The Cairo bulletin., 1911-07-07
FLOOR PRIVILEGE.
Congress Guards It jealousy In
Both Houses.
RARELY USED IN THE SENATE
Former Members Of That Body, While
Free to Attend Its Sessions, Prefer
to Shun tho Scene OF Their So'onic
Efforts--A Story of Evarts.

EHorts--A story OF Svarts'
What is known as "the privilege Vt
the floor" In congress is the right 70
70 upon the door OF The senate or
house when either body is In session
Although the right TO 60 upon the
floor of legislative body is not 50 ex
elusive privilege 10 some Of The state
legislatures. IL Is great privilege aud
an exclusive one Id congress, The
doors are carefully guarded while con
gress is in session. aud il II 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 Oh the subject.
but it Is known in Washington ihat
the statesmen feel that their conslil-
uents or others who desire TO see them
privately should eDdeavor 20 do 80 in
their offices. their committee ROOMS or
at their residences
10 former members OF the senate and
| house the privilege Of the 1sor" 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 aud longer.
when 1t was not uncommon 10 see for
| mer members moving about on tue
floor Of the house when II was no
toriously known that they were lobby
ing for some private claim or public
graft
Speaker Reed found this condition so
obnoxious that he issued orders that
no ex-members should be permitted to
pass the doorkeepers without written
authority from the speaker. Suisse
| auent speakers have not found 1t nec-
essary to draw the lines so rigidly.
because the abuse has almost entirely
| ceased,
There is an unwritten law, however.
| governing the privilege of the floor OF
| the senate. and 1t is the unwritten
| law Of good breeding, good manners
| and common sense. Every ex-senator
has the privilege OF the feor, but 1t is
so seldom exercised that its abuse has
never occurred, nor Is it ever likely to
occur.
Former members of the senate are
never seen there unless Ii is well
known that they have proper business
calling them to Washington. such AS
appearing before the supreme court az
attorneys for clients in great cases.
and even then 1t 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 G. Blaine ceased TO be
a senator he avoided the senate cham
Der forever. After resigulng from that
body Senator Roscoe Cenking 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-
tor Logan of Illinois. who was buried
with obsequies from the senate cham
Der, and on that occasion Senator
ConkIing 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.
sylvania, Senator Thurman OF Ohio and
Senator Mcdonald of Indiana are ex.
amples of distinguished senators who
remained away from the senate after
their terms expired. During the pc
Rod of four years when he was In re-
tirement Senator German OF Mary
land never awaited himself OF the
privilege OF the floor. and during the
two years he was without election
Senator Quay of Pennsylvania abb
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
l. Senator Evarts of New York. This
senator was one of the greatest intel
! leets in public life for many years,
Dit ne WIS AUSeUtuluutu III
y things On one occasion he overlook
. ed the rule about the privilege OF the
} floor. He was entertaining DR.. Oliver
2 Wendell Holmes at his Washington
e home and invited his guest TO accom-.
n pany him to the capitol. Together
II they walked along the capitol corridor,
& and when they came to the door OF
q the senate they entered together.
ii There was copy of the senate rules
% on each side of the doors. but Senator
r Evarts did not look at them. nor. OF
Ig course. did his guest. The doorkeep
10 ers did not interfere or ask any ques
n lions.
Well, Senator Evarts gave DIR
Holmes a seat in the rear Of the desks
of the members and proceeded Il
II bring Senators Hoar, Quay. Hawley
q and others to introduce to him. QUITE
<. levee was held there. and DR.
"a Holmes was gratifed with his recep
a ton.
4. After awhile Senator Hoar went Il
q. Senator Evarts and, calling his atten
!, ton to the rule concerning the priv
=, lege of the floor. asked. How did yo'
ID get him ipf'
.xRtwr IN ntFA sal.