The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-02-11


Is IL NOT about tluae Tor the senate OF the
United States 70 rid iisels o. the Obsolete
fiction thst proceedlnzs in executive ses-
sion should BE- conducted WITH closed
doora, ard with tae nol~rnn pretext that
absolute aecrcev ~ 70 III the proceedings
is to he observedg Every orc knows that
there is no saeh secrecy ~ tact. and that
the proceedings hoa b. executive session
- the senate are reported IA eli OK the
daiiy nesspaDera o. the oouutry as folly
aud wits ~ exact attention 30 detail as
II the ease with proceedings had in open
session. and wrh the press gallery aned
with the authorized representative % the
press.
Tho discussion over the arbitration
treaty b. g case in point The senate
Frsselg voted down the proposition TO dis
cuaa the treaty IN open session. in de-
bate iu which many profound and oraeu-
lar utferaneea were made b different sen
ators. on the necessity which existed OF
considering matters OF such Importance in
secret so that each senator could remain
entirely unhampered in ais vote and
action hy any fear that the proceedings
would be disclosed 10 the public.
After going through this solemn farce
secret session Is had and the senators
have the pleasure OF reading the follow
Ing morning in the columns OF the daily
press a fuli record OF the proceedings. as
from long experience they certainly knew
would be the case. Occasionally some per
functorv surprise Is expressed at the
fulIness and accuracy OF the press reports.
ns was the case on Tuesday last. when
two hours OF the executive session was
spent In a grave discussion OF the prob
lem how the press succeeded in getting
such reports OF a supposed secret meet
ink. ore senator insisted that there GER
tainly must have been some Newspaper
man concealed in the senate chamber. and
the other senators laudably succeeded in
preserving their gravity when the farcicdI
suggestion was made.
Every newspaper man knows that the
preteuse Of secrecy about proceedings Of
the senate Ia executive session Is farcical'
that the supposed obligation 90 maintain
secret the proceedings Is entirely disre-
rardod by the senators themselves. ana
that no extraordinary or underhanded
methods are necessary 10 enable tae press
representatives - obtain fun data as 10
all the proceedings in such sessions. No
one knows better than the senators them
selves that the information which the
press receives does not come from tho
trusted employees OF the senate, but from
the members % the body.
There e. current belief that the hold
ing az executive sessions OF Tho senate
wisn closed doors Is so strenuously insist
"a upon hy the senators not so much 20
preserve tbe sstrecy Of their proceedings.
SIS 70 relieve them OF the actual pres
cace of spectators Of their proceedings.
that they may thus De permitted 10 relax
somewhat from the austerity and dignity
81 dsnrauor which tradition has rendered
obligatory upon tho senators when their
deliberations are under tbe public eye.
and that In the secrecy ~ executive SEES
sion thjs relaxation from the public st'i-
tu8e occasionally takes rather undignt-
fed form
The discretion % newspaper men. espec-
tally 81 WASHINGTON correspondents. IS
tborousely veH known go an men in pub
lic life and 60 no one better than 90 the
senators Themselves. Tbo fact thai 20
correspondent has evec divulged the
a8urces of hl> information as ta proceed
fuEa in ezceafltc session OK she senate Is
PROOF positive 81 tats f,et Il would seem.
az = 9