Evening star., 1932-11-20
Capital sidelights
BY WILL r. KENNEDY.


John w. Mccormack of South Boston,
MasS.--wf1o Is being talked about much
as likely man to be selected as House
leader in the next Congress, has won
general appreciation among his col
leagues, both Republican and Demo-
cratic, as an able legislator. and during
the past two years especially has been
pointed out as conner"
Succeeding the lovable James A.
Gallivan, who was one of the cleverest
employers Of sarcasm both in catch-as-
catch-can debate and in speeches, Nc
Cormack won prompt recognition by an
entirely different but effective style OF
oratory, stabbing with facts in dagger
like thrusts and convincing with cold
unerring logic.
He came to Congress well prepared
Tor legislative work by long terms in
both the House and Senate of the
Massachusetts, Legislature, where he
was Democratic leader of the Senate.
He won his way to appointment on
the Ways and Means Committee, where
he has been intrusted with special work
on some Of the most important sched-
ules in the tariff ana tax bills.
A total abstainer himself, he has
taken vigorous anti-prohibition stand
In the recent campaign although
previous to the Chicago convention he
had been an Al Smith man and. al
though there was bitter feeling in his
district against Speaker Garner, Nc
Cormack neglected his own Campaign
for reelection and sighted the state
ticket. devoting himself exclusively to
working day and night for the Roose-
velt-Garner ticket
1t Is claimed that his district-the
twelfth Massachusetts,, famed as an
Irish and Catholic stronghold gave
Roosevelt o record vote. Msssachu-
sets as one Of the pivotal backgrounds
OF the campaign gave Roosevelt a ma
1ortty OF $1,000. of which Al 600 wa
piled up in McCormack's bailiwick.
Every one in the House speaks a good
word for Mccormack.
This Bicentennial year George Wash
lngton was re-elecGed to Congress
george Washington Edmunds-who
was born on Washington's birthday
Representative Edmunds served abiv
In the House from 1918 to 1925, spe-
cializing particularly in merchant ma
r1ne and marine insurance legislation
He was druggist by profession, grad
uating from the Philadelphia College
OF Pharmacy IS years ago Then he
swung into the coal and lumber bust
ness. After he left Congress he was
elected manager of the Port of Phila-
delphia Ocean Traffic Bureau, which
position he has since filled.
He has many friends in the House
and In the press gallery who will wei
come him back to the legislative halls
The reelection Of Representative
Robert L. Doughton of North Carolins
places him in an important position ir
the House. With the retirement Of
Representative Collier Of Mississippi
chairman Of the Ways and Means Com
mtttee, which Is the revenue and tax
alton committee, followed by the defeat
Of Representative Charlie Crisp for the
Democratic nomination for Senator
from Georgia, who has since been sworr
in as q member of the United State,
Tariff Commission. and with the pros.
pect that House Leader Henry T. RaineJ
of Illinois will be advanced to the
Speakership, this man Doughton is mex
in line for chairman of the Ways anc
Means Committee under the seniority
rule.
He is farmer and live stock raiser
by occupation, when he takes time of
from his legislative duties He has
served In the House for 20 years con-
secutively. Formerly he was member
Of the North Carolina State Board oi
Agriculture, wa in the State Senate
and served as director of the States
prison before coming to Congress.
4 X
Senator Gerald p. Nye of North Da.
kota has been importuned by count.
less persons for copies of an addres,
on George Washington Among His
Books" which he had inserted In the
Congressional Record. This was 9
speech by George Seibel Of Pittsburgh
and was printed in the Congressional
When Washington died there were
863 volumes in his library, a large col
lection for those days. The largest
library in the colonies was that Of VIII
liam Byrd, which was only 4,0ct
volumes. And when william Jenning.
Bryan died few years ago his library
was appraised at less than $50.
Washington was fond of travel books
On his shelves were not only Cooks
Voyages" but 20 volumes In French oi
an "Histoire Generate des Voyages"
He was not the hard-dsted and
prosaic farmer some imagine On his
shelves were many volumes of the AN
nails OF Agriculture" but also the vol
umes Of the. Sentimental Magazine.
He was fond of history, and among
his books was Edward Gibbons great
Decline and Fall of the Roman En-
pire." He was interested in revelu-
tions. 1t seems, and Gifford's French
Revolution" proves it.
At the close of the war Washington
wrote letter to a friend in New York
to send him some books. First in the
list was work by Voltaire on Charles
XII Of Sweden. There was Locke on
the Human Understanding" and Gold
smiths Natural History" There were
lives Of Gustavus Adolphus and Peter
the Great, Louis XIV and Marshal
Turenne, historical volumes by William
Robertson, then highly esteemed his
torian, and accounts Of the revolutions
in Rome and Portugal.