Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-01-19
SECRECYsOUTWlTTED.
How a Correspondent Learned Exec
utive Session Secrets.
An Old Story Of Hon. Hannibal Hamlis-l
Legal Cachinnator.

An old story about the late Hon
Hannibal Hamlin, father of the presen
Senator Hannibal Hamlin, of tn
judiciary committee. was revived ii
the Senate lobby the other evening, b,
two senators who were looking at tn
picture of the distinguished Maine maj
who was once the vice president of tn,
United States.
1t was in Mr.. Hamlin's early days a
a certain caucus in Hampdem. TIL.
| only attendants were himself and !:
citizen of very large stature Mr.
| Hamlin had some resolutions to pass
which began by representing that they
We're presented to large and re.
| spectacle" gathering of voters.
Hold on" cried the other man; 1--WE
can't pass that, for it amt true! II
amt large and respectable caucus!
There's only two of u.s." You keep
still, brother." commanded the willy
Hannibal; its all right. for you are
large and l am respectable. You just
keep still" So the resolutions Were
passed without further demur.
The secrecy of an executive session IS
usual that the executive sessions are of
that nature that there is little care
whether it is kept secret or not. and
is merely matter of form or the sug-
gestion of some one who wants to say
few words that he does not care to
have all hear. There is, in conse-
quence. quite a little fun poled at the
idea of trying to keep. anything from
the press in this manner.
A group of men who have been in
public life for number of years We're
discussing executive sessions. yester-
of time when a correspondent out
witted two senators in the national
Senate. This was few days after one
of the officials had been dismissed for
telling executive secrets.
A day or two after this man was dis
missed from the Senate upon the
charge Of .stealing executives: secrets
there was executive session of one
of the committees of the Senate. the
subjsot: under consideration being the
consideration of charges made against
the appointee. 1t was regarded of the
utmost Importance by the senators of
the committee that the matter should
be kept secret, and at the same time
there were two or three correspondents
to whom it was equally important that
the news should be had. There were
just two senators present at the meet
ing, and they sat in session several
hours. examining two or three wit
nesses, one at a time. AT the close of
their session they met a correspondent
they knew very we'll and whom they
knew also was anxious to discover the
secrets of their session. The senators
were two of the greatest sticklers in
the Senate over the question of eXecu-
tive secrets, both being extremely
mindful of the proprieties supposed to
attach to these matters. One was Mr..
Harris OF Tennessee, whom no cores
pondent would ever dare to ask to re-
veal an executive secret. and the other
was Mr.. Mcmillan, who might be asked
but who would never reveal.
Well" said Mcmillan to the cores
pondent. I'VE have had one executive
session that you will never know any
thing about
How is that" asked the CORES
pendent.
Why" was the reply. there being
but two of us present, Mr.. Harris and
myself, it is absolutely impossible for
you to find out what We did
The correspondent, without saying a
word. pulled a note book from his
pocket and looked it over carefully,
and then, inviting the attention of the
two senator's, read very deliberately
from it's pages very accurate account
of everything that had transpired in
the committee room. An expression OF
conservation took possession of the
countenances of the two dignlf1ed
senator's They both looked at the cor
| respondent steadily for a moment, and
! then turning, regarded each other With
an expression of profound suspicion
| The look in the eye of each was
| solemn accusation against the other,
and. for a moment, neither could speak.
| Each eagerly cleared himself, oe-
\ manded and then inplored the cores
| pondent to tell them how he got the
information. Each declared with grea'
earnestness that he was embarrassed
bewildered, COMPOUNDED. and they I'M
plored the correspondent to reileVe
them of the suspicion under which each
| must rest before the other.
| .yvon caid the correspondent