The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-01-17
SENATOR'S ARE SACRED.
New Rules to Guard Them Against
Contact with the Populace.
Tho Open-Door System Resulted In Fro
quent Interruptions Of the MEM
bers by Tramps and sight
Seers of All Sorts.

] SoSAS Va All SOAsSs
Senatorial exclusiveness is growing
thicker.
Many complaints have burdened the
columns of far-of papers during the
year of the increasing tendency OF the
members of the American house OF
| lords to erect barriers between them
selves and the great public. Time
| was, says the Washington News, when
| citizen could find access to the eaI
of senator with his complaints and
| hobbies and suggestion, about as easi'
| ly as he could reach representative
| and that is no more difficult than to
get audience with any very busy busi
| ness man.
When the senate was in actual ses-
sion the doorlseeper would carry in
! card-the drop a-pasteboard in the
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES process
which still works over at the house
| unless the member happens to know
that you have little private bill, or
want to get relative into Office, or
perchance Mr.. Reed is on his feet. or a
new story is being told in the environs
of Mr.. Kilgore's seat.
One innovation which marked the
beginning of this session is being re-
marked upon at the capitol. Formerly
the box-like historic chamber which SO
impresses the casual visitor by its
tawdry. theatrical gliding, was thrown
open for whoever cared to enter at
all times when the senate was not in
action.
The privileges of the public have
been slightly curtailed this session by
a new custom, the closing of the doors
to visitors at nine o'clock in the morn
ing and keeping them closed until the
senate has adjourned in the afternoon.
Few people in Washington have fin
ished breakfast at nine o'clock, none
of them go to the capitol before that
hour, so that inspection of the SEN
ate chamber by visitors will hereafter
be limited to the view from the CALLER
ies, which are always open, except
when the senate is in executive session
No more tourists from the far states
can take home with them the story of
how they sat in the vice presidents
chair and curled their limbs under the
desk where Roscoe Conkling and other
great men have sat.
The grumblers say that this new Gus.
tom is right along the line with other
rules established by the last one or
two congresses - the instructions to
the doorkeepers not to take in cards
during the morning hour consecrated
to general business being one.
This privilege to visiting constitu-
ents and the general public of thrust
ing in a card and then leaving in huff
if your senator did not choose to come
out smiling with any stretch of his
time at your disposal to listen to the
merits of your pension bill, or hear
how you had always wanted to say
that you had shaken hands with him
has been greatly curtailed of late.
During the last session one senator
accused another of having ordered the
doorkeepers not to bring in cards while
he was speaking, step which is fire.
quently taken by the veterans. and
which the younger senator's are con-
strained by senatorial courtesy to &C.
quiesce in.
But there is a senator's side to the
latest established custom of closing the
doors during the morning hours before
the sessions have begun. Several SEN
ators find it convenient almost every
day to attend to their correspondence
at their desks. One who is almost al
ways to be found in his seat writing in
the morning since change of admin
istration turned over his committee
room to democrat is the venerable
Senator Morrill,, of Vermont. The dis
tance of the Maltby, where the repub-
lican senators have their private rooms,
leads several to the custom of making
Offices of their desks.
Under the old rule of open doors the
whole populace was at liberty to touch
elbows with any senator who happened
to be at his desk earlier than 11:45.
There were no restrictions of race or
personal cleanliness. Beer-soaked
tramps and loving couples on their
wedding trips strayed in to stare and
comment. They stood around to make
remarks on the few senators visible,
made audible remarks about their
books and pointed with umbrellas and
canes, as the visitors to art galleries
are warned not TO do
These things were the penalties OF
prominence, but they were not alto
gether pleasing to senator's, and they
were growing worse as the numbers oi
visitors to Washington increased. Con |
sequently the edict has gone forth thi: |
session that the open-nouthed popu |
lace shall be limited to the galleries il |
its senate sightseeing. Many will &C !
away to declare that the senate il |
elevating itself above the people and |
that democratic simplicity is a thing 1
OF the past.
But senator's say in self-defense: 'Ir /
the name of democratic simplicity ar.
we to be on exhibition like the animals |
of menagcrie?"