The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-02-10
That is Where Senator's
Relax Dignity.
How They Were Held in
Webster and Ch0ate'S Day.
McKinley's Private Secretary-Mr.
Thurber's Idea Of His Duty.

WASHINGTON, Feb. To- Special. THE
senate is now holding some very interest.
Ing secret sessions for consideration of the
general arbitration treaty. AS rule, the
newspaper correspondents manage to So
cure fairly accurate report of the debate.
but they do not gather any descriptions OF
the scenes WHICH every executive session
presents. An o,d senator tells me some ex-
oeodingly good gossip about the secret ses
sions Just as soon as the doors are
closed" he says, "cvery man who smokes
pulls out cigar and lights IT, This is the
first evidence which chance observer
would have of the delightful informality
which marks our executive sessions. But
he would not have long 20 wait for other
evidences. We feel rs free and easy In these
sessions as men do sitting about In club,
or, perhaps, IL is more like the meeting OF
n board of directors where the members
are all old friends Everything iatlore In
the most informal way. Often three OF
four men will be talking at once. II
senator Is making speech and some ont
wants 20 ask him question. he simply
yells it out. OF course there is the presid
ing officer, and some little attention is PAID
10 the rules and decorum Of debate, but
not very much.
Like Schoolboys.
"The truth is," continued the senator
"that we arc more like lot of schoolboys
just as soon as the restraint of publicity I.
removed by the closing of the doors we all
feel like boys who have been let out of the
classroom, or like the pupils in the room
when the teacher is suddenly called away.
We feel like cutting up and having gooo
time. / have heard some pretty lively
stories told in these executive sessions
"An executive session is more like n club
than anything else, though we do moi
drink on the floor. There is n tradition,
however, that In the cid days our forefa
thers used TO pull out bottles and jugs anc
pass them around during the secret ses
sions. If you were to gain access 20 one OF
our secret sessions of these days, you
would SEQ a lot of men usually very digni
fled and careful in their department
lounging about in any convenient OF
comfortable way--some with their arms
around the shoulders OF others, some with
their feet uIon their desks, some sitting
on the sccretary's table and dangling thei
- feet about Hike boys. There is HethiHs
really bad or improper about 10 all, except
thnt it looks deiciously naughty, in con
trast with with the solemnity OF the public
sessions
The senator's reference to the old times
reminds me of story of Daniel Webster
and Rufus Choate which heard the Other
day and which / think Is new 10 the prints
Webster and Choate We're usually hare
pressed for cash, and, being fast friends
they borrowed of one another whenever
either chanced to be i'm funds. One day
Choate hunted up Webster and said tt
him:
Daniel, must have n couple hundred
dollars Can't you help me out in some
wayf'
lam in just the same predicamcnt my
self, responded Webster. II don't know
where on earth L could turn TO get tina
much money. But stay l have an idea
Choate, give me your note for S400. III
indorse 10, and we'll go down and see II
Mr.. Corcoran is in good humor today
Maybe he will let us have the money, an6
then we shall both be happy"
Mr.. Choate made ont his note, Webster
indorsed it, and the two great men walked
down To Mr.. Corcoran bank. AS 1t hap
pcned, Uhc eminent banker was not in. Tht
cashier to whom the promissory note wai
presented was quito overcome by the name:
and the presence of two such distinguished
statesmen, and he promptly and with al
proper rolitcness exclaimed through hi,
little window:
Certainly. Mr.. Webster. How will 20,
have it-gold or notesT'
A Prom issory Note.
Mr.. Webster was so overcome that for Q