Evening star., 1936-11-22
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL P. KENNEDY.

One of the worlds outstanding ALL
thorities on the science of legislation
and legislative procedure is coming into
congress when it meets on January s.
entering upon his 18th year. still vigorous
in mind and body-Robert Luce of Mas
sachusetts. He stayed out of the Seventy
fourth Congress to complete his monu-
mental work on The Science of Legis-
lation," in four large volumes, compris-
ing million words in 100 chapters.
representing % years OF actual research
and writing backed by 36 years of per-
sonal legislative experience and a life
tlme OF study. Now he is coming back
10 Congress, where he was chairman of
the Library Committee. one of the most
active members of the Banking and
Currency Committee-an experienced
and wise counSelor-during Is years
service. He had previously been Lieu.
tenant Governor of Massachusetts,.
chairman Of the Commission on Cost of
Living, floor leader in the State Constt-
tutional Convention. president of the
Republican Clubs of Massachusetts and
for nine years member of the State
Legislature.
The four volumes in his authoritative
work Of reference are Legislative Pro-
cedure, Legislative Assemblies" ''Legis-
lative Principles" and Legislative, Prob
lens" The latter deals with such
present-day concerns as delegation of
power, administrative legislation and the
cabinet system, and covers the broad
underlying principles of about every
thing comprehended under the New
Deal and the recovery program. Each
one of the million words in this series
was knocked out by Mr.. Luces own
fingers on his own old typewriter-he
was formerly newspaper man and
established one of the best known clip
ping bureaus in the country. There is
not one dictated line in the four large
volumes.
Sightseeing in the Capitol, visiting its
historic spots and a visit with Charles
Fairman, the cultured, courteous gentle
man of the old school. who is curator
of the art works in the Capitol, en-
phasizes that portrait painters and art
lists have given the world some of its
greatest inventions for increasing service
to humankind 1t was Robert Fulton,
miniature portrait painter, who put to
practical use the power of steam naviga-
tion. S. F. B Morse, portrait painter,
devised the magnetic electric telegraph
and gave the first practical demonStra-
ton from room in the Capitol base
ment. since used as the Supreme Courts
law library. The portrait painter, C. w.
Peale, first made porcelain teeth for
himself and few friends. Rembrandt
Peale, also a portrait painter, lighted
the first city with gas, and Charles
Wilson Peale invented the polygraph,
sometimes attributed to President Jeffer-
son.
1t was in this city of Washington on
the Kalorama estate, in an old barn built
of stone slabs, that Robert Fulton con-
structed all the major parts of the Cler-
mont, the first steamship ever to make
a successful voyage. Joel Barlow, author
of the "Columbiad," diplomat who sue
cessfully made the treaty with the Bar
barry pirates, one of the wealthiest
Americans of his day, came from New
England and bought the entire region
between Connecticut and Massachusetts,
avenues and from Florida avenue to
Kalorama and built his home on the
slope at S and Twenty third streets. This
was the first estate of great wealth in
the District of Columbia, and included
the favorite bride paths used by Adams,
jefferson, Madison and other. early great
Americans.
Barlow took Fulton under his patron
age in Paris and brought him as guest
to the Kalorama estate. Barlow's Negro
artisans helped Fulton to build parts
of the historic Clermont, which were
tested in Rock Greek. Barlow's teams
hauled the wood and iron parts to New
York, where they were assembled on the
Hudson River. The first seated statue
to be placed in Statuary Hall In the
Capitol was that of Fulton, contemplar-
ing the model of his boat It was the
gift of Pennsylvania.
Barlow died in Napoleon's retreat from
Moscow. He is buried in a small and
remote hamlet of Poland. He was
American Minister to France and was
summoned by Napoleon to conference.
He drove by horse and carriage from
Paris through Russian blizzards and the
retreating soldiers of the grand army.
He was stricken with pneumonia and
died in crude, cherries inn-this vivid
American patriot who loved the beauties
of Nature in the Kalorama section and
was patron Of the arts. His brother-in-
law, Roger Baldwin, founder Of the
University of Georgia, cast the vote
which saved the Constitution when It's
adoption otherwise would have failed.