South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-12-24

Judge Towards Letter.
Editor News-Times:
To say hat / was astonished in
reading the leading editorial in the
News-Times for last evening is to put
1t mildly. The editorial must have
been thought a pretty good one for
it is repeated in his mornings issue.
The epithet star chamber, as ap-
piled to the deliberations of the city
council, might pass in the heat and
stress of a political campaign. The
term midnight" might then be add
ed to the epithet to give it proper
color for partisan perusal. Midnight
star chamber" sound well and it is
dark enough TO satisfy the most vim
dictive taste. One could do even
better than this by calling the COM
mittee room provided in the city hall
a hole, a hole in the corner"
would be still better. All that might
pass unchallenged in a passionate and
~unreasoning contest for office and
power. But peace has followed the
storm. We have arrived at a season
of good will. One may therefore be
pardoned for establishment that the
epithets Of the campaign should now
be revived. Are we to assume ii to
be possible that any representatives
OF the pull flc press nave no proper
lulCllOnS ~ q uellBtIdllNt DOuN. n
jury sits and listens to the evidence
as it comes from the witnesses, TO the
arguments of counsel On either side
and to the law as il m from the
court. Shall we insist also hat the
public shall crowd into the jury room
and aid in the determination OF the
verdict? Has Great Britain been
mistaken all these years in maintain
ing it's privy council? Should Pres.
Wilson throw open the doors of his
cabinet meetings. Ought the senate
abolish its executive sessions? Are
all legislative committee meetings
and caucuses bad as soon as they
heard all information and argument
and Their close their doors TO enter
upon their deliberations? Is it not
rather true that no calm consideration
OF n important question could be
had in the tumult Of public discus
siOn2 The common council OF this
city has never closed the dOorS OF its
committee meetings until after all
persons having anything TO a have
had full and ample opportunity TO
present every, fact and make every
argument that could be brought be-
fore the council on any n every
side OF any question that was up for
consideration. Must the council then
and there its decision before
il has reached a decision itself?
Surely this editorial has been written
without deliberative thought or prop
er consideration.
The committee meeting &C last
Monday was a particularly unfortu-
nate illustration OF star chamber
tactics. There was no hole in the
WALL, nor over in the southeast cor
ner of the building. The commit
tee room. on the contrary. was during
the whole session crowded with inter
ested spectators.
The incoming council will adopt
such course OF procedure as they
think. and l shall respect that judg-
ment. whatever 1t ms be. But l
am inclined to think they will find II
wise 10 do in its committee meetings
as the last council has don They
will welcome every item of informa-
ton that comes 10 them. n they
will listen TO every argument that
any one has TO advance. And when
they come 10 pass judgment as TO
what course OF action they SHAH toi-
low in the open council, they VIII
quietly and Freely discuss n matters
with one another and try 10 reach a
sane conclusion as to what is best
for the welfare Of the city and the
people. Indeed. so far from trying
to transact the business OF n city
bv any star chamber" methods. the
complaint OF the outgoing council a
been that enough OF the people do not
attend the meetings OF the council.
whether in the council chamber or
in the committee room
T. +. HOWARD.