The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-12-23
If the slightest hesitation were shown about

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 DO
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 takes any exception to it,
recognizing the right of members to secure
to themselves, their friends and families
immunity from the crowding and jostliDg
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 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 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-
Dic. anu WHcIC tHcIc III
lions 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
l. Il 81
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 senators have
been shown into the room as soon as their
cards had been presented to the senators
and the latter had expressed a 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 few do to this day. This was accom-
plished under the rule which permits sem
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 senator's
and as such had the right to pass in and
out at WEI. 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 We're 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. 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 the rules were enforced
But to force ones way in where he knows
he is not wanted is a different matter, and
90 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
20 how Ia Al
floor under the fiction of being clerks to
senators. 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 senator's sitting on
the sofas. He organized a 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
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 senator's and their
guests, and the public is not admitted I'M
less on the invitation of senator Repre-
sentatiyes have the same rights in these
rooms as senators, and many members OF
the house do go over TO the senate restau-
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 the house res
taarant no such reservation is made, and
statesmen. employees, lobbyists, strangers
and everybody dine together indiscrimi-
nately.
He Was Asleep.
Senatorial exciusiveness now and then
becomes offensive, but not often. For in
stance, it is not pleasant 20 attempt en-
trance TO a committee room and TO he met
AT the door by a watchman who informs
you that you are not Permitted inside You
ask if there is meeting of the committee,
for you are perfectly willing to recognize
the right of the committee 10 hold its ses-
sions IL private If il wishes. No, the coul-
mittee is not in session Then why can
not go iat' Well, because You can't"
That is not a satisfactory reason. SIR
This is public office in a public building
owned by the people Of the United States.
Of whom | am one. sir, and | demand TO
known by whose order this door Is closed
against me We shall see il an American
citizen has no rights in this building Why
do you refuse NE entrance Because,
sir, Senator Blank Is asleep inside ard or
Geresi me Lot To lei auy one disturb him :,