Evening star., 1928-05-06
Capital Sidelights

mother of the founders of this Nation
was brought to the attention of Con-
gress last week by Representative r.
Walton Moore of Fairfax, apropos of the
dedication as a national shrine of the
law Offices in Fredericksburg, Va, in
which James Monroe began the prac-
tice of law
The "Athenian days" of Virginia and
the constellation of shining names asso-
ciated with that historic region we're
reviewed by Mr.. Moore, who is consid-
cred the best authority alive on early
Virginia history, a very considerable
portion of whose knowledge on this sub
ject has been CLEANED from original
manuscripts through lifelong research.
Several score members of Congress
have been encouraged to make personal
visits to historic Fredericksburg by Mr..
Moore's talk. He reminded them that
there they could see the home and tomb
of the mother of Washington and the
home of his sister, and just across the
Rappahannock River is the Ferry Farm,
where part Of Washington's childhood
was spent. Here are cherished memo
rieS of John Paul Jones, who went from
there as the pioneer and founder OF the
American Navy, the first to raise the
flag of his country on naval vessel,
unforgotten heroes.
Within 60 miles of Fredericksburg
were the homes of more of the foremost
men who won independence for the
colonies, founded the Government and
by their wisdom insured its perpetulty
than in any similar area anywhere
four Presidents, Washington, Jefferson,
Madison and Monroe, all of them great
statesmen and one of them a great SOL
dier; Patrick Henry ana Richard Henry
Lee. the most eloquent orators OF the
Revolution; George Mason. the author
of the Bill of Rights, announcing the
principles which form the basis of free
institutions; John Marshall, who did
not assist in framing the Constitution,
but by his decisions made it living
thing. These men long ago passed from
the scene. but, even So they are the
dead but Sceptered sovereigns who still
rule our spirits from their urnS'
Monroe was the youngest of the
group, the Junior of Mason by 80 years.
of Washington and Henry by 26 and %
years; Is years the junior of Jefferson
and the junior also of Madison and
Marshall
Monroe was associated with jefferson
In consummating the transfer of the
territory northwest of the Ohio River
from the ownership of Virginia to the
ownership of the United States. save for
which there would have been no such
Constitution and no such Republic as
we now have. In the library at Wash
ington there is preserved the original
deed by which Jefferson. Monroe and
two other Virginia delegates in the Con-
tinental Congress conveyed for Virginia
to the United States the territory now
embracing five States and portion of
sixth. Not elsewhere is there con-
veyance of parallel interest and magni-
tude. To this day the deed is as legible
as when Monroe signed it, attached his
seal and acknowledged 1t before local
official. Following that transaction, he
and Jefferson were in close contact in
preparing the ordinance of 1874 for the
government of the Northwest Territory.
on which was based the celebrated ordi-
nance of 1887
One Of the largest law libraries in the
world, comprising more than 10000 VOL
umeS, has Just been given 10 the Su-
preme Court of the United States. and
will occupy special section OF the new
Supreme Court building, soon to be
erected.
President Coolidge has signed the bill
authorizing the Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court 10 accept the gift from
Senator Peter G. Gerry of this law
library. bequeathed to him by his father.
the late Eibridge r. Gerry. Senator
Gerry'S father began the collection of il
III the early Cos and continued adding
10 it until his death. at the age of 90, a
little more than year ago.
Previous 10 the introduction of the
bill TO permit the gift, Chief Justice
Taft had stated that he would be glad
10 receive the law library. and expressed
his qualification and grateful apprecia-
tion at the offer.
II thus becomes available TO use by
the entir legal profession Of the coun-
try. and is a boon especially TO legal
research students in the Capital City.
of whom there are more here than any
where else in the world,
When Congress was authorizing an
appropriation for better ventilating both
the House and Senate chambers. Repre-
sentative Taylor of Colorado put into
the record of tabuiation Of the
neurology OF Congress for the past 35
years. showing 290 deaths-S7 Senators
and 203 House members.
Many eminent health specialists and
physicians assert that this mortality
statement shows that the death rate in
Congress Is much higher than it is
among men of the same age in the
ordinary walks of life.
The tabulation shows that with few
exceptions there have nearly always
been more deaths proportionately where
Congress has held long sessions than
short ones For instance. the Fifty
third Congress was in session a total of
447 days. and had IS deaths. while the
Fifty-fourth Congress was in session $50
days and had only deaths, the Fifty
seventh Congress was in session S04
days and had II deaths, the Fifty
eighth Congress was in session 262 Gays
and had only 10 deaths; the Sixty-third
Congress was in session 654 days and
had Is deaths, and ordinarily would
have had a greater loss but for the fact
that during all the first session only the
ways and means committee was ap~
pointed and was working tthe rest OF
Congress was not working. while the
Sixty-fourth Congress was In session
368 days and had only 10 deaths, the
Sixty-iifth Congress was in session 6S4
days and had 25 deaths, while the Sixty
sixth Congress was In session S62 days
and had only i6 deaths