The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-04-12
REMOVED AS A TRAITOR.
THE SENATE DISMISSES ITS EX-
BCUTlVB CLERK.

| THE SENATE BUSINESSES ITS EX-
BOUTlvB CLERK.
He Was Suspected of Betrayins the
Secrets of the Executive. Sessions.
He Protested His Innocence and
Was Not Accorded the Investiga-
tion he Demanded-Newsp Men
!. Indignant
WASHINGTON, April 1.-THE Senate to-
day In executive session did what is regard
ed as one Of the most disoreditable things of
its un-Americau secret oonclaves. There
has always been more or less fuss made by
certain senators over the fact that the pro-
ceediugs Of the executive sesSi ions invariably
leaked out and were published in the
newspapers almost before the ses-
sions were concluded. Newspaper
men were accused of spying in some
unexplained way on the executive sessions,
listening at doors, concealing themselves in
the galleries or ia the lofts above the Senate
chamber, or in some other dishonorable way
learning the secrets of the star chamber
sessions But although many attempts were
made to detect the newspaper men in these
proceedings, they, invariably failed for the
newspaper men never did anything of the
| kind.
SENATORS THE CULPRTTS.
The fact is, newspaper men got their il
formation from the senators themselves
During the recent discussion Of the Bering
sea treaty with England the proceedings, as
usual, leaked out. Then all the confidential
| employees Of the Senate were turned out Of
| the chamber during the secret sessions, and
finally a resolution was introduced by Sem
ator Hale calling for the dismissal Of James
r. Young. the executive clerk of the SEN
ate, a Philadelphia newspaper man and
brother of John Russell Young, formerly
! minister to China. Mr., oung, in short,
was charged with divulging executive
secrets. Senator Cameron of Pennsylvania
| advised Mr.. Young to resign, but he re-
fused to do 80. He protested his innocence
of the grave charge brought against him
| and demanded hearing before the Senate.
YOUNG DISMISSED.
To-day the Senate in executive session
took up Mr.. YounR's case and without Civ
ing him any chance to defend himself passed
the resolution declaring his place vacant.
The rank injustice Of this proceeding will
be better understood when 1t fs
stated that Mr.. Young, on becoming
executive clerk, took an iron>clad oath
TO hold sacred the secrets of the executive
session. II he violated this oath, he would
| be liable to prosecution for perjury and on
| conviction il court would be severely pun
ished. Yet the Senate to-day, without
giving him any chance TO defend himself
tried and convicted him. The proceeding
has excited great indignation here.
POWERFUL PRESSURE AT WORK.
By the associated Press
WASHINGTON, April II. AFTER three and a
half hours spent in executive session behind
closed doors. and after a stormy debate the
| Senate to-day yielded to the powerful press
ure brought to bear by the committee on
foreign relations and vacated the office Of
| the executive clerk, filed for ten years by
James r. Young. When the doors were
closed a definite proposition was taken
up. 1t was to order an investi-
cation of the conduct of Mr..
Young, who had been excluded from
executive sessions ever since the Bering sea
| treaty was laid before the Senate. This was
defeated after a spirited contest. In which
Mr.. Manderson freely commented in terms
of bitter sarcasm upon the course Of the
senator's who were willing to cast an i'm
putation upon an honorable employe wiBh-
out atfording him an opportunity to vindi-
cate himself from suspicion.
YOUNG ASKED AN INVESTIGATION.
Mr.. Cameron presented a letter from Mr..
Young, in which the latter, while signify
ing his willingness to surrender mis- office at
the will of the Senate, in a PLAIN, manly
way, requested a thorough investigation,
stating that if he had betrayed the execu-
tive secrets, as had been alleged, he was
liable Co punishment under the law, and
that be was perfectly ready to abide
by the result. There was some
difficulty in getting quorum. but finally
this was secured and the motion looking to
an investigation was defeated by narrow
O. I'D
jorIty that the members of the foreign re-
lations committee became alarmed, and
under the leadership OF MIR. Sherman, aided
by Mr.. Hale, they redoubled
their efforts to reap the fruits
of their victory through the adoption of a
resolution declaring the Office of executive
clerk vacant. 1t was stated to the senator's
who betrayed reluctance to join in the
movement to convict the clerk without In
vestigaton, that the committe on foreign
relations had absolutely satisfied itself Of
the justice Of the proposition.
sLUR ON ALL THE CLERKS.
It was said that if tho Senate desired to
maintain the secrecy of executive sess ons,
the number Of employ es'in whom confidence
was reposed must be decreased below the
present number, and that secrecy had been
maintained since the employees had been ex-
cuded. Finally, however, the com Dittee
made the matter personal is ue and im-
pliei that the Senate must choose between
its member and Mr.. Young, intimatiug
that they would refuse to participate in
executive business il the clerks were not
dismissed Under this kind Of statement,
despite the efforts Of Mr. Msuderson. aud
OF er advocates Of a fair investigation, the
junior senator's who symnathiaed with the
clerk gradually weakened and fearful OF
mourning the i'll will CT the powerful COM
mittee en- foreign relations, voted reluc-
tantly for the resolution vacating the office,
which was carried by about ten majority.
AN EDITORIAL DEyUNCIATIoN.
The Post says editorialy: "In adopting
the resolution which removes hr. Young,
the Senate has committed a cruel wrong
against Uried a0d trusted official. Mo
than Unis, it has behind closed doors, in the
dark and under the cloak Of secrecy, sue
cessfully stabbed at the character Of an Of
ticlal by charging him with b.
trayal Of his trust, and this, too,
without allowing him TO speak in his own
defense or giving him opportunity of an
investigation to eLonerate himself from
aspersions which his unknown and am
hushed enemies have cast upon him. The
right of the Senate to remove an official is
not denied. But to send him forth
with blackened name, unless
the charge Is Just, Is inde-