The Progress., 1893-12-23


popular notion TO the contrary. Human
nature has as wide extremes in the senate
as it has out in the great world, and there
are senators who would feel almost insult
ed II he elevator man were to ask them If
they wished to be carried up when the 9th
or passengers wanted to go down, while
some of their confreres would feel insulted
if the slightest hesitation were shown about
consulting and obeying their wishes.
After all, it is more the individual than
the parliamentary body to which he be
longs At the house end of the capitol a
card is frequently hung on one of the ele-
vators. For Members and Their Families
Only" and no one takes any exception to it,
recognizing he right of members TO secure
to themselves, their friends and families
immunity from the crowding and jOstling
on davs oi large attendance in the galleries.
The same rule put into force at the senate
raises a storm of denunciatiOn. In many
WAYS the senate, with all it's tendency to-
ward exclusiveness, has been more gener-
GUS to visitors and to representatives of the
press than has the house of representatives.
1t is only within the past few months that
the splendid lobby in the rear of the house
one of the most spacious and beautiful
apartments in the capitol-has been used
by anv one but members of the house.
Neither representatives of the press nor the
friends of members were permitted to step
within it's sacred precincts while the house
was in session. Callers upon members were
compelled TO hold their interviews in the
! public corridors, where privacy is impOssi-
BILE, and where there are no accOmmOda-
tions whatever in the way of seats or sofas.
Now the rule has been changed in so far
| that representatives of the press are given
/ access to the lobby for the purpose of talk
/ ing with members, but as soon as their
/ business is concluded they are required to
depart.
Rules Rigidly Drawn.
The corresponding lobby in the rear of
the senate chamber, another beautiful
/ apartment known as the Marble room,
has for many years been freely used as a
meeting place between senators and their
visitors. Newspaper correspondents have
/ always had access TO it without any formal
| ity, while other callers upon senators have
been shown into the room as soon as their
cards had been presented to the senators
and the latter had expressed willingness
to receive the visitors.
To this day newspaper men are not al
lowed on the floor of the house. The only
journalists who have the right to the floor
are the official reporters of the two press
associatiOns-six men in all. There has
been no way of getting round the rule. In
the senate, however, many newspaper men
have enjoyed the privileges of the floor,
and a few do to this day. This was accom-
plished under the rule which permits IA sen
ator TO employ secretary at the expense
of the government and to have that secre-
tary come ON the floor for the purpose OF
consultation with him or attendance upon
his wishes. Two or three years ago as many
as 20 newspaper correspondents were on the
rolls of the senate as clerks TO senators,
and as such had the right to pass in and
out at will. Except in one or two cases
they drew no salary for u ~ nominal serv-
ice, or if they did draw it 0mptly turned
it over to the person who actually perform
ed the work which they were nOminally
responsible for.
This way of beating the rules was in time
so much abused, so many newspaper men
spending half their time on the floor and
causing comment and unpleasant remarks
among those senators who did not believe
in the practice, that now the rules ART
drawn more rigidly, and hut five or SIX
newspaper men care to subject themselves
to criticism in order to secure the advan
tages of access to the floor. As rule the
newspaper correspondents are self respect
ing lot. SO long as the practice was gen
eral and was winked at by all concerned
they were willing to take advantage of tn,
iaxness with which the rules were enforced
But to force ones way in where he know:
he is not wanted is a different matter, anC
20 or more correspondents who could hav,
this privilege if they chose to exert them
: selves for it have voluntarily refrained.
Lordly John j. Ingalls,.
John J. Ingalls, was the most persisten
stickler for the dignity of the senate, anC
he never was in favor of permitting news
paper men to have the privilege of tn
floor under the fiction of being clerks t.
senator's. AS presiding officer of the senat
Mr. Ingalls, used to keep an eagle eye on tn
doors, and whenever he saw man ente
who was unknown to him he sent ser
geant-at-arms to ascertain by what righ
the intruder occupied space in the chamber
If there was doubt about the matter at all
Ingalls, had the man promptly invited out
ingalls, used to boil with rage sometimes a
he looked about the floor and saw so man
young men, correspondents, committe
clerks and secretaries to senators, sitting o
the sofas. He organized a regular crusad
p against this interloping, which he elaine
was undignifed and calculated to lead t
the degeneration of the chamber into
/ mere lettering place. Through his efforts
stricter application of the rules was q
length brought about, and now the floor {
r the senate chamber is comparatively FIRE
; from the presence of persons who are nc
e employees or senators.
q The senate is more exclusive than th
. house in certain ways, but not offensivel
/ so. Ia the restaurant two rooms are ST
e apart for the use of senator's and the
. guests, and the public is not admitted vi
r less on the invitation of senator. Repr
e sentatives have the same rights in the:
4 | .......,,. ~. nonntor. nnh ,nnnu mann harS