Evening star., 1923-09-30
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL r. KENNEDY.

veterans bureau Is still In tne
duration Of the war" with many
great problems to solve Brig. Gen.
Frank T. Hines. director of the
Veterans Bureau, told this little
story:
When the American forces were
being brought home I was standing
on the pier at Brest watching a
colored stevedore battalion working
In the handling of supplies and bag
gage. The sergeant in charge of the
particular squad that 1 was near no.
ticed one of the colored members of
the squad was not taking a very
active part in assisting in handling
the baggage and I overheard con-
versation like this: Hey. there, mig
ssg why aNn Se Sar seme ann get
Yes, yes. that is right, Niger; the
war am over 7 only enlisted for
the duration of the war That is
right: you only enlisted for "the
over, amt it?' Yes; but you are
still in the duration; so get to
work."
Representative Peter Gansevoort
Ten Eyck of New York. whose ances-
tors have been helping to build this
country since the Mayfiower landed,
boasts that 1T was in his grand
fathers home. Fort Crilo. New York,
that yankee Doodle" was first sung.
IT Is also his proud boast that his
maternal grandfather. for whom he
was named, first raised the Stars and
Stripes in battle at Fort Standish.
X 4 X X
In these days, when many are com
planning that the legislative mill has
been grinding out too many laws,
cronies of the Tate lamented" Champ
Clark are recalling one of the IA
vorite quotations of that long time
leader. in Congress. Champ Clark
said that, next to the Bible, which
ne considered the greatest book ever
written. he thought Buckles His
tory of Civilization" was the best
this history. he was wont on occasion
to remind his colleagues that:
Every great reform which has
been effected has consisted, not in
doing something new. but in undoing
something old. The most valuable
been enactments destructive of pre-
Vious legislation. and the best laws
which have been passed have been
those by which some former laws
nave Deen repeated.
X X
When we think of the cost of the
Navy We never stop to consider that
the mere little item of ice-water
amounts to quite a decent amount
depending, of course. on how many
officers there are. For example, in
1921 the Navy spent ss6.521 for ice
water and last year the appropriation
of $4,000 was just about enough.
For the present fiscal year they are
asking Congress for 100000 ice
water.
And. mark youths is just for the
Navy Department and navy yards.
II does not include the hospitals The
Navy Department has been cutting
down on this schedule, according to
the bureau of supplies and accounts.
As reQuisitions have been coming in
the bureau has answered. you can
not nnfs have as n1 much ,ssa Ice as you had last
the biggest kick is coming from?
Why, Key West, the nearest Jump
ing off place to the Island of Bimini,
Cuba, and other famous oases of these
Potter says: EVEN at Key Vest we @
have cut down on this item. and we
received a vehement protest from the
commandant at Key West, because
they have hot weather there all the
time"
In the first race Representative Will
liam A. Ayres Of Kansas made for
Congress he was a little apprehensive
about some of his old friends, both re-
publicans and democrats, as a number
of both had gone to the bull moose
party, so driving through the coun-
try he called on an old republican
friend who was the owner of a fine
Jersey herd. The first thing he said
Of day was John, that is sure a fine
COW; is she registered?" He was told
she was, after which he praised her
little more. About that time his
schoolmate OF the congressman. ap-
peared with a fine baby boy, and he
Immediately took the baby and paid
him as we'll as his fond parents all
the compliments he could. Finally,
he said. John. how are politics out
here this campaign" He said. Bill.
we are awfully mixed. l am a repub-
lican, my wife Is a democrat, that
cow you so much admired is dry, and
the baby, as you no doubt have dis
X X y
There was q three-cornered fight
for the democratic nomina ton for the
United States senatorship from Ten
nessee in 1905. Former Senator Luke
Lea, former Gov. Patterson and the
then Representative Kenneth D. Nc
Kellar were the contestants. Lea had
% i-,a
McKe Kellar took them to task for alb
senteeism. He charged that both had
been absent from their duties a great
portion of the time. The Congress
sional Record showed that Gov. Pat
terson had once been dropped from
the rolls for continued absence from
the House and that on one occasion
Senator Lea had, by order of the Sem
ate, been brought to that body by the
sergeant-at-arms. which is substan-
TALLY arrest.
McKellar dealt only with records
of his opponents and after reviewing
these records he asked his audience
what was the real difference between
the records Of the two gentlemen, one
of whom had to be dropped from the
the other having to be brought there
by order of the Senate. He said the
difference in their records reminded
him of a story Jim Brett OF Memphis
boy on his place who was a bachelor,
but who had been for long time
quite a ladies' man.
Once day as Mr.. Brett was getting
in his machine to go up town the
boy, whose name was John Jones.
came up and said: "Mr. Brett, is you
goin' by the co'thouse today?"
Brett said, "Yes," and the boy said:
We'll. sir, here's two dollahs and q
ha'f; wants you to git me a pair
of ma'iage licenses. I want to git
mated tonight" (Negroes in the
country frequently call a marriage
license a pair.) Brett took the money.
got the license, took 1t out and hand
ed it to the boy. John took the