Evening star., 1924-06-01
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL r. KENNEDY.

/ Do you know that there was once
a Speaker of the national House Of
Representatives who was elected and
served but one day?
Do not feel too much abashed be-
are very few members of Congress
who ever heard of "the Speaker for a
day" In fact, William Tyler Page.
clerk of the House, IN testlfying be-
fore the appropriations committee,
recently admitted that he wasn't
sure of this former Speakers name.
He said. II think he was Speaker for
one day. 1 believe his name was
Pomeroy."
A portrait of this former Speaker
has been hung beside the entrance
to the west lobby door of the House.
The appropriations committee was
considering an item of $4,000 to pay
for this portrait. Mr.. Page was ex-
planning that this appropriation was
authorized by a resolution of the
House after a hard fight.
Representative Theodore Medad
Pomeroy was a native of Cayuga. N.
Y, and district attorney of that
county; served in the New York Cen
eral Assembly in 1857, and in the
Thirty-seventh, Thirty-eighth, Thirty
ninth and Fortieth Congresses. He
was elected Speaker of the House on
March 3, 1853. He was later mayor
Of Auburn, n. V, and a state sena-
tor. He was first vice president and
general counsel of the American EX-
press Company, and was temporary
chairman of the Republican national
convention in 1876.
. X x X "
1t has just been disclosed that there
was a Secretary of the Navy in the
interim between the Resignation" Of
Edwin DENLY and the appointment or
Curtis D. Wilbur to the Navy port
folio. and up to the present time the
public has not been let in on this
secret.
Soon after Secretary Denby's re-
tirement there was considerable talk
among the friends of President Cool
idge in Massachusetts, that Frank
Stearns, who is next FRIEND of Mr..
Coolidge. might be sent as a dele
gate to the Republican national con-
vention. AS soon as he heard this
proposal. Mr.. Stearns declined the
honor, saying he was a business man
and did not care to enter into any
political position.
Within a day or two President
Coolidge met Mr.. Stears and said.
Il understand that you are net going
to be a delegate" Mr.. Stearns re-
piled, Yes, that's so, as you know
benignly. Calvin Coolidge looked
compassionately at his good friend
and said, Never mind, Frank, l will
make ii up 10 you. Consider your
self appointed as my Secretary of the
Navy. How do you like being a
cabinet officer?"
Mr.. Stearns, who is a very modest
man, blushed in embar rassment, and
began to hem and haw. Before he
could say word. however. President
Coolidge broke in with, Now l want
your resignation"
So Frank Stearns of Boston, Mass,
has it all over the late Theodore
Pomeroy of New York, who was
Speaker for a day" because he was
Secretary of the Navy for about two
minutes.
Sometimes an humble worker gets
his need of praise. This happened
when David Lynn. architect of the
Capitol, appearing before the ap-
preparations committee, testified re-
garding the valuable and expert
work done by Charles e. Fairman,
curator of the art works in the
Capitol building. Mr.. Lynn said:
He is one of the most valuable men
that we have connected with our
office. He has had charge of the files
of the office for several years. When
he came there they were in very bad
condition, boxed up and stored away.
He has gone over the entire files of
the office as far back as We have any
records, and has put them in splendid
condition. He wrote a book entitled
The Art of the Capitol which is
considered a very fine publication.
We have requests for it from
libraries and other institutions all
over the country
One hears much talk about the
open door policy" on Capitol Hill,
Congress who really practices it,
The western spirit of hospitality has
been made more apparent in
Washington by Representative
Charles L. Richards of Nevada. the
only member of Congress to have on
his office door the sign, Walk in
Richards apparently believes so thor
oughiy in the spirit of cosmopolitanism
the House and his secretary, Miss A. NJ
Huyuenin, is transacting business in
government departments, one usually
finds tho representative door open.
A majority of the people in this
country have the idea that members of
Congress never have to spend any
money for postage, but Frank w. Col
Her, postmaster of the House, testifies
to the contrary. He sells members Of
the House between $4,000 and s45, 900
worth of stamps a year for use on
their letters other than those on Of
dcial business.
How much any one state in the Union
owes to other states is not often con-
sdered these days. But an interesting
example was given in the House during
the week when Representative R Wal
ton Moore of Virginia made a retort
courteous to Representative Thomas L.
Blanton Of Texas, who had been CEN
suring Mr.. Moore by innuendo. In re-
ply, Representative Moore said:
Il think he might now and then re-
fleet upon what the state of Virginia
has done for his own state From my
country across the Potomac and from
other sections Of Virginia young men
went out to participate in the war
with Mexico. the result of which meant
50 much to Texas. 1t happens that
kinsrnan, whose name / bear, was one
of them. He and many others gave
their lives in battle against those who
questioned the right of Texas to be
free. After a while a Virginia Presi-
dent signed the resolution which au-
~ f1
the Union and placed the star of Texas
on the flag along with the stars of
the older states.
Before that a Virginia President had
insisted upon the application Of the
Monroe doctrine with respect to Texas
nf l,n of