Evening star., 1936-12-20
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL P. KENNEDY.

Santa Claus is feeling the effect Of
the lame duck" amendment to the
Constitution which Topped of the short
session" of Congress. Heretofore the
members Of Congress were quite busy
during December on appropriation bills,
and the House and Senate post offices
were doing 4 heavy business In Christ
mas mail, especially in greeting cards.
Every member sent out from hundreds
to thousands Of these cards. q far fewer
number of packages and there was also
q deluge of incoming Christmas cards.
But this year, since few Of the members
are here, the greetings are being sent
out from their home towns-and the
House postmaster. Finis E. Scott, and
his corps OF clerks and carriers are
correspondingly relieved Of much work.
Under the lame duck amendment Con-
gress does not meet until January 8, for
the new (Seventy-f1fth) Congress, in
stead of meeting early in December with
the Congress to close on March 4, and
with the new Inauguration date January
20, instead Of March 4. So now most of
the members spend their Christmas holi-
days this year at their homes instead Of
In Washington. Quite q few, however,
are already here, getting their families
settled to enjoy the social life and edu-
cational advantages Of the Capital City.
What Is the centennial safe" and
where Is it,
This Is . unique relic In the Capitol
Building. Is Is q large fireproof safe
filled with records Of national interest,
relative to the close Of our first centen-
nial 1t is permanently sealed not to be
opened for another two-score years-in
1876. The centennial safe was supplied
through the efforts Of Mrs. A. H. Deihm
OF New York. who instituted the plan
for the purchase of the safe and the
contribution of the contents. One Of the
features of this collection was q large
album containing autographs and por-
traits Of prominent persons from all sec
tions of the country. The safe was
closed and locked on February "a, 1879,
and is to remain closed until the second
centennial of the independence OF the
United States in 1876. It was removed
from the rotunda many years ago and
is now stored in one Of the entrances
to the crypt Of the Capitol.
A Buckeye" boy, who has won world
wide renown as portrait painter and
illustrator, had notable-somewhat his
toric-reception at the Capitol when he
presented, In person, his original paint
ing Of "A Boy Scout and the Constitu-
ton" to the United States Constitution
sesquicentennial Commission. Three
score years and three, Howard Chandler
Christy, who has painted rulers Of many
countries and been awarded medals Of
bv,H a &N7an not{AA< AAHAfffAA
that he got real kick" and "one Of
the big thrills Of lifetime In putting
on canvas the spirit Of the American
youth.
Christy-some many forget-went to
Cuba with the 2nd Regiment, U. s. Regu-
lars, and Teddy Roosevelts Rough Rid
ers, and saw the fighting before San
tiago. He painted portraits OF President
and Mrs. Calvin Coolidge, President
Warren G. Harding, Premier Mussolini,
Crown Prince Humbert Of italy, Prince
Philip Of Hesse, VIII H. Hays, George
Harvey, Chief Justice Charles e.
Hughes, Senator Coleman du Pont.
The gift he made to the Constitution
Commission was in commemoration Of
the sesquicentennial and as an incentive
to all Boy Scouts to make q pilgrimage
to the shrine Of the Constitution during
the national "jamboree" here next June.
Copies Of this painting in colors will be
displayed in every post ONCE in the
United States.
Describing this painting the artist
said: 1.-THE figure is that Of first-class
scout. age IS years, on the brink Of
young manhood and at the time when
he must visualize his future course In
life. He Is seated on the brink Of a
ledge; beneath Is the unknown future,
with the river Of life leading into 1t.
50 far it is bright, rejecting the morn
ing sunshine, while Spring flowers grow
beside him. He is reading the Consti-
tuition Of the United States. He puts
the book down and reflects on the course
he will take.
1.-THE Constitution has endured for $50
years. The vision Of the great men who
created it comes to his mind. There are
before him his highest ideals-Washing-
ton, Franklin, Madison, HAmilton-with
the Stars and Stripes of today-the en-
blem of freedom, which has waved for
$50 years In the distance Is the lighted
dome of the Capitol. indicating the laws
enacted there In conformity with the
Constitution, which shall forever en-
dure."