The times., 1899-01-25
GENERAL WASHINGTON
q NEWS AND GOSSIP.

farcical nature of the kick in the Senate
over the publication in the newspapers
from day to day of what takes pace in
the executive sessions of tiiat august body
is probably appreciated by no one any
more keenly than by the Senators them
selves. Every Senator with an ounce OF
brains who has, served in the Senate for
twenty-four hours knows full well that the
inside facts relating TO executive sessions
are given out by the members of the Sem
ate and not by its employees. Nearly every
Senator has some confidante among the
newspaper men to whom he unbosoms
himself as soon as he gets at i safe dis
tance from an executive session. Ordi-
narily scarcely any attempt is made at
concealment. Frequently Senators have
been known to talk openly about ex5cu-
tive session proceedings coming do"n the
Capitol steps, in street cars. and ether
public places in the presence of total
strangers. AS rule the ones that make
the most noise about giving away eX-
ecutiye session secrets are the worst Of
tenders in that line. This was particu ar
ly the case when the Senate undertook 10
make scapegoat of James Rankin Young,
who is now Representative in the House
| from the State OF Pennsylvania. Mr.
Young was the executive clerk cf the
Senate at the time position he hal filed
with signal ability for good many years
lie was hit upon by some astuts S nators
as the wicked man who had disclosed the
sacred proceedings of the executive ses-
sions to an unfeelng world. Young was
hred unceremoniousy and there was
probably not Senator who voted for Mr.
ioungs dismissal who did not know DOM
IN his heart that he was as innocent CT
the charge brought against him as a babe
! unborn No newspaper man ever dreamed
OF gong to Mr.. Young for information re-
! gardlng the executive sessions. In the
hrst place it would have been useless and
in the second it was unnecessary. 1t was
always much easier to obtain the facts
! first hand from the Senators. 1t always
| mas been so and probably always will be-
| so long as human nature is constituted as
| 1t is. However. there are always num-
| Der of distinguished Senators who feel i'm
| PEELED from time to time to raise Toy
| over the executive session leakage. The
| leak continues Just the same but il
| Is a fruitful subject for discussion.
| ana is an excellent subterfuge when
! ever small coterie of Senator's.
as in the present instance are en-
gagged IN the patriotic work of trying
| 10 XIII time and stave OF vote on soma
| measure to which they are opposed. Ex-
| ecutive sessions are mainly useful in en-
| abling the Senate to discuss matters ot
| state fully without the danger of one be-
| ing called down therefor by any foreign
| government. Unless matter Is recorded
Officially" no official notice can b, taken
of it.
| Librarian founE's SurceasOr.-Tbs
! contest for the position of Librarian o,
congress. made vacant by the death OF
John Russell Young is getting rather
warm II. was said yesterday that the
| president ihad decided to make the al.
| polhtmentl within a few days. probabI,
before next Monday. 1t is not known do.
hniteiy as yet who will get the place. hui
| from present indications the selection
would seem TO lie between Murat Hal
stead, George Alfred Townsend. Thomas q
| Alyord, Gen. Henry V. Boyntop and
Henry B. F. Macfarland. The latter.s
! name was formally presented TO the presi.
dent yesterday endorsed by Judge William
| H. Day, General Greedy, and other ami
nent citizens. Senator Wellington anf
| Senator-elect McComas of Maryland viii
cali at the White House today. il is under.
s,oou' 10 urge the appointment of Mr.
townsend. Senators Hanna and Foraker
II IS said, are backing Halstead
Mr. Croker and Tammany Hail.
| "ie SlShS oi Il serious revolt within
the ranks of the Tammany Hall orsaniza
ton against the leadership OF Mr.. Croker
| 1t appears from the observations of th,
Tammany representatives. in the Hons,
| that Mr.. Crokers views on the siTvei
questions are not as popular with his as
socrates as they might be. II appears tha
MI Croker arrived at the important con
| clusioh that silver as an issue was daai
! without consulting any of his lieutenants
Many OF them are disposed to take issu,
| with Mr.. Croker on this subject John c
Sheehan for instance. who took Mr.
Crokers place at the head of Tammsn,
when the latter went TO England a few
Years ago. and held the job as Mr.
CFokeF persona! representative on tn,
spot until Mr.. Croker returned and dis
placed him. is out in manifesto decIar
ing FOR free silver. anti-expansion. an,
| Bryan. 1t is said that Mr. Sheehan OK
poets to lead in the revolt agains
| Croker domination and that he ha.
been promised recognition later on b,
Senator James X. Jones, and other friend
OF Mr.. BRYAN. Mr.. Sheehan has an estab
lished record as a politician of certain
kind OF shrewdness He halls from Bur
falo When Mr.. Cleveland was nominate,
for mayor of that city Mr.. Sheehan wa
nominated for county clerk Mr.. CIaye
land. however, refused to accept tn,
mayoraity nomination unless Sheehan'
name was withdrawn. and he carried hi
point. Sheehans name was taken off Nh
ticket. The explanation offered for Mr.
Cievelands opposition to Mr.. Sheehan wa
that at previous election Sheehan ha,
been the only man elected on the Demo
cratic ticket and there was a well ground
ed suspicion that he sacrificed his as
sociateS TO save himself. Mr.. Cleyelan
did not care to take any chances of tha
kind. Mr.. Sheehan moved to New YorI
in lSSJ and was appointed secretary of tn
Aqueduct Board by Governor Hill Subsc
quently he became a police commission
er and then the nominal leader of Tam
many Hall. He is said to have made quit
good deal of money recently out of con
tracts. Editor Godkin. of the New YorI
Evening Post" has frequently referred I
Mr. Sheehan in very bitter and maliciou
terms accusing him among other thing
OF being defauiter and having fed
from Buffalo. There never was any an
parent foundation for the accusations Mr
! Sheehan now is said to have several s,it
pending against New York newspapers 10
! libel in this connection. He is an aegre,
siye fighter and a man of good executi,-
ability. Tammany Hall leaders predict
most Interesting contest between Croke
and Sheehan for the control of the Tam
many organization in 1900.
| Muuuuu,