Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-06-04
SECRECY OPPOSED.
Senate Tradition and Prece.
dent Scorned.
HILL OF NEW YORK DISGUSTED.

He Wants tho Executive Session Abol.
ished and All Investigations Conducted
"Out of Doors"-A Speech That stirs
Up the Older Senators, and Intimates
That Our upper House" is Hardly Tn
to Date.
WASHINGTON, June AT the opening
of the senate session Hill again tried, and
this time successfully, 20 secure considera-
tion for the joint resolution authorizing the
secretary of war to institute proceedings
in condemnation to secure possession of
certain portions of the battlefield of Get
tysburg. The resolution was adopted.
Hill then called up his resolution direct
ing the special committee to investigate
the charges of bribery, senatorial specula-
ton, and the Influence of the sugar trust
in the framing of the sugar schedule to
throw open its doors while testimony was
being taken. He took the floor in support
Of the resolution. He argued that the
terms of the resolution under which the
special committee was appointed neither
authorized nor refused authority for Sc
cret sessions. No vote was taken ON the
resolution and it went over.
Win frtceuent NOrShlpprS.
The result was not a surprise. as Sena-
tor Hill said in the course of his speech:
1.-The senate is not ii touch with the
progressive spirit of the times, which de-
mands that there be no more executive
sessions of public bodies" Senator Hill
did not expect the resolution to be adopt
ed. He is too much in touch with the
spirit of the senate to hope for such a step
in advance at this time. But he had a lot
of fun with precedent worshipers and the
many spectators enjoyed the spectacle i'm
mensely. The old slaves of senatorial
courtesy, however. didn't enjoy it. For
long time they affected indifference. They
pretended not to hear. They assumed
deep interest in their newspapers Bat it
was easy to see that their eyes were fixed
And after awhile they dropped their roles
and wheeling around toward Hill listened
with rapt and open attention to all he
said.
Made a Strong speech.
The speech was a strong one and Hill
was very earnest. He began with the gen
eral proposition that the proceedings of
investigating committees CT the senate
should be open. There was, he declared,
no reason FOR secrecy. He urged that ev-
cry honest interest would be conserved by
ti4C press ~ bt al III
proceedings. He had list to show that
the majority of the congressional iuvesti-
cations of the last twenty years had been
open. The people of the country had, he
| declared with n swing of his arm,
right TO insist that the committee should
open its doors. The senate is engaged in
openly discussing the sugar schedule" he
cried. but st the same time a senate COM
mittee is secretly trying to discover the
origin of that schedule"
Disgust for Tradition.
Later. when Hunton numbered to the
| front with the query whether the history
of investigation showed an instance of
committee being controlled by a vote of
| the senate, query which brought mods
and looks OF a2prova! from the old sena-
tors, Hill Strengthened up and bluntly re-
retorted in manner which showed his
disgust for tradition:
II don't know: don't care There are
| a great many things which have never
| been done in this senate, and this with
much emphasisl there are IA great many
| which Will bc done. | know this senate
| HIS the power to adopt this resolution if
| it chooses. The people want no secrecy.
| The time will come when there will be no
executive sessions, when combinations
will be made in public. There isApo rea-
son for secrecy, and / hope that the time
when there is none viii come quickly"