Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-07-10
FLOOR PRIVILEGE
Congress Guards It jealousy In
Both Houses.

| 0V&sS ssVNSSSs
RARELY USED IN THE SENATE
Former Members Of That Body, While
Free TO Attend Its Sessions, Prefer
to shun the Scene Of Their soIonie
Efforts-A Story Of Evarts.
What 10 known as 1.-The privilege of
the floor in congress is the right to
60 upon the floor Of the senate or
house when either body is in session.
Although the right to 60 upon the
floor Of a legislative body is not so ex'
elusive q privilege in some Of the state
legislatures, it Is great privilege and
an exclusive one in congress- The
doors are carefully guarded while con-
gress is in session. and 1t Is sometimes
exceedingly difficult to have access to
senators or representatives when pub
lie business IL being done.
Senators and representatives have no
SSkOloE VI TJk4O IulC w kAS 0OOJV~ss
but it IL known in Washington that
the statesmen feel that their constit.
uents or Others who desire to see them
privately should endeavor to do 10 In
lheir ofices. their committee rooms or
1t their residences.
To former members Of the senate and
house 1.-The privilege Of the floor" 10
given. but they do not often avail
themselves Of that right This, how
ever. is in strong contrast to the Gus.
toms Of twenty years ago and longer.
when 1t was not uncommon to see for.
mer members moving about On the
door Of the house when It was no
toriously known that they were lobby
ing for some private claim or public
graft
Speaker Reed found this condition 10
obnoxious that he issued orders that
no ex-members should be permitted to
pass the doorkeepers without written
authority from the speaker. Suisse
ouent speakers have not found It nee
essary to draw the lines 70 rigidly,
because the abuse has almost entirely
ceased.
There 10 an unwritten law. however.
governing the privilege of the door Of
the senate. and it is the unwr1tten
law OF good breeding, good manners
and common sense. Every ex-senator
has the privilege Of the door, but it II
50 seldom exercised that its abuse has
never occurred. nor is 1t ever likely to
occur
Former members Of the senate are
never seen there unless It ts well
known that they have proper business
calling them to Washington. such as
appearing before the supreme court as
attorneys for clients in great cases,
and even then it seldom happens that
IN ex-senator thus engaged ever en-
tiers upon the senate floor. although in
going to and from the room Of the
supreme court they are obliged to pass
by its DOORS
After james G. Blaine ceased to be
q senator he avoided the senate cham
Der forever. After resigning from that
body Senator Roscoe Conkling Of New
York never entered the senate cham
Der, although be was often In the
capitol on business before the supreme
court There was an exception. how
ever. in one instance. By invitation
he was one OF the pallbearers Of Sena-
tor Logan of Illinois. who was buried
with obseQuies from the senate cham
Der. and on that occasion Senator
Conkling was present Senator Benja-
min Harrison upon leaving the SEN
ate never crossed its threshold until
he went there to be inaugurated as
president Senator Dawes Of Massa-
chusetts, Senator Blair of New Hamp-
shire, Senator Don Cameron Of Penn.
eylvania. Senator Thurman Of Ohio and
Senator Mcdonald of Indiana are ex-
amples of distinguished senator's who
remained away from the senate after
their terms expired. During the pc
Rod Of four years when he was in re-
urement Senator German Of Mary
land never availed himself Of the
privilege Of the floor, and during the
two years he was without election
Senator Quay Of Pennsylvania alb
scented himself from the senate cham.
Der.
From a veteran employee Of the sen
ate there is CLEANED an unusually In.
teresting story concerning the late
Senator Evarts Of New York. This
senator was one Of the greatest intel.
lects in public life for many years.
but be was absentminded in small
things. On one occasion be overlook
ed the rule about the privilege Of the
foor He was entertaining DR.. Oliver
Wendell Holmes at his Washington
home and invited his guest to accom-
pany him to the capitol. Together
they walked along the capitol corridor,
and when they came to the door Of
the senate they entered together.
There was copy Of the senate rules
on each side of the doors. but Senator
Evarts did not look at them. nor. of
course. did his guest. The doorkeep-