Evening star., 1934-04-29
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

During his speech in the House on
Friday about prof. Felix Frank
furter's hot dogs" who meet nightly
in the little red house in George
town" plotting communism, Repre-
sentative Britten engaged in spirited
colloquy with Representative Blanton
of Texas, finally challenging-"Can't
the gentleman from Texas get that
through his thick head?"-and almost
Immediately he asked by unanimous
consent to withdraw that remark.
Ther, Britten told this little story:
Our dear old friend, Martin B.
Madden former chairman of the Ap-
propriations Committee for whom
Britten was manager when Madden
was a candidate for Speaker, was
having quite heated colloquy- with
Ben Johnston from Kentucky former
member of the District Committee). .
an admirable man and a cauStic de-
batter. They were equally partisan.
They got into such a heated col
loquy that one would imagine they
were going to strike each other and
finally Mr. johnson invited Mr.. Mad
den outside And Mr.. Madden stood
up-you all know he had a wooden
leg-and he said: I will say to the
gentleman that in f1sticuffs I have
never been educated, but If the gentle
man wishes ! will match my wooden
leg against his wooden head. any
time"
When laughter subsidized, Represen-
tative Cochran, Democrat, of Missouri,
commented, Admirable men and both
bitter partisans. but gentlemen al
ways" To which Representative Brit
ten, Republican, of Illinois, responded:
Il agree with the gentleman. I do
not object to partisanship on the floor
every once in while. 1 think it is a
good thing" And veteran followers
of Congress agree that one Of the
most surprising things is that while
members in debate wax bitter, vitriolic
and slash each other with sharp
words-they are soon laughing together
and walk off the floor with an arm
over the others shoulder. Which also
"is a good thing"
The Senate has just printed new
DOOh NONtI lllS ldIlL lIlNGSll-
cation, to rank with the report of the
famous Pujo Money Commission and
the Lorimer investigation.
With the intention of preserving
for posterity in one volume the entire
proceedings of the McCracken case
which created Nation wide furore with
reverberations throughout the world,
Col. Edwin A. Halsey, secretary Of the
Senate, has had compiled and pub
iished as a public document (Senate
Document 1922 extracts from the
Congressional Record which will in
clude the testimony offered in the
case; the speeches in the debate; the
full transcript of subpoenas issued;
the votes on the several charges
against those involved. and also ex-
| tracts from the court records showing
what happened in cases growing out
of the Senate proceedings.
The title Of this document is "T'he
United States versus William P.
McCracken, jr., ct als.'-alleging that
respondents in contempt of the Senate
of the United States in connection
| with a subpoena to produce certain
papers before a special committee ap-
pointed to investigate the awarding
of air and ocean mail contracts, Of
| which committee Senator Hugo l..
Black of Alabama was chairman
The case was a most unusual one,
as two of the recalcitrant witnesses
were adjudged in contempt of the
Senate and ordered to serve ten days
in Jail. One Of these witnesses served
his sentence and the other, now on
| bond, is contesting the decision Of the
Senate in the courts.
1t is thought by many that the ac-
tion Of the Senate in sustaining the
findings of the Black Committee is
a tribute worthy of preservation. 1t
! is the first time that proceedings of
this kind have been collected and put
| in one volume.
This document is carefully indexed
| by James D. Preston, librarian Of the
Senate, and the incidents in the
precedents established in the Nc
Cracken case, will be easily located.