New-York tribune., 1907-01-17
MAY GAG REPORTERS.
VOTE IN STATE SENATE.
Rule Adopted Permitting Clerk to
Reuoke Designations.
TBy Telegraph to The Tribune.

TEy Telegraph The Tribune
Albany. Jan. 16-After a two hours debate
bristling with nvective and throbbing with Bit
terness of spirit, the Senate adopted to-day
rule permitting the clerk to revoke the designa-
ton Of any newspaper correspondent. The rule
does not say that any reason must be given or
that the may be brought before the Senate.
Influential Senators who favored the rule say
that in any such expulsion the certainly
would be brought TO a vote of the Senate. which
would make necessary a complete exposition of
the affair.
Most of the argument was built the conten
ton advanced by Senator Page. of New York,
who, the rule was read. declared that
it would be interpreted as an attempt to gag
the press. club held over the heads of cor
respondents IN an effort to make them soften
their reports of the official acts Of Senator'S
This was vehemently denied by Senator Grady,
who declared that it would be only means of
enforcing the respect due to the dignity of the
Senators from "a pack of lying hounds"
Senators SAKE and White declared that the
Senate should have power to revoke any desig-
nation. but that such action should be taken
only by a ma aJority vote Of the Senate. Senator
Armstrong said that the text of the rule specf-
fed only one cause for removal-the employment
of a correspondent in lobbying influencing
legislation. In connection with that he charged
that in past years some newspaper men, to his
personal knowledge. bad lobbied for or against
legislation and that In this year he had heard
charges that some newspaper men were receiv-
ing compensation for affecting legislation.
The real point at issue that. under the
rule presented by the Rules Committee, consist
ing Of Senators Ranes, Grady and Armstrong,
Senator Senators would be compelled to
appear openly against correspondent TO bar him
from the floor but
whatever could lodge complaint with the clerk,
making him the agent of removal. Senator
Page pointed out this. He said that many years
had passed without trouble while the power OF
revocation was in the hands OF the majority OF
the Senate. and he could where much harm
would come from a change.
"A which might be assigned for this
change, and which might not have been the one
in the minds of the committee" he went on. has
suggested Itself to me- 1t is that the rule would
be club over the correspondents that their
comments on legislation might not be couched
in such terms would discomfort II
IS unfortunate at this time that q rule should
be made subject to such a construction: 1t ad~
vertises TO the public that expect TO do some
things which do not want the press to com
ment on. The wise thing would be to avoid
doing such things. rather than TO attempt 10
coerce the press into not crItIcisng the things
do. If this is the motive behind this rule II
Is entirely futile. You can't gag the press or
suppress any reasonable comment by any such
rule"
Senator Grady was ready. He declared IN !
violent tones that a Senator was criticised not |
for what he did or did not do. but quite in ac- !
cordance with the dictates Of the correspond |
ents imaglnations He cited a few examples !
to which he objected. which bore heavily on ,
him. In the course OF his remarks he said that /
a Senator might do his duty fully. but would !
have 10 spend the rest Of his life explaining |
that he was not one Of "the gang Of freeboot- /
ers"
Doesn't the Senator think that the character /
OF the particular Senator should be n sufficient |
explanation?" queried Senator Page calmly
I'll not say that answered Senator Grady |
belligerently 81 have some character, but 7 |
never have been a newspaper favorlte How !
ever where the freebooters OF the Legislature |
are concerned You put me IN the front |
rank"
Senator White said that while the majority |
Of newspaper men were honest and conscien- |
tious some few grossly abused their privileges |
by printing stories so false and misleading |
that men were wrought UP almost to mad |
ness because Of them. He declared that he |
was not willing to delegate TO any one his |
duty, and that the rule in making the clerk the |
instrument OF expulsion put the Senate in the |
cowardly position OF shifting its responsibilities
10 the shoulders OF another"
An amendment offered by Senator SAKE
that the Senate by majority vote designate cor
respondents and expel them or remove then, In
similar fashion This beaten % TO TX
Senator Pages original amendment striking
out the section Of the rule authorizing the clerk
to revoke designations of reporters, also sur-
fered defeat. the vote being 80 to 13 The vote
on Senator Pages amendment was as follows:
Ayes-Senators Agnew. Cohalan. Foelker Fuller
reacock, Hinman. Hooker. Page. Sake Tayior
Travis, Tuly and White ''
, Noes1Senators Ackroyd, Armstrong Boyce.
Butt Tarpenter Cassidy, Cobb. c'ordts. cullen
Davis, Dunn, Emerson, Fancher, Franchot Fravy.
ley, Gates Gilchrlst, Grady, Grattan, Harte,
ttazenhug, HILL Mccall Mullaney. ONeii Owens
Raines Transporter. Sohmer. Sullivan Thompson