Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-02-26
fBy oliver owen Kuhn.l

III there be a God who hears prayer,
as we believe there Is. we submit that
there never was delfberative BODY
that 80 eminently needed the fervent
prayers of righteous men as the con-
gress Of the United States.
Thus did an eminent member OF the
house once defend the retention OF the
: spiritual mentors Of the American
congress-, when their very existence
was yRt stake. Thus have other men
spoken thru the years. Those men who
appear each day during the life of
congress- before the senate and house
OF REPRESENTATIVES and with few
chosen words prayerfully ask the
watchfui guidance Of the divinity IN
the deliberations of the nations law
Makers are)men who have become in
dispehsibie. Members of congress have
come to- look forward to the appear
! ance OF these chaplains for, as one
membaryof the senate once remarked,
when days are darkest and cares
most pressing, when the very soul is
I weary, the words that fall from the
lips Of the chaplain act as a spiritual
elixir, We see with a little more hope
and undertake tasks more courageous
ly. Their words may he few but
their very power brings new strength,
happier vision"
The creation Of the position of chap
lain la the senate and the house of
representatives, however, did not come
about Without a fight and, during the
< years that have ,intervened between,
the present and continental congresses
there have been attempts to abolish
this post which now is firmly fixed by
rules OF both bodies. In fact the Gre
alton Of the position was largely due to
a bitter rebuke to the members Of the
continental congress. AS every one ac-
quainted with the earliest history OF
the United States knows, strong re-
ligious prejudices played an important
part in the daily life and demeanor
of the earliest American citizens. With
this condition in mind it is not diff
cult to Sunderstand why, when the CO.
lllonial fathers gathered in their first
congress- there should be some opposf-
ton TO the selection of a minister who
could open their deliberations with
prayer. AT least two of the members
coming from regions where there were
pronounced religious leanings immedi-
ately made strenuous objection, argu-
ing that no man acceptable to all could
be selected, and the selection Of one
of others. 1t was at this juncture thai
Samuel Adams, one of the greatest OF
all early leaders and statesmen arose
and declared with emphasis that it III
became christians to say that they
were SO hopelessly divided on the mat
ter Of dogma and creed that they could
not bow down in prayer to the AL
mighty. His eloquence. his singing
answer to the critics Of the suggested
plan, won the day. It came about
that the first minister to appear in an
American congress was an Episcopal
ian. the Rev. Mr.. Dushe, of PhiladeI-.
phia. Adams championing of the OPEN,
ing OF. all sessions with prayer, had
strong Influence, for the senate later
appointed a chaplain and he alternated
with the chaplain of the house, they
intercbanging places weekly, the menu
bers Of the continental congress be-
lieving ii best to follow this procedure.
: Likewise it held that the chaplains
should be OF different denomination.
Tho FIRST regularly appointed chap
lain OF the house was the Rev. William
Linn who served that body from 1883
to 1880, while the honor of being the
first chaplain Of the senate fell to Dr.
Provost an Episcopalian. He served a
like period.
Probably the greatest attack on the
continuance Of chaplains in congress
d came about 1852 when the nation was
much wrought up over the repeal Of
the Missouri compromise act which
governed the adinittance Of so-called
Slave states At that time the south
demanded that slavery be carried into
Nebraska and Senator Stephen A.
Douglas proposed and later obtained
the passage Of the measure which sep
. arated from Nebraska that territory
PARIS HOUSE SPLIT FRO
Il 0~0nrrx1