Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-26
BY WILLIAM HARD.

Ethics" Is deep study In Wash
ington at this moment.
Senator Reed Of Pennsylvania has
expressed the view that "the so-called
ethics Of the so-called profession" Of
Journalism would prevent q newspaper
correspondent from revealing to sena-
torial committee the name Of Senator
from whom he had secured intellt-
gence regarding the transactions Of a
"se0et" session Of the Senate.
TNjs has inspired a widespread In
oAsery here into the so-called ethics OF
the so-called legislative body Of which
Mr. Reed In one of the most cultivated
and courteous members.
One of the questions involved Is:
Should one of Mr.. Reeds colleagues
oppose the President on a legislative
measure because of dissentment regard
ing a Federal appointment?
Instances Of that sort have happened.
They must be painful to any sensitive
member of the so-called most august
legislativ body in the world. 1t is
slirn1ised that Mr.. Reed will delve into
them and excavate and amputate them
out Of current senatorial so-called
canons of conduct.
And, again:
Should one Of Mr.. Reeds colleagues
In the so-called Upper" House Of the
Federal Legislature receive retainers
from private interests for speeches
pratsing those interests on the public
platform?
Instances Are Recalled.
Instances of that sort have happened,
too. They must be extremely distress
ing to any squeamish practitioner Of the
so-called profession Of public life. 1t Is
thought that possibly Mr.. Reed VIII
extirpate them from senatorial so-called
public service in Washington.
It Is wondered also II 1t is ethical or
unethical for a Senator to vote one way
In o secret session Of the Senate when
he would have voted another way IN an
open session.
The solid truth is that the one great
reason for secret sessions is that there
are Senators who will vote their con-
sciences in a secret session, but who in
an open session will vote only their
fears and their ambitions.
In other words, there are Senators
who are towards and demagogues Mr..
Reed is not one Of them. He Is mil
lion miles away from being one Of them.
Mr.. Reed does not fear the populace. He
does not fear the administration. He
does not fear anything. He does not
fear even the members Of the so-called
Fourth Estate" the gatherers and pur-
veyors Of so-called news, the gentlemen
the alleged gentlemen-of the pre-
dacious press.
In fact, in undeniable fact, Mr. Reed
is brave and bold. How sad, then, that
he should turn from the rich field of
adventure Of reform which is offered to
him by the floor Of the Senate in order
to seek the moral improvement Of the
bare and contracted gallery from which
the newspaper correspondents look
down upon the greatness beneath them!
1t Ia true that they often look down
upon It in both senses. 1t is true that
1t Is often in both senses beneath them.
1t is true that they are often as eager
to advance the ethical onward and up
ward march by the Senate as any Sen
ator could be TO advance theirs.
On Comparative Ethics.
A few queries in the scholarly arena
OF comparative ethics might be in order
What newspaper correspondent vi
tuperateS the honest business Of this
country as certain numerous Senators
vituperate 1t. without any adequate
correction from their sane but listless
colleagues?
What newspaper correspondent dis
seninates libel and Islander as certain
numerous Senators disseminate them.
without any effective protest by their
colleagues against that misuse of the
immunities Of the Senate floor?
What newspaper correspondent
crooks the pregnant hinges of the
knee" to the eighteenth amendment
and then almost simultaneously crooks
the pregnant hinges" of the elbow to
the flowing bowl with the audacity and
impudence Of certain numerous Sena-
tors
What newspaper correspondent assails
religion as a Senator assails it with
out let or hindrance from the so-called
rules Of his so-called high station?
What newspaper correspondent tells
secret to a Senator and then II the
J Senator divulges 1t allows the press
gallery to start q hue and cry against
the Senator?
Above all, II you took all the speeches
| in the Senate for one session and then
took all the newspaper dispatches for
that session, which set of variations Of
fact and Of deployments Of argument
would excel the other for accuracy and
honesty or for mendacity and unscrupu-
! lousness?
It may be that in the course Of any
| such comparison there would be times
when both sides would be sorry that
| they started 1t. Each side contains
some unworthy members. Mr.. Reed
| however, would be well and fully op-
posed in getting his side ready for the
! encounter. The press gallery recently
expelled member for "unethical" CON-
duct. He was q popular member, too.