The Washington times., 1919-03-05

dTed members of Congress and the
galleries filled with men and women
of all creeds and denopinations. And
! If the tears glistened in the eyes OF
| the older ones-and they did-and the
young folks felt a revival of scnh-
ment. these things but mellOwed the
hours Of an expiring Congress and
brought back to men relieved OF tn
stress of legislative duty in abnor-
nal times some remembrance of the
/ fundamental things that make all
men Of the same family.
/ "Baek Home" Folks.
For most of the men and women who
sang so feelingly were of the small
town" tribe-and before them came the
vision of country churches and their re-
vivals, Of little red school houses, of the
teachings of childhood, and the lullabys
| that some mother crooned as she rocked
I her newest-born to sleep.
| So, after all, Uncle joe" with four
score years checked of on LIES calen-
dar, contributed something to ones emo
tons when he asked for God Be With
You" And then the great throng, turn
ing from the popular songs of today,
sang Nearer, MY God, to Thee, and
ended this House songfest by an inter-
mingling Of devotion and patriotism
/ "tlu lie OIdT-CpdnSleU DdliLlCl.
| Before that, as the Marine Band
and Matt Horne, a National Press
Club protege Matt pounding the
piano at intervals), led the singing
from hundreds OF threats, the House
membership engaged in rollicking
and sentimental songs. The switch
in the closing moments of the unpre-
cedented song festival-when the
popular was forgotten and the
hymns were sung-was, therefore, the
more impressive.
Since 1888, according to Major A.
]. Stofer, of the Press Gallery, there
has been more or less singing at
the close of Congress, but never IN
til March 4, 1919, did every person
on the floor and in the galleries, stay
| for an hour and a half within the
| chamber to say good-by in song to
a dying Congress. But with the Ma
rine Band there, and the spirit there,
the setting was different and no one
who saw the end of this Congress can
forget it.
Sing of Old south.
| First the band played and they sang
Maryland, My Maryland" a martial
air the bandsmen use as they swing
up Pennsylvania avenue on Inaugural
ton days. Next came America" with
|
| il were the national anthem. Then
| the Southerners grew sentimental and
called for "Suwanee River" "Old
Black joe" Dixie" and MY Old Ken
lucky Home"
No better illustration of the Split
of the occasion is needed than the
statement that men from below Mason
and Dixon's line Joined in singing
Marching Through Georgia., and the
''Yank" members applauded the song
| leaders statement that Dixie was
the most stirring tune ever devised,
and Joined in the chorus thereof.
Congressman Tom Heflin of AL
ALBANIA, and Congressman Fisher Of
Tennessee thrilled with periodical
rebel yells, which carried one back to
the sixties.
With unwonted forver someone
started up Nobody Knows How Dry
Am" The Marine Band caught the
refrain instantly.
| You brought it on yourself" yelled
some frank person in the gallery, and
| there was a laugh. With make
believe jollity the House membership
swung into Hail, hail, the Gang
All Here"-a song best rendered
when there's a stein on the table.
| Afterward members with = nip" in
their offices sang a solo amid appro-
| pirate surroundings.
Mrs. LInthicum Waves Flag.
| Among the other songs they sang
as the war Congress died were several
/ that brought the martial thrill, and
1 this was maintained as Mrs. J. Charles
! Iinthicum, wife OF Representative
| Linthicufn and an officer OF the d. A.
r. Of Maryland. kept waving in the
members gallery a great American
! flag. Here are some Of the songs,
sentimental, serious and patriotic, to
which more than 1000 men and WON
en- gave their voices and hearts as
the House adjourned:
! George Cohan's lover There" with
its promise that the Yanks were
! coming and would stay to the end;
The Long. Long Trail" THE Wear
ing Of the Green" arousing much
enthusiasm among Irish members of
| the House: Pack Up Your Troubles
in Your Old Kit Bag" Yankee Doc
! de-" Keep the Home Fires Burn
ing" "Tammany," Smiles" and Tip
perary'-the latter sung as an en-
core by the press gallery after Ma
jOr Stofer had led the famous wa
/ termilyun Vine" song.
There were others, but these fur
nish an indication why for more than
an hour the House remained in infor-
NAL session, and nobody, on moor OF
in galleries, left the hall.
! Miss Rankin Mounts Table.
There were incidents standing out
/ in this wonderful demonstration OF
good fellowship in the lower cham
Der. For instance, Miss Jeanette
! Rankin, the first woman member %
| Congress, mounted table and led the
( singing of one of the songs unccr
| whose spell men forgot the partisan
/ ship and chickering's Of the session
and gave tribute, tremendously or
! otherwise, to the fellowship of the
! end of a memorable session.
| Again. away up in the corner of the
A! southeast gallery, some woma a &
voice rang clear on the higher notes
Of the songs that were sung. EventU-
ally there came to her the rccogni'
ton due to one who cxccls in suCn
/ asSemblagcs. Many eyes were turn
ed toward her corner and shouts
arose for her presence on the floor
she was figuratively dragged out
OF the galleries and onto the Speak
ers rostrum. and there she sang, in
a rich soprano, Keep the Homo
Fires Burning" and other war songs
that aroused the enthusiasm OF 4
great and distinguished assemblage
Girl n Casual Visitor.
And the strange thing about it. was
that this girl, in her travelling suit
II of bIue a casual visitor TO the House