Evening star., 1935-04-28
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

While the $457, ,786, ,26I naval appro-
priation bill was under consideration
in the House last week, Representa-
tive Glover H. Cary Of Kentucky,
in charge of the bill, had sitting
beside him a young man who knows
more about naval appropriations than
any man in Congress. because 1t has
been has special and intensive job for
more than Is years, John c. Pugh,
first assistant clerk Of the House Com
mittee on Appropriations.
This young man has q notable dis
tinction. which can be duplicated by
no one else. Nearly a quarter of a CEN
tury ago he used to appear with the
present President Of the United States,
when the latter was Assistant Secre-
tary OF the Navy. to present the Nays
appropriation needs and justiflcations
therefor, before the committee OF
which he Is now clerk He formerly
was in charge of the naval budget in
the office OF the Secretary of the
Navy.
He has served both the Naval Al
fairs Oegislative) Committees Of the
Senate and House-with Representa-
tive George P. Darrow Of Pennsylvania
the only present member of the House
Legislative Committee, and Chairman
Buchanan the only member OF the
Appropriation Committee, who were
there when Pugh began his clerk
ships.
He has been identified with naval
nnQttArg ConitnI irn 1919
when the late Senator Ben Tillman
OF South Carolina, familiarly known
as "Pitchfork Ben" succeeded to the
Craftsmanship Of the Senate Naval
Committee. Secretary Daniels Of the
Navy Department permitted Pugh TO
assist the Senate Naval Committe in
its appropriation bill work This as
sistance was continued under Senator
Swanson, the present Secretary Of the
Navy, who succeeded Senator Tillman
as committee chairman.
When the Republicans gained con-
troll of the House in 1919, Pugh was
similarly detailed to assist the late
Representative ("Uncle TomO Butler,
who became chairman of the House
Committee on Naval Affairs.
Immediately following the enact
ment of the budget and accounting
act, resulting in the concentration
Of all appropriation measures in the
Committee on Appropriations, Pugh
resigned his position In the Navy De-
partment to accept the tender OF the
position he now holds.
How the American form Of self
government can best be preserved by
the individuals writing to their rep
resentatives in Congress and telling
them just how they feel about pend
ing legislation is emphasized by Rep
resentative Jennings Randolph, Dem
ocrat, of West Virginia. The enor-
nous amount OF mail arriving in
Washington when Congress is in ses-
sion has become larger than ever in
recent weeks" he points out. Hun
dreds of thousands Of letters have
been received by Senators and Rep
resentatiyes protesting against the en-
actment Of some particular bill-such
as the public utilities holding bill.
These letters are a product of
fear. They come. in many instances.
from lonely and despairing people
who see their last dollar about to be
taken from them by Government fiat.
Sometimes these letters are called
propaganda Most often they are
personal, spontaneous and sometimes
heart-breaking protests.
This expression Of public opinion,
or of individual opinion, is an un-
questioned right of each American.
1t is the duty of members of Congress
in a democracy such as ours to listen
to what the people have to say. l, for
one, will oppose to the last breath
the effort on the part of any one to
curtail the right of the citizen of the
United States to send letters to his
Government representatives in regard
to legislation which affects the way
he lives"