The Helena independent., 1893-12-28

ly tell the man IN charge OF the machine TO
10 on with his regular trip. Tho senator's
who do this are gentlemen--nnd greac
many senators are gentlemen, despite the
popular notion to tho contrary. Human
nnturs has us wide extremes In the senate
as 1t has out In the grcat world, and there
are senators who would feel almost insult
I'd II the elevator man were to ask them u
they wished to be carried up when tho 9th
or passengers wnnted to go down, while
some OF their confreres would feel insuited
II the slightest hesitation were shown about
consulting and obcyin2 their wishes.
After all, 1t Is more the individual than
the parliamentary body to which he be-
longs. At the house end OF the capitol
card is frequently hung on one OF the ele-
vators, For Members and Their Families
Only" and no one takesnny exception to 1t,
recognizing the right Of members 10 secure
to themselves, their friends and families
immunity from the crowding and jostling
on days of large attendance in the galleries.
The same rule put into force at the senate
raises a storm OF denunciation. In many
ways the sennte, with all its tendency to-
ward exclusiveness, has been more gener-
GUS to visitors and to representatives of the
1t Ia 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 any one but members of the house.
Neither representatives of the press nor the
friends of members were permitted to step
within its sacred precincts while the house
was in session. Callers upon members were
compelled to hold their interviews in tho
public corridors, where privacy is impossi-
BILE, and where there are no accommoda-
tions wbatever,in the way of seats or sofas.
Now the rule has been chHnged 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 arc required to
depart.
Rules Rigid1y 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
meeting place between senators and their
visitors. Newspaper correspondents have
| always had access to it without any formal
| ity, while other callers upon senator's have
been shown into the room as soon as their
cards had been presented to the senators
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 few do to this day. This was accom-
| plished under the rule which permits SEN
ator to employ q 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 this nominal serv-
ice, or if they did draw it promptly 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 are
drawn more rigidly, and but five or six
newspaper men care to subject themselves
to criticism in order to secure the advan-
tages of access to the floor. AS a 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 the
laxness with which thcrules were enforced.
D,,< <<>f -
he is not wanted is different matter, and
20 or more correspondents who could have
this privilege if they chose to exert them
selves for it have voluntarily refrained.
| Lordly John j. Ingalls,.
John J. Ingalls, was the most persistent
stickler for the dignity of the senate and
he never was in favor of permitting news
paper men to have the privilege of the
floor under the fiction of being clerks to
senator's AS presiding officer of the senate
Mr.. Ingalls, used to keep an eagle eye on the
doors, and whenever he saw man enter
who was unknown to him he sent a SER
geant-at-arms to ascertain by what right
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 as
he looked about the floor and saw so many
young men, correspondents committee
clerks and secretaries to senators, sitting on
the sofas. He organized regular crusade
against this interloping. which he claimed
was undignified and calculated to lead to
the degeneration of the chamber into a
mere lettering place. Through his efforts a
stricter application of the rules was at
length brought about, and now the floor OF
the senate chamber is comparatively free
from the presence of persons who are not
employees or senators.
The senate is more exclusive than the
house in certain ways, but not Extensively
SO. In the restaurant two rooms are set
apart for the use of senators and Their
guests, and the public is not admitted un.
less on the invitation of u senator. Repre-
sentatives have the same rights in these
rooms as senators, and many members OF
the house do go over to the senate restal.
rant for their luncheons, largely because OF
the advantages offered by this reservation
of apartments for the use of people who are
known to each other. In tho house res.
taurant no such reservation is made, and
statesmen, employees, lobbyists, strangers
and everybody dine together indiscrimi.
nately.
Ho Was Asleep.
| Senatorial eSclusiyeness now and then