Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-07-13
FLOOR PRIVILEGE
CONGRESS Guards It jealousy In
Both Houses.
RARELY USED IN THE SENATE

RARELY USED IN The SENATE
Former Members Of That Body, While
Free to Attend It's Sessions. Prefer
to shun tho Scene Of Their Soionie
Efforts-A Story Of Evarts.
What Ia known as 1.-The privilege Of
the floor" in congress is the right to
20 upon the floor of the senate or
house when either body Is in session.
Although the right to 60 upon the
floor Of legislative body is not SO ex-
elusive a privilege in some Of the state
legislatures. it Ia a great privilege and
an exclusive one In congress. The
doors are carefully guarded while con-
gress is in session. and it is sometimes
exceedingly difficult to have access to
senators or representatives when pub
lie business Is being done.
Senators and representatives have no
regular or rigid rule on the subject,
but it is known in Washington that
the statesmen feel that their constit-
uents or others who desire to see them
privately should endeavor to do 60 in
lheir offices. their committee rooms or
1t their residences.
To former members Of the senate and
house 1.-The privilege Of the floor Is
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 It was not uncommon to see for
mer members moving about on the
floor Of the house when 1t was no.
toriously known that they were lobby
ing for some private claim or public
graft.
Speaker Reed found this condition 20
obnoxious that be issued orders that
no ex.members should be permitted to
pass the doorkeepers without written
authority from the speaker. Sdbse-
Quent speakers have not found 1t nec-
essary to draw the lines % r1gidly,
because the abuse has almost entirely
ceased.
governing the privilege Of the door Of
the senate. and 1t IL the unwritten
law Ut good breeding. good manners
and common sense Every ex-senator
has the privilege Of the door. but It 10
80 seldom exercised that its abuse has
never occurred. nor IL 1t ever likely to
occur.
Former members Of the senate are
never seen there unless It IL well
known that they have proper business
calling them to Washington. such as
appearing before the supreme court 40
attorneys for clients in great cases,
and even then it seldom happens that
an 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 6. 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 he 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-
toy 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
be went there to be inaugurated as
president. Senator Dawes Of Massa-
chusetts. Senator Blair Of New Hamp-
shire. Senator Don Cameron Of Penn
sylvania. Senator Thurman of Ohio and
Senator Mcdonald Of Indiana are ex-
amples Of distinguished senators who
remained away from the senate afte-
their terms expired. During the Pc
nod of four years when be was in re-
trement Senator German Of Mary.
land never availed himself of the
privilege of the floor. and during the
two years be was without election
Senator Quay Of Pennsylvania ab-
sented himself from the senate cham
ber
From a veteran employee Of the SEN
lte there Is cleaned an unusually in
story concerning the late
Senator Evarts Of New York. This
senator was one of the greatest INTEL
ects In public life for many years.
but be was absentminded In small
things. On one occasion be overlook
I'd the rule about the privilege OF the
door. he was entertaining DR.. Oliver
Wendell Holmes at his Washington
home and invited his guest to accom-
pany him to the capitol Together
hey walked along the capitol corridor.
md when they came to the door Of
he senate they entered together.
There was Il copy Of the senate rules
IN each side Of the doors. but Senator
Evarts did not look at them. nor, of
course. did his guest. The doorkeep-
as did not interfere or ask any ques-
ions
Well. Senator Evarts gave Dr..
aolmes seat in the rear of the desks