The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-12-29

selves OF this elevator privilege, but quiet
ly tell the man in charge of the machine to
go on with his regular trip. The senator's
who do this are gcntlemen-and n great
many senator's are gentlemen, despte the
popular notion to the contrary. Human
nature has rs wide extremes in the senate
as it has out in the great world and there
are senators who would feel almost insult
ed If the elevator man were to ask them if
they wished to be carried up when the 9TH
err passengers wanted to 20 down, whilo
some of their confrcres 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 the right of members to 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 storm of denunciation. In MANY
ways the senate, with all its tendency to-
ward eNclusiveness, 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 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 the
public corridors, where privacy is impossi-
BILE, and where there are no accommodate
tiODS whatQypr. in tho xvov ,,f cent. ~, .oe.,..
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 rs 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
meeting place between senators and their
visitors. Newspaper correspondents have
always had access to it without any formal
lty, while other callers upon senators have
been shown into the room rs 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
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 n secretary at the expense
of the government and to have that secre-
tary come Oh the floor for the purpose of
consultation with him or attendance upon
his wishes. Two or three years ago rs many
rs ~ newspaper correspondents were on the
rolls of the senate as clerks to senator's.
and rs such had the right to pass in and
out at will. Except in one or two cases
they drew no salary for this nominal scrv-
ice, or if they did draw it promptly turned
IL 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 rule the
newspaper correspondents are self respect
| ing lot. 80 long as the practice was gen.
| eral and was winked at by all concerned.
they were willing to take advantage of the
laSness with which the rules were enforced.
But to force ones way in where he knows
he is not wanted is Il 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,.
al, IL,
| stckler for the dignity of the senate, and
he never was iii favor of permitting news
paper men to have the privilege of the
floor under the fiction of being clerks to
| senators. AS presiding officer of the senate
| MI ingalls, used to keep an eagle eve on the
| doors, and whenever he saw man enter
who was unknown to him he sent SER
geant-at-arms to ascertain by what right
| the intruder occupied space in the chamber.
| III there was doubt about the matter mt all.
ingalls, had the man promptly invited out.
ingalls, used to boil with rage sometimes as
| he looked about the floor and saw so mary
| 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 n
! mere lettering place. Through his efforts n
| strcter application of the rules was mt
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 senator's and their
| guests, and the public is not admitted IN
less on the invitation of senator. Repre-
! sentatives have the same riuhts In these