Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-17
Capital Sidelights
BIZ WILL r. KENNEDY.


the American Congress, from 1774 tc
1927, including the Continental Con.
gress, from September 5, 1774, to Octo.
Der 81, 1888, and the Congress of the
United States from the First to the
Sixty-ninth Congress, March 4, 1889
to March 8, 1927, inclusive
This book, which is being compiled
under the direction of Senator George
H. Moses of New Hampshire. chairman
OF the Joint committee on printing, has
been four years in preparation and Is
just coming off the press at the Govern
ment Printing Office. There are beins
printed and bound $500 copies. OF
which 4,400 copies are for the use O;
the House of Representatives and / SOC
copies for the use of the Senate and
500 copies for the use of the Joint COM
mittee on printing.
Leading librarians of the country have
testified that they have no book In Their
Libraries that Is used as constantly as
this Biographical Directory.
This new edition contains about 1000
biographical sketches and these contain
much interesting information regarding
Massachusetts men who have served
their State and Nation in the American
Congress, some of whom had a leading
part in founding this Government.
Prior to 1909 apparently no effort was
made to publish directory relative to
Members Of Congress. The earliest
known directory is entitled places OF
Abode OF the Members of Both Houses
OF Congress, First Session of the
eleventh Congress" 1t Is a pamphlet
OF Is pages, published by r. C. Weight
man In 1909 and contains the names
and locations OF boarding houses, ar
ranged alphabetically, which are fol-
lowed by names of Senators and Repre-
sentatives residing therein.
Directories containing added con-
gressional information, compiled and
printed under contract by private firms
appeared from time TO time. Though
still printed by contract, the Congress
sional Directory for the first session of
the Thirtieth Congress, issued in 1913
by J. and @. 8. Gideon, assumed an
omcial air by bearing on the title page
the words Compiled and published for
the use OF Congress by the Postmaster
OF the House OF Representatives" SINH
lar information was carried on titles uu
to and including the first session of the
Thirty-eighth Congress.
AT the beginning Of the second session
OF the Thirty eighth Congress a Joint
resolution, approved February ID, 1865
was unanimously adopted providing for
the compilation and publication of the
first Congressional Directory under the
supervision OF the joint committee on
public printing. The committee held
numerous sessions, obtained and exam
ined like publications issued in foreign
countries and finally decided upon a
work similar in essentials to 1.-THE House
OF Commons" published In London
since 1852.
Biographical sketches of Senators and
Representatives appeared in 1857 in
tne rrst edition of the Congressional
directory for the second session Of the
Fortieth Congress. In the compiler,s
note it is called proof edition. an6
had approximately 235 Biographies 81
Senators, Representatives and Terri.
torial Delegates. It is referred to a.
being incomplete and in 1858 was re.
placed by a second edition which con.
tanned few more sketches. The di-
rectory for the third session, printed in
1869, contains approximately $50 biog-
raphies.
The work Of preparing and publishing
Biographical Directory to include ali
the preceding Congresses was first un.
oertaken by Charles Lanman in 1859
1t bears the imposing title Dictionary
OF the United States Congress" There
nave been at least six subsequent edi-
tons, which were intended to give up-
to-date and authentic biographical data
Since Mr.. Lanman's last volume. how
ever. the succeeding compiIers appear
to have done little more than to add
such information as could be obtained
from the Congressional Directories pub
lished during each session Of Congress
1t seems that no effort to correct, re-
wise or perfect the work of former COM
pliers was ever attempted and thus
original errors were perpetuated.
In the new edition just coming out
the compiler, Ansel Void, secretary ID
the Joint committee on printing, has
conscienttously endeavored to verify the
personnel and biographical data pub
lished in preceding editions. With the
AID OF trained corps of investigators
the Journals and Records of Debates
have been searched, biographical publi-
cations consulted and special appeals
made to Government repositories, pub
lie libraries, historical associations
postmasters, State. county and munich
pal officers. as well as to private indi-
viduals. for general and special infor-
nation.
The postmasters throughout the
country have invariably responded to
requests for information by furnishing
It or by forwarding each communica-
tion TO some person most likely to
possess 1t. Ofiicials of the State Depart
ment were especially helpful by courte-
ously cooperating in the examination
ana verificaticn from official documents
of service records of the executive on
GERS of the various administrations
Omcials of the Library of Congress
placed at the disposal Of the compiler
historical data that could not other
wise nave been obtained. Offlcials of
the Government Printing Office have
endeavored In every way possible to
produce book Of such mechanical ex-
cellence as to be In keeping with the
dignity and Importance of the subject
matter contained therein.
There are many instances in which
librarians, historians and biographers
have spent valuable time In research
and In preparation of desired informa-
ton, and the assistance rendered by
them In this work Is gratefully acknowl-
edged by the compiler.
1t Is unfortunate that some records
which might prove Of great value, espe-
cially bearing upon earlier contested
election cases and their determination.
were destroyed. It is also regrettable
that the Journals Of the two houses, and
the certificates of election as well. can
not be accepted as reliable In the SPELL
ing OF names. They do not AFFORD
much accurate information as to the
designations and deaths Of members
and none whatsoever as to their home
addresses.
Beginning with the Fortieth Congress.
the names Of Representatives from the
various States are placed In the nu-
merical order of the congressional dis
tricts they represented, and the names
Of Representatives at large appear in
the order OF their seniority. 1t viii thus
be easy. by referring to the footnote
references of deaths, designations, etc.,
to ascertain the particular congressional
district Member represented. The
names Of all Senator's are given In the
order of seniority.
Each Of the almost countless biog-
raphies in this book has been rewritten
-