“How it got out of the closed session, I don't know. Somebody
had to tell it.” Riddick, interviewed by Senate Historian Donald
Ritchie, explains a 1929 change to the Senate Rules that allowed
for open executive sessions of the Senate, redefining a "closed
session." RITCHIE: When you mentioned the inaccessibility of the
senators in an earlier period, it's interesting that they met in
executive session quite frequently, for all nominations and
treaties. They actually closed the doors. RIDDICK: Oh yes! I
think that's a part of the nature of the Senate then as
contrasted to today. Sometimes I'm inclined to think that the
country might even be better off if they did it again. Until
1929, unless the Senate actually voted to open up an executive
session (and an executive session meant the Senate was then
considering either nominations or treaties), every door was
closed and supposedly everything transacted accordingly was
closed. In 1929, the rule was changed and everything was done
openly unless they voted to go in