Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-05-14
AMUSING ATTEMPTS
Of the United States Senate
to Preserve Sec re y
The News Of the Executive Sessions
Is Very Sure to Leak Out.
Views Of ingalls, Before He Was Statesman
Out Of a Job''


day the general arbitration treaty between
the United States and Great Britain was
defeated in the senate there occurred an
incident which up to this time has not
reached the car Of tho public just after
the vote was taken q senator made a sug-
Restion that the ballot be given to the rep
rcsentatives of the press in order that the
details might be correctly reported. 10
this storm of objections at once arose,
and while the grave and reverend senators
were seriously discussing the question
whether or not tho seal of secrecy should
bc removed, one senator, western man.
rose and said:
ut would be advisable for the senate to
make haste and decide this question, for,
If you do not, the newspaper men VIII
have all tho particulars of the vote on the
wires before you have reached decision. !"
This remark raised great laugh and
the motion to throw the details of the vote
open to the public was carried in the era
of good feeling which cDsued. But it was
too late. The vote of every senator was
already ON the wires correctly given. For
the facts concerning this amusing incident
ncnt members of the senate who thought it
too good joke to keep.
No Eavesdropping.
During the debate on the arbitration
treaty which preceded tho final vote one
or two senators became very much excit-
cd. For the first time within my recollec-
ton as member of the press gallery it
was possible to hear voices within the sen
ate chamber whilo the doors were closed
for an executive session. Not only could
the men in the press gallery hear voices
within, but they could distinguish the pc
culiar infections and tones of Senator
Roger @. Mills, but not word of what he
said was audible. Moreover, and at this
the old fogy senators who constantly inn
agino newspaper men are trying to play
the eavestropper, NOS n single press man
left his seat or approached the door or
made tho slightest effort to hear what was
going on inside.
Two dozen newspaper correspondents
were sitting about III 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 second agreed
that itwas Mills, and all hands continued
their conversation, apparently wholly OBJ
livious to Mr.. Mills existence.
ingalls, as He Was.
Some years ago, when tho 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 it
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
Tho proceedings were stopped. Senators
walked about on tiptoc. a N officer OF the
senate was informed that an eavesdrop-
ping correspondent was in the upper part
of the chamber listening to the proceed
ings. He sent Il squad of his most agile
men after tho intruder While awaiting
the capture CT the interloper tho excite
mcnt among the senators became intense.
AT last, thought the statesmen, the man
ner in which the newspaper correspond
eDts fathomed all the secrets Of the execu-
tive sessions was to be uncarthed. In al
most breathlcss silence ana tense expect
ancy the senate awaited the report OF the
sergeant at arms. In ten minutes that
official came in. Every eye was upon him.
Mr.. ingalls, was in the chair and he added
to the solcmnity of the occasion by the
manner in which he greeted tie sergeant
alarms and babe him speak.
'Mr President" said the Official, 81
have to report that one of the carpenters Of
the senate force has been up under the roof
of the chamber fixing II broken trapdoor. -
This ending of the senatorial man hunt
was SO ludicrous that to this day it re
mains tender subject with some of the
older senators.
When John J. ingalls, was the tempo
rary president of the senate, long before he
became newspaper writer himself. he
was one of the greatest sticklers for thc
privacy Of the senate chamber. He used to
say that if he had his way about it he
would put in Jail for contempt every news
paper man who printed any news concern
ing the secret sessions. One day Mr.. In
gals broke out in Il torrent of exclamation
concerning the wckcdness of newspaper
mon in general and Washington CORE
spondents in particular III the presence of
member of the local corps of writer's.
Nothing to Say.
"Senator, said this newspaper man
finally, "do you remember how angry you
were when So-and so was confirmed by the
senate in executive session? II you will
make II little effort, l am sure you will re-
call that you bitterly opposed his confir-
nation, and after he had been put through
by his friends You talked to mo very freely
about it. Without intending to do so, you
told me great many things that had beer
said during the debate and you also gave
me an intilnation as to how certain sen
ators had voted That was because you
were interested in the case. Has it never
occurred to you that some senators are in
terested in every ease that comes before
your body i'll executive session. Do you
think 1t fair under the circumstances to 81
on charging the newspaper men with get
ting their information about your secre
sessions by peepholing and eavesdrop
pings"
For once Mr. ingalls, had nothing to say
He dropped the subject.
While secret sessions appear to be ne
ccssity in the system which our forefather
created, and there are many arguments