Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-09-01
About Well Known Folk
In Books, Art, Politics
Duke of Wellington Is Speaker Byrns' Hero
H.R. H. Duke of Kent Acknowledges
American Scholars Poem.
BY ROBERT CRAWFORD.

woman or child who has not at least
one hero to whom they pay tribute
and who has not had some minor in
fiuence upon their lives, even though
unacknowledged, perhaps even unfelt.
Now. the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Mr.. Joseph yelling
ton Byrns of Tennessee, freely
acknowledges that since his earliest
years the Duke of Wellington has been
his hero, his inspiration, a sort of bea-
con light along the pathway of life
in his case, rugged pathway for
many years. The Speaker Is one Of
those shouting Methodists who was
christened Joseph William Byrns, but,
disagreeing with Mr.. Shakespeare that
there was nothing in a name, he later
on simply took the matter in his own
hands and changed the William to
Wellington. And maybe that's how
he became the ruler Of the lower
house Of Congress, position second
only in importance to the presidency
OF the United States.
It's an interesting coincidence to Mr..
Byrns that he was born just little
over a hundred years after the iron
duke. Wellington was born on May /,
1859, while the Speaker was born on
July 20, 1869, 81 years after the battle
OF Waterloo. And. by the way, he
has no patience with those writer's
and historians who have tried to
debunk the fame of his hero and
distribute the glory of the great
victory. He is much interested in
Wellingtoniana and Tennyson's lode
on the Death of the Duke of yelling
ton" THE tower Of strength, I"
which stood four-square to all the
winds that blew" is a favorite of his.
The duke was a Tory of the pro-
nounced type and at a critical time
In the history of the British Empire
formed a Tory ministery. He had
refused to serve under Canning when
he was first lord of the treasury, but
later brought in the bill for Catholic
emancipation.
The Speaker Of the House is no
tory, but has gone along with the
administration, fighting for its poll
cies, and on several occasions has left
the chair for the floor of the House
when he felt word from him was
needed. He's a party man first, fore
most and all the time, but he is not
hidebound He's open to argument
on most questions, but chuckles right
merrily when he gets the best Of a
discussion.
On the Saturday before the close Of
the first session of the Seventy fourth
Congress-when it was expected that
1t would end that night-a member
on the Republican side of the House
rose and paid most appreciative
tribute to Mr.. Byrns. He spoke not
only of his ability and long expert
ence, his devotion to party and to his
duty as a Representative of SOW
ereign State, but he emphasized his
fair dealing with members Of all
parties, his justice, consideration and
courtesy as a presiding officer. How
about it, Tennessee?
One would scarcely have called it
suppressed excitement that Saturday
before the close when members OF the
Senate and House we're buzzing in
and out Of the chambers like bees in
q hive congratulating each other that
it would soon be over-alas! they
reckoned without that filibuster that
was put over at the eleventh hour.
Mopping their fevered brows, scan
ming timetables and devoutly praying
that it would end instanter.
Take a bit of poise from the wom-
en-; they were the only cool, collected
members in the House and looked as
fresh as daisies and as cool as an
English dowager. Some of them were
little troubled over the tax bill be-
cause they had to go back home and
tell their woman constituents all about
it-you know women are beneflciarieS
Of SO per cent of all property left
at time of death. Mrs. Edith Nourse
Rogers of Massachusetts, was a bit
upset because while she had taken
them into her confidence over the
radio a few nights before and talked
taxes to the country-but that was
not so difficult-no one can talk back
over the radio.
By the way, what a colorless place
the Congress would be without those
charming ladies. So earnest, so con-
scientious, so scrupulous about their
duties. There was Representative
Greenway, in an adorable frock of
dark blue with a wide sort Of Lord
Fauntleroy collar effect in light blue
and her fluffy hair she peers from
beneath-certainly is fetching. No
end of male members had to con-
stantly consult her-even on. hot
day in August it makes all of the
difference in the world with whom
one has to talk business and not
seem irked.
Oh, those fascinating widows of the
Lower House of Congress: Mrs.
Jenckes, in a cool-looking lowered
frock with her braids wound around
her head-she's always original-sit-
ting right up in the front pew before
the Speakers desk, alert and at her
party's call. Awfully nice to the news
hounds-frankly telling them any,
thing that is tellable. That's why the
public thinks she has press agent
she does not need one. E. Mrs. O'Day,
member at large from the great En-
pire State, swanky in tailored frock,
looks the woman of business a
friend of the cause of Tom Mooney
and has a picture of him on her table.
She's a whole hearted advocate in any
cause in which she's interested 4.
Mrs. Norton, friend of the voteless in
habitants Of the District of Columbia,
was absent that day-every one in the
gallery knew which was Mrs. Kahn,
she never has to be pointed out.
Representative Rogers, like her con-
fierce in the House, Mr.. George Holden
Tinkham-he of the hirsute adorn-
ment, do not confuse him with Senator
j. Ham Lewis-they are different-is
airminded and when she can't go
skimming the clouds in an airplane