Evening star., 1925-03-15
Capital Sidelights

document room, and William Tyler
Page. clerk of the House-are three
veteran employees in the Capitol whose
| offices open upon Statuary Hall. which
was formerly the hall OF the National
House of Representatives-.and who
are thus sitting daily in the shadow
of the memorials erected to outstand-
| Ing figures in public service, with
whom they were closely associated
while these great men were yet alive.
Tyler Page is Marylander, and
| on either side of the entrance to his
office are the two statues set up by
| the State of Maryland in Statuary
Hall.
Andy" Smith has for about two
score years occupied a railed-in cor
ner Of Statuary Hall. Leaning across
| this rail while the statue to Gen. Joe
Wheeler In Confederate uniform was
heing unveiled the other day. Mr..
Smith recalled many interesting in
oidents of Gen. wheeler's service in
| the House for more than 20 years,
| at which time Mr.. Smith knew him
well.
Immediately after the signing OF
| the articles of capitulation, under a
| tree on San Juan Hill, Gen. Wheel
er. who commanded the United States
Cavalry in Cuba. sent Mr. Smith a
| note with a leaf from the tree under
!
Smith gave this leaf to Capt Henry
I. Brian. great admirer and inti-
mate friend of Gen. Wheeler. Mr..
Brian was deputy public printer for
| many years.
Mr.. Smith says that the statue of
Gen. Wheeler shows an excellent pro-
file view OF his old friend as he views
| 1t daily from his desk in the corner.
OliVer p. Morton, former Governor of
l1f Ga l.
hero of Statuary Hall whom Mr..
| smith knew well in the flesh. He
also recalls on glancing at the statue
OF Gen. Lew Wallace, author of Ben
Hur, that this noted writer was q
great friend of Charles NJ. Robinson,
| Tor long time chief proofreader In
the Government Printing Office. to
whom he was accustomed to write
| for public documents he required in
his research work. The day before
Gen. Wallace died Mr.. Robinson had
a letter from him containing a long
list or Government publica tions he
desired This he turned over to Mr..
smith to be filled, and by the time
smith received 1t Gen. Wallace no
longer needed anything Of earth.
Joei Grayson, native Virsinian
and proud OF IT. deplores the fact that
congress has never accepted the two
IN Statuary Hall-those Of George
Washington and Gen. Robert f. Lee.
Ihis was due to the fact that Gen.
Lee is cast in Confederate Uniform
ana 1t was feared that some objection
wouid De made on that ground. Simi-
iarly' there was a reluctance for a
iohs time to move the acceptance of
the STATUE the State Of Wisconsin
gave or fere Marquette. the Catholic
ta
garb on account Of religious feeling.
= + 4
Legislative delay and the speed of
| fame were shown in shsrp controst
by Senator Copeland of New York
curing debate on the Isle of Pines
treaty. when Senator Din of wash
| inston interrupted him with a question
the New York solon replied: Certain Iet-
ters were placed before the commit.
Tee toreign relations) 20 years ago.
Mhen the charming Senator from
80 Ton was not yet a citizen
with the right of voting, period so
long ago that a man who was then q
youth has grown into eminent man
nood and so distinguished himself
that he has been elected to the great
once OF United States Senator ana
is now serving his third year No
WONDER that Senator who lives in a
nc" seheration, who Hives In the
great west where the mountains are
where men have their heads 49,,
'he cIouds, asks this question:"
y
reaching OF the Declare ton of In.
dependence in the schools Of mi.
country along with the tescbtne =,
the Constitution is advocated hv R.n-
resentative George Huddleston Of Ala.
oama. He claims that "the Constitu-
tion Is not the charter OF American
liberties. Our independence and our
liberties antedate the ConstItut,on "
ne argues. THE fundamentals NJ
Amerieanism ara to be found in RI.
preamble to the Declaration and In
the first ten amendments. The Consti
tuition was designed merely" Renra.
sentative Huddleston says in the con.
gressfonal Record, "as a vehicle -
convey American principles. 1t is a
mere instrumentality by which our
principles are TO be protected and ef
fectuated."
statuary Hall, in the Capitol, .be.
longs not to the Nation. but to IN.
states: 1t is Pantheon of the States
ia.hel 'hah OF the Republic points
out Representative Clarence Cannon
OF Missouri, now representing the dis
Irict so long represented by the late
Champ Clark. Representative Cannon
TOOK the occasion of unveilinc the
marble busts of Champ Clark and the
late Republican leader. James n
Mann, to empha size that many of the
greatest men in American history
cannot have place in "our nstiona1
hall of remembrance" because each
state is allowed to designate two. and
only two of its citizens for such
honor. sum
BY way of illustra
mas htiy chosen from her inexhaust-
IDLE galaxy of noble sons to represent
ner In THIS American Valhalla the
names or Washington and Lee. pass
ing by, necessarily, the name of
Thomas Jefferson, the most nrofo,na
thinker of all American statesmen.
living or dead"
Notable also by their absence from
this historic chamber, the yaulted
arches OF which echoed the elouuence
OF webster. the logic of Clay and the
measured cancellations of Calhoun.
are: John Hancock of Massachusetts
VINO wrote his name where all ma.
tlons might behold II and where all
time should not efface IT,; Alexander
Hamilton and Chief Justice Marshsll
VINO probably next to Jefferson left the
greatest impress on the Federal ConstI-
tuition; Benjamin Franklin, Washing
ton alone excepted. the noblest pa
triot of the Revolution; John ogle.
thorpe, patron saint of Georgia: An
drew Jackson, implacable and i'm.
perious foe of secession and central.
ized financial autocracy; John Quincy
Adams, the only ex-President to sit
in the lower house, who died IN his chat
within that very hall; the Joint pre-
servers of the Union, Lincoln and
Grant; our American literati-Emer-
son, Lowell, LongfeIlow, whittier.