Evening star., 1921-05-22
DEMAND IN SENATE
> FOR OPEN SESSIONS
Day May Come When Public Will Hear
All Treaties and Nominations
:. Discussed.

mixed blessing. A nominee must be
prepared to have his affairs aired on the
! floor Of the Senate. Some Of those who
have sought nomination so actively In
the past may be less anxious to get into
the arena. It has been suggested.
On the other hand. the advocates
Of open sessions say that the nominat-
ing power will be moro careful
what nominations are sent to the
Senate If it is known that they will
be subject to attack in the open Sen
ate.
Groundless Charges Brought.
Senator Williams, who took Issue
with his colleague, Senator Harrison.
over the adv1sability Of holding open
executive sessions to consider nom
nations said that frequently charges
arc proven to be without foundation.
II remember" said Senator Will
lfams, that at ono time, under a
democratic administration, tho ap-
pointment OF q man to high position
in the diplomatic service was opposed
in the Senate upon the grounds that
he had accepted hush money from
certain interests in the orient I
was one Of those who believed tho
charge and who defeated his nomina-
tion. I found out years afterward
that tho charge was not true and
that had made a mistake. I remem-
ber another case. under . republican
administration. where there was
voiced upon this floor q charge
against q man that he had been
extremely loose. In ono case the
charge was not true, and in the Sec
ond the charge was true. In one
case the nomination was defeated and
In the other 1t was not. But when
senator's are considering the compe-
tency and honesty and worthiness Of
an appointee, why should there go
over the entire country sensational
things that would cover with shame
his wife or his children? There is no
common sense in it,
Scores ~senatorial Courtesy.n
But while Senator Williams attack
ed the proposal for open sessions to
consider nominations. he vigorously
criticised the practice. denominated
senatorial courtesy" under which
the Senate refuses to confirm an ap-
pointment to ONCE in a senator's state
If the senator arises on the noor and
declares the appointee Is personally
obnoxious'' to him.
Before would rise In secret ses-
sion Of the Senate to vent my private
spleen or to voice my private enmity
to or to express my sense Of anothers
personal enmity to me, and defeat his
nomination in that way. without be-
ing able and willing to give soms
public reason for his defeat, I would
resign my seat in this august body"
said Senator Williams.
Yet senatorial courtesy" has been
responsible for tho defeat Of not an
inconsiderable number Of nominations
in the past, and probably will con-
tinue to cause the defeat OF various
nominations in tho future. unless this
unwritten rule is finally abandoned.
The proponents Of open executive ses-
sions insist that II all the Senate
proceedings were open this rule
would never be invoked: that . sena-
tor would not in open session went
his private spleen"
Senatorial courtesy" 20 called. b
manifested In other ways For in
stance. II SENATOR sitting member
Of tho Senate-is nominated for IN
executive or judicial ONCE. tho Sen
ate, without delay and usually in open
executive session. confirms the noni-
nation. There IL no effort made to
deesfmtne the aualincat5ous 1sr <hs
position to which he 10 named It
goes through n . matter Of course.
Practically tho only appointment
made BY former President Wilson
during tho last session Of Congress.
when the republicans Of tho Senate
held up all his nominations, which
was confirmed was that Of former
Senator Nugent of Idaho. democrat
to be a member Of the Federal Trade
CDn m yaQion