The Monmouth inquirer., 1925-07-09
STATE CELEBRITIES
IN NATIONAL ABBEY
.Sfotuary Hall Famous ShOrO-
place of Capital.

Every state of the Union was repre-
sented at the inaugural ceremonies on
March A. visitors from twenty-nine
states found great men of their COM
monwealths memorialized In the Statu-
airy hall of the United States Capitol
building.
"Statuary hall. in the older portion
Of the Capitol, is a room which holds
more historic associations than any
other chamber in America" writes DR..
Gilbert Grosvenor president of the
National Geographic society.
An unwarranted phrase has made 1t
popular to call Statuary hall cham
Der Of artistic horrors. Such designa-
ton does injustice to the art and the
history Of the room where the house
of representatives met for forty years
and which now exemplifies really
fine memorial idea.
Here Lincoln, John Quincy Adams,
Horace Greeley and Andrew Johnson
served In the same congress. Here
Henry Clay welcomed Lafayette, who
replied In a speech said to have been
written by Clay. Here John Marshall
administered the oath of Office to Mad
ison and Monroe.
When, In 1926, the house balloted In
this room for President, John Quincy
Adams won over Andrew Jackson
The former, the only man to be elect
ed to the house after being President,
was stricken with paralysis suddenly,
In this chamber, after delivering an
Impassioned address; the latter, while
President, narrowly escaped an as
sassin upon leaving this room, where
he had attended the funeral Of con-
gressional friend.
A bronze star marks the location Of
Adams desk. The star happened also
to denote spot where one may hear
the whisper Of friend who stands in
the corresponding position on the OPP
posite side of the hall. Move away
from the spot and the speakers voice
fails to carry, even when he speaks
loudly.
Closed to visitors now is the narrow
gallery Of the old house, reached by
dark. toFtuous steps worn deep by the
tread Of many feet. In this gallery
Dickens cleaned notes for his COM
ments on Americas congress. He
called Washington "a city Of magnia-
cent Intentions"
Close your eyes and see John Ran
doIph stalk in, with squirrel cap and
homespun suit, white boots and jing-
Ling spurs; he has just galloped
through muddy streets from George
town. Throwing cap and coat to his
desk, he drinks a glass Of porter
handed him by an attendant and cuts
IN on any debate, in thin, queruious,
piping voice. Here another type Of
orator, Edward Everett, Just out of
the pulpit. charmed his hearers.
For some years religious services
were held In the old hall of representa-
lives on Sunday afternoons; Lincoln
attended them during the war period,
when the hall was crowded because
many churches had been converted In
10 barracks.
The f1oor Of this room was raised 10
Its present level when the hall was
converted into an American Westmin-
ater abbey. Tradition has It that the
lower level Of the old floor led to the
popular designation Of the house Of
representatives as the slower house,
When the old hall was deserted for
the new, law was enacted, in 1884,
providing that the states could use it
~ a place to do national honor to
the memory Of their sons and daugh-
tiers renowned for civil and military
service, each state being entitled to
place r.