The daily Alaskan., 1911-08-19
PRIVILEGE
Congress Guards It IealouSIy In
 Both Houses.
RARELY USED IN THE SENATE


 Former Members of That Body, While
 Free to Attend Bs Sessions, Prefer
 Co shun Che Scene Of Their solonlo
 Etforts--A Story Of EVarts.
 What Is known as "the privilege of the floor" In congress Is the right to go upon the floor of the senate or house when either body IS in session.
 Although the right to go upon the floor Of legislative body is not so ex- elusive a privilege in some Of the state legislatures, 1t is a great privilege and an exclusive one tn 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 1t is known in Washington that tho statesmen feel that their consdt- uents or others who desire to see them privately should endeavor to do so in their offices, their committee rooms or at their residences.
 To former members of the senate and house "the privilege of the door' is given. but they do not often avail themselves of that right This, how ever. is la 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 lt was mo- toriously known that they were lobby ing for some private claim or public graft
 Speaker Reed found this condition 90 obnoxious that he issued orders that no ex-members should be permitted to pass the doorkeepers without written authority from the speaker subse- uuent speakers have not found it 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 lt Is the unwritten law of good breeding, good manners and common sense. Every eS-senstor has the privilege of the floor, but it is so seldom exercised that It's abuse has never occurred, nor is it ever likely Go occur.
 Former members of the senate are never seen there unless it is 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 an ex-senator thus engaged ever en- ters upon the senate floor, although in going to and from the room of the supreme court they are obliged to pass by It's doors
 After James c. Blaine ceased to be q. senator be 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, bow ever, in one instance. By invitation he was one Of the paubearers 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 It's threshold until be went there to be inaugurated as president Senator Dawes of MassS- chusetts, Senator Blair of New Hamp- shire, Senator Don Cameron of Penn sylvanis, Senator Thurman of Ohio and Senator Mcdonald of Indiana are eI- 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- trement Senator German of Mary land never availed himself of the privilege of the floor, and during the ! two years le WNe mAAANuA ElGNAANA Senator Quay Of Pennsylvania ab- sented himself from the senate cham Der.
 From a veteran employee of the sen ate there is gleaned 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 he was absentminded in small things. On one occasion he overlook ed the rule about the privilege of the floor. Be was entertaining Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes at his Washington home and invited his guest to accom- pany him Co the capitol Together they walked along the capitol corridor, and when they came to the door of the senate they entered together
 There was a 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- CTS did not interfere or ask any ques-