The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-05-17
AIR OLD FOCY SENATE.
.. Amusing Attempts to Pre-
serve Secrecy.
..,,s xrvs OF EXECUTIVE SESSIONS

senator ingalls, Before He Was
s,.,esman out of Job'-saoredness
..e secret Sessions - Washington
Gossip,
r.sy,yerox. May l4.--lSpecial Tho
-, General arbitration treaty between
DAY Tod states and Great Britain was
satoated in the senate there occurred an
u'. which up 10 this time has not
'"s the ear of the public Just after
Tue 20 was taken senator made sug-
wv that the ballot be given to the rep
e,ot,ves of the press in order that the
i''e IL MIGHT be correctly reported To
49, storm of objections at once arose,
ln nS while the grave and reverend senators
np nro seriously discussing the question
weis ..or or not the seal of secrecy should
w. romoyed one senator, western man.
rose and salu a., ,4o 80
DO haste and decide this question, for
- yop do not the newspaper men will
80 all the particulars of the vote on the
,r,ros before you have reached decision.
This remark raised a great laugh, and
1,,,otion 70 throw the details of the vote
onen 70 the public was carried In the era
~ GOOD feeling which ensued But 1t was
Tate The vote of every senator was
sIroodv on the wires. correctly given. For
.ho focts concerning this amusing incident
an, Indebted TO one of the most promi-
nent members of the senate. who thought
It too good joke TO keep.
No Eavesdropping.
During tie debate on the arbitration
.,ootv which preceded the final vote one or
two senator's became very much excited.
For the first time within my recollection
os n member Of the press gallery it was
nossible TO hear voices within the senate
chamber while the doors were closed for
an executive session Not only could the
men in the press gallery hear voices with
IN but they could distinguish the peculiar
,naections and tones of Senator Roger g.
Mills but not word of what he said
was audible. Moreover. and at this the
old fogy senators who constantly imagine
newspaper men are trying to play the
eayesdropper, not n single press man left
his seat or approached the door or made
the slightest effort to hear what was going
on inside.
Two dozen newspaper correspondents
were sitting about in the lobby of their
gallery, waiting for the senate TO conclude
its vote upon the treaty, but not one of
them cared enough about what was being
said to make any effort to overhear. One
correspondent simply remarked, That's
Senator Mills talking now" whereupon
the others listened for "a second, agreed
that it was Mills. and all hands continued
their conversation, apparently wholly OBJ
liyious to Mr. Mills existence
ingalls, as He Was.
Some years ago. when the senate was
passing through one of its periodical agita-
tons concerning the manner in which the
news Of executive sessions reached the
press there occurred an incident even fun
nier than the one which have described
above As the senate sat in secret session
the shadow OF man was discovered as IL
fell athwart the skylight over the cham
Der As soon as it had been discerned by
one senator he called the attention of
Others TO the strange manifestation I'M
mediately there was much excitement
The proceedings were stopped. Senators
walked about ON tiptoe, An officer Of
the senate was informed that an caves
dropping correspondent was in the upper
part of the chamber listening to the pro
ceedings. He sent "a squad of his most
agile men after the intruder While await
Ing the capture of the interloper the ex-
element among the senator's became in
tense AT last, thought the statesmen, the
manner in which the newspaper corre-
spondents fathomed all the secrets of the
executive sessions was to be unearthed.
In almost breathless silence and tense ex.
pectancy the senate awaited the report OF
tne sergeant-at-arms. In ten minutes that
omcial came in. Every eye was upon
him Mr.. Ingalls, was in the chair and
ne added to the solemnity of the occasion
py the manner In which he greeted the
sergeant-at-arms and babe him speak
Mr.. President. said the official. ~
nave to report that one of the carpenters Of
the senate force has been up under the
roof Of the chamber fixing broken trap
door 4"
This ending of the senatorial man hunt
was so ludicrous that to this day 1t re-
mains tender subject with some of the
Older senator's.
"@h oohn %. Ingalls, was the Tempo
,ary president OF the senate, long before he
oecame newspaper writer himself he was
ono vi the greatest sticklers for the privacy
VI the senate chamber He used to say
'hat IL he had his way about 1t he would
pun IN jail for contempt every newspaper
man VINO printed any news concerning the
secret sessions One day Mr. Ingalls, broke
Vue IN torrent of exclamation concern
ans 'he wickedness of newspaper men in
general and Washington correspondents in
Particular In the presence of member Of
'he local corps of writers.
Nothing to Say.
senator" said this newspaper man
finally do you remember how angry you
"ere When So-and so was confirmed by the
senate IN executive session. If you will
make little effort. am sure you will re.
Val, that you bitterly opposed his conflr-
hn and after he had been put through
~ MS friends you talked to ma very freely
,o,s u Without intending to do so you
s so,a me great many things that had been
S"au uuring the debate. and you'also gave
an ihtimation as to how certain sen
.vors mad voted That was because you
".ie interested In the case. Has IL never
,o To you that some senator's are In.
" In every case that comes before
III, III oouy IN executive sessionsf Dc you