are not secret sessions, and
never will be. Whatever is worth know
ing will become known, sooner or later.
Then why go to all this trouble to main
tain a false pretense? One argument IN
favor Of continuing the secret session IS
that in discussing the fitness of men nom
mated for Office under the government by
the president, preliminary 10 confirmation
or rejection by the senate, 1t would not De
advisable to have all that is said go TO the
country through the newspapers. The re-
ply 10 this is that the people have as inuch
right to know what charges are brought
AGAINST men named for appointlye onlces as
they have in cases where men are named LOT
elective Offices 1t will not do TO assume
that the president of the United states Is
going to nominate men for responsible
Offices whose characters are so bad thaO
little public discussion concerning them Is
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