Evening star., 1925-01-18
Capital Sidelights

Iowa paid tribute to the passing Unto
| the valley OF death" of Ellis II. Cut
| ting, one of his constituents, who
was the very last survivor OF the 1913
| men who came out alive after the
| charge of the noble $40 in the famous
| Light Brigade at Balaklava october
| 25, 1854, in the Crimean War, which
| was immortalized by the genius of
| Tennyson.
| During the recent visit to this
| country of the Prince of Wales, Mr..
| Cutting recalled what few men have
ever witnessed, when he said: 81 saw
Queen Victoria spank his GRANDPA
| ther." And Cutting died 20 years
| after he rode into the very jaws OF
| hell. His last act as an American
| citizen was to exercise his right of
| franchise in the national elections on
| November 4, and his dying hours
were made happy by receipt of a com
| plimentary communication of con-
| Bratulations from President Coolidge
| on his having lived to be 81 years of
age
| Coupled with his eulogy, Repre-
| sentative Cole read to his colleagues
! an appreciation of 1.-TWO Rare Men"
| by former Representative Robert G..
| Cousins, who will himself be long re-
membered for his classic speech on
the sinking OF the Maine, in 1898.
| One of the two rare men" was Cut
/ ting and the other was William Da-
| vies, who also rode in the charge of
| the Light Brigade. Both were con-
| stituents of Former Representative
| Cousins. Davies enlisted in the Sth
| New York Cavalry, and followed the
| dashing Phil Sheridan in the charge
| at Winchester as he had followed
| Lord Cardigan in the charge at Baia-
| klava. He fought at Antietam, Fred
| ericksburg, Beverly Ford, Chancel-
| lorsville and Gettysburg and at Gull
| peper Court House his arm was shot
| away. When Representative Cousins
| once said to him: az should have
thought that after being through the
| charge of the Light Brigade you
| would have hesitated to risk your life
in another war he replied: "Oh, it
was worth it,"
| And how many know what was
''the Gettysburg OF the West" Well,
| Congress was reminded by Represent
| ative Henry L. Jost OF Missouri, who
urged the establishment OF A national
military park in Kansas City. COM
! memorative of the Battle OF West
port. in the Civil War, on October
21-23, 1854. The Stars and Stripes
were sustained by 10000 troops from
! the Regular Army and from six
States-Illinois, Iowa, Colorado, Kan
| sas. Wisconsin and Missouri. The
Confederate stars and Bars were
, backed by 5000 of the best blood
| from Arkansas. Texas and Missouri.
There were "a Missouri units that
wore the gray and IS Missouri units
that wore the blue. so il was truly
an intern ecine, fratricidaI strife.
| Then Representative Jost recalled
that Col. T. T. Crittenden, who com
manded one of the Union regiments of
Missouri cavalry and was wounded,
became governor Of Missouri 20 years
later and was followed into that same
| office by Gen. Marmaduke, against
whom he had fought. John f. Philips.
| who commanded a Union brigade,
| later became judge OF the State Su-
| preme Court and district Federal
judge. While he held that judgeship
Gen. Joe Shelby, whose cavalry had
directly opposed him in that battle.
became the United States marshal of
his court under an appointment by
President Cleveland.
! Drawing an illustration directly
| from his audience, Representative
| Jost said: we have two old. griz-
zled warriors in this House. the gem
! tleman from Ohio, Gen. Sherwood, OF
| the Union forces. and the gentleman
from North Carolina. Maj. Steadman
| of the Confederate Army. Sixty years
| dSO lnSJ were against
| each other full OF animoslty, striving
| to maintain the right of their respec-
| tive causes. But today they frater-
| nize in this House and in their daily
| life, going forward In a mutual desire
| to serve this land and push the pres
| tige and dignity OF the Stars and
| Stripes TO the highest possible pin
nacle OF influence for good in the fam
! lily of nations. And they but typify
4 H. Il y Ill,
lists all over the country among those
| who are left of the contenders in the
strife Of the Sos.
| Another hero of peace time, who
| fought with all the ardor of SINGER
| ity for his fellows in the army OF
government employees, was given
notable post-mortem commendation
| Repre- sentative Charles Stengle of
| New York commented that il might
! be said of the late Edward J. Cant
well. for &c years secretary of the
| National Association OF Letter Car
! riers. that "the whole world was bet
| ter because he had lived" He called
him "a noble American"
| Chairman Madden of the House ap-
| propriations committee chfmed in: Il
| knew him for many years. I knew
| him in his work and had daily contact
| with him for more than 10 years.
There never was man in any walk
| of life who was cleaner, truer,
broader, or more truthful in his deal
/ ings with men"
Representative Stengle gave ED"
Cantwell credit for building up the
morale and moral fiber of the letter
| carriers, and quoted the following as
| Cantwelrs vision of the true letter
| carrier:
when martial strains are playing
And streets with flags are gay,
! And men in khaki uniforms
| Are cheered along the way,
| There comes to mind an army
| That marches day by day.
| The chaps who link the world Of men
The boys in bluishgray.
They boast no crack battalions;
| No chevrons do they wear;
On them no one in high command
| Bestows the Croix de Guerre;
| No wild huZZas acclaim them;
| No "front-page heroes they,
| The lads who give US service plus
| The boys in blush gray.
| In gloomy city canyon,
| In winding village street.
| On upland chill arid plain,
| Their steady footsteps beat.
| With heavy-laden knapsacks
| They carry on each day;
! No slackers mar the columns of
| These boys in bluish-gray.
They do not stop for weather.
| Whatever storrs impend;
| A sacred obligation theirs
| The letters that you send.
| So doff your hats-salute them.
| And bounteous homage pay
| The men who bring your daily mail
| The boys In blush-grsy.
| \; y X
And speaking of postal employees
reminds US of the aphorism used by
Representative William d. Upshaw of
Georgia. declaiming at once for liv-
fnr oil nrl. nd