Evening star., 1927-05-08
Capital Sidelights

Lowell Mason n noted composer of
music. called on DIR. Smith at his home
in Newton Center, Mass. in 1882, for
advice regarding some German sing
ing books as to whether they were
proper for use in the public schools
Of the old Bay State. While turning
the pages, DIR. Smith was allnred by
u tune which the English claim as
theirs because they have for long
used 1t MS an accompaniment to God
Save the Queen" but which the Danes
and the Germans both claim origi-
mated with them. 1t took Dr Smith
somewhat less than half an hour to
acribble off a patriotic hymn which he
thought school children might sing
TO this tune, and he gave it. with
some other original verses and some
Transitions, 10 Dr. Mason, On the
following Fourth Of July he attended
q patriotic festival of Sunday school
children in the Park Street Church
In Boston, and was amazed to hear
them sing his My Country, 'Tis of
Thee, with great gusto. He later
heard it sung all over the country,
# # X
IT is increasingly impressed upon
us as the years roll along that the
youth Of this land can pick it's own
jobs and if it is willing to work for
what it aims al can get it. AS an IL
. lustration, there is Representative
James NJ. Mead Of Buffalo, n. Y, one
of the most popular men in the
House after eight years of service.
Jim Mead used to be Capitol po-
liceman and it was while guarding
the House Office Building from mid
night till 8 am. that he decided he
wanted to have an office of his own
in that building and do his share Of
the lawmaking. So he quit his job
and gave himself 10 years in which
to make the grade back to Washing.
ton. lie achieved it in eight years:
Jims father was a railroad sec.
ton hand. At the age of IL Jim
started working with his dad carry
ing water to the section hands. AS
he grew older he worked as a lamp
lighter, section hand, shopman and
switchman.
X X X X
Admiral ". S. Benson, one of Wash.
ington's most prominent citizens, who
since his retirement for age from the
Navy, on September 25, 1919, has been
deyoting his time, energies and in
fluence to humanitarian work, and
hItC 1ON AAGliS eL SIDAp III w dsHlIE
ton people in the upbuilding of an
agricultural and home economics
school at Ridge, Md. for colored
youths, known as Gibbons Institute,
tells interestingly of how near he came
to never achieving greatness.
While he was captain. in 1915. Con
gress created the Bureau of Naval
Operations, and Benson was selected
for chief of this bureau which really
put him in command of the Navy.
1t was his duty to prepare the Navy
for war, and he was responsible for
all the operations Of the Navy during
the war. He was in Paris as naval
adviser during the Peace Conference.
He returned to the United States in
June, 1919, and took active part in
demobilizing the Navy and getting 1t
back to a peace basis. Later he was
appointed chairman of the United
States Shipping Board. Three years
ago he was awarded the Laetare
medal by Notre Dame University.
But back in June. 1872. when he
presented himself at Annapolis, by
appointment Of Representative Spear
Of Georgia, he failed in the mathe-
matics examination. Not discouraged.
however, he asked Representative
Spear for another chance. which was
given him the following September.
and in the meantime he had studied
so intensively that he passed the ex-
animation without trouble.
~ y x
1t is not generally known that Sena-
tor Royal s. Copeland of New York
New York man. for he lived in Mich
igan 40 years. against 90 in New York,
and held at least as many prominent
positions there. He received his de-
gree Of doctor Of medicine in 1889.
at the age of 21, from the University
of Michigan. and he is now a fellow
in the American College of Surgeons.
After interneship in the University of
Michigan Hospital he practiced his
profession for five years in Bay City,
Mich. and then did postgraduate
work in Europe at various medical
centers. He was professor of eye and
ear diseases in the University of
Michigan for 13 years, and served as
mayor of Ann Arbor, president of the
Board of Education and president of
the Park Board. He also was a mem
ber of the Michigan State Tubercu-
losis board of trustees and a member
of the United States Pension Exam
lining Board. 1t was while president
of the national medical organization
in 1903 that he was called to New
York to become dean of Flower Hos
pita1 Medical College, which position
he held for 10 years, until COM
mandeered by Mayor Hylan for the
New York City commissionership of
health.
Apropos of the religious issue raised
in connection with Gov. Al Smiths
candidacy for the Democratic nomina-
ton for President, and the religious
issue that turned the tables politically
in the recent Baltimore mayoralty
campaign, Senator Harry B. Hawes
of Missouri has been making a careful
study of the historical and legal phases
of religious freedom. He says:
Liberty, civil or religious, cannot
exist with religious intolerance. If
liberty is preserved, intolerance must
be eliminated.
Destiny has reserved for our Ma
tion the duty of securing liberty with
out license for each citizen, and by it's
example to spread this liberty through
out the world.
"A people so persevering in its fight
for civil liberty should never pause or
hesitate in its opposition to religious
intolerance.
1T becomes the particular duty of
those in a ma jority to insist upon the
preservation of the rights of the mi
nority, and the fight against reli-
gious intolerance should be made by
the Protestant for the Catholic and
by the Catholic for the Protestant and
because of numerical weakness of
both Protestant and Catholic for the
religious rights of the Jew"
* X Xxx
Few men have enjoyed the long and
eventful political life that Senator
Simeon D. Fess of Ohio has achieved.
He started his political activities in
the famous Blaine campaign in 1884,
while working his way through col
lege His latest public appearance was
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