Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-07-02
Rodio Wins Place
In Senote Gallery
BIZ Frederic J. Hdsktn.


jealous of it's exclusiveness of any official
body at the National Capital But 1t
recently has let down one more bar In
the interests of contact with the Ameri-
can public which it represents. 1t has
given official recognition to radio by
providing special accommodation in its
gallery for radio reporters. To a public
unacquainted with the rules of the Sen
ate but to which radio has been matter
of course for IS years, this may seem
strangely belated recognition.
The explanation is that, no matter
how large percentage of the Senate's
membership bears the designation of
liberal in legislative and political mat
tiers, when it comes to the Rules Of the
Senate, the body is eminently conserva-
tive. Indeed, this applies to the entire
Congress. To some old observers the
surprise in the development arises not
from the fact that admission has been
so long delayed but that it has been
granted SO soon Where its ancient dig
nifty is concerned, the Senate does not
hurry.
OF course, it is not as conservative as
the British Parliament. Neither the
House Of Lords nor the House of Com
mons has any press gallery at all and
reporters sit, by sufferance, in the
strangers gallery
Although the deliberations of Congress,
during the early years of the existence
Of the Republic, were the most important
news which Americans could hear, no
provision was made for newspaper men.
Moreover, in that early day there was
no such thing as the Congressional Rec
ord. The Journal was kept, necessarily,
but this was task carried out in long,
hand b. functionary Of the Congress
itself
Samuel Harrison Smith of Philadel-
phia was sort of protege of Thomas
Jefferson and the latter advised him, as
a young newspaper man, to remove to
Washington with the removal Of the
Capital from the Pennsylvania city.
Smith followed his advice and established
at Washington the National Intelligencer.
He applied to the First Congress for per-
mission to take notes. 1t was rather in
dignantly refused.
On January 9, 1902. Smith applied
again for permission to report the de-
bates. In the meantime. Thomas Jeffer
son had indicated his approval Of the
plan. 1t is interesting to note that. ever,
then. the Senate gave permission only
by the narrow margin of four votes,
Smiths National Intelligencer became
the first record of the congressional de-
bates. 1t was carried on for years ana
then was succeeded by the Congressional
Globe and. through Congress after Con-
gress these privately operated news
papers were the only records and came
to be regarded as practically ofhcial
incidentally, 1t is interesting to note that
SO jealous was the Senate of its dignity
that it required Smith to post bond
to insure his good conduct This prac-
tice was not long continued
In the library of the National Pres
Club at Washington hang the texts OF
the resolution admitting the first re-
porter. the original bond. a sheet show
ing the roll call on the proposal and
other such fascinating muniments OF the
establishment of an institution which
now has long been a fixture.
1t was not until 1888 that Congress
granted floor privileges to a few repre-
sentatives of Washington newspapers
Six reporters from other cities. later the
same year, petitioned for similar priv
ilege. Admission seems to have been
quite precarious. For one thing the
elder James Gordon Bennett fell into
a controversy with Senator Southland
who was President pro tempore Of the
Senate, and all reporters suffered as a
result. 1t was not until March "a, 1856
that a resolution by Senator Hale OF
New Hampshire was adopted which
directed the sergeant at arms Ito ex-
clude all persons except reporters from
the seats appropriated in the Senate gal
lery for the use of reporters" This, for
the first time, definitely gave newspaper
men their own reserved purlieus and
they have retained them to this day.
Because of heated political contro-
verSies in newspapers, several resolutions
had been offered in the Senate providing
for the exclusion of specifically named
correspondents from the press gallery
not, of course, for indecorous conduct in
the gallery but for political opinions as
expressed in writings. James Gordon
Bennett was a firebrand in these affairs
and he found strong champion IN
Henry Clay.
1t was not until March IL, 1873, that
a resolution was adopted creating fixed
set of rules for admission of corre-
spondents. The presiding officer Of the
Senate had held discretion, up to this
time, as to who should be admitted
This resolution gave jurisdiction to the
Committee on Rules of the Senate. The
next step was the creation of the Stand
ing Committee of Correspondents This
is body of newspaper men who have
immediate jurisdiction. They must, In
turn, bow to the Senate Committee on
Rules. Correspondents entitled to adj
mission, are the electors who annually
choose the members Of the Standing
Committee.
The rules are strict and are strictly
enforced. For example, no lobbyist may
enter the Senate Press Gallery, nor can
any person employed in the executive
department Of the Government enter.
The members of the families of the mem.
Der correspondents may not come in.
The rules of the Standing Committee