Evening star., 1937-08-01
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

A new edition has been issued of the
pamphlet which gives the origin and his
tory OF the Mace, the symbol of au-
thority, to preserve order in the Ma
tional House Of Representatives. This
is published by direction of the sergeant
at arms, Kenneth Romney, and COPIES
are being distributed to libraries and
schools throughout the entire country.
Members OF Congress are supplied with
limited number for distribution to
interested persons in their districts.
In calling the attention of members
to this booklet. the sergeant at arms
wrote: The information contained in
this pamphlet was compiled by me, and
Is based upon an article written by VIII
=. Kennedy and placed in the Congress
slonal Record several years ago bv Rep
resentatlve John j. Boylan of New York,
together with data from the Encvclo-
pedla Britannica McKees Manual of
congressional Practice and recollections
OF veteran employees OF the House. 1t
is believed to be the first complete and
accurate story Of the Mace ever pub
lished'
Flooding along diligently. unobtru-
sively, steadily, throughout the night, all
over the Capital City. doing work essen
tial to the accurate recording of the
day-bv day proceedings Of Congress-for
81 years-"Sam' Robinson was known to
few Of the men who have made legislative
history, although he served them all
When he died the other day he was
euloglzed by House Leader Rayburn as
an inspiring example Of service Mr..
Rayburn said:
Throughout the whole Government
service there are men and women Of
great efficiency and great faithfulness to
duty l rise to announce the death of
an employe OF the Government Printing
once who was in that capacity, a serv-
ant OF the House of Representatives.
Samuel Robinson for ST years, with the
exception OF three months and two days,
was thus employed. When he died he
was n years Of age. all but twenty years
OF his life having been spent in the
| Government service. For many years
1t has been my privilege and my pleasure
| to know this man. and of all of the men
l have ever known, I can say without
reservation that Sam Robinson was one
OF the most faithful and one of the most
| ef1cient men in his capacity that I ever
knew. We will miss him dreadfully His
| place will be hard to f1ll l thought it
was only fitting, Mr.. Speaker, that some
one at this time should say a word in
| memory Of this splendid servant of the
| people"
Mr. Robinson's job was to carry tran
script copies OF speeches made in the
House by members to their offices or their
homes, to permit the members to revise
! them before they were printed in the
Congressional Record
The same day that Sam" Robinson's s
humble services were thus extolled by
the House leader, Representative James
| A. Stanley Of Connecticut put into the
Record an appreciation of the late
| scientific hero, Guglielmo Marconi, who
bresthed scientific life and purpose into
| electric waves and gave US telegraphic
| communication. He had to his credit
the wireless telegraph, the directed beam,
wireless microwave, or ultra -short-wave
| radio, and the first commercial wireless
service across the Atlantic
Representative Stanley concluded that
world and international relations are
| better because of Marconi," and quoted :
Were half the power that fllls the world
with terror
Were half the wealth bestowed on
camps and courts,
| Given to redeem the human mind from
error,
There were no need for arsenals and
forts.
Among the widows whom the voters
| have sent to Congress to succeed their
husbands have been Representative
Edith N. Rogers, Massachusetts,; Mrs.
Mae E. Nolan, California; Senator
Hattie Caraway, Arkansas; Mrs. Florence
Kahn, California Mrs. Otis Wingo,
Arkansas; Mrs Huey P. Long, Louisiana,
and Mrs. John w. Langley Kentucky.
| In the present Congress Representative
Maury Maverick, Democrat, OF Texas is
an example Of the nephew come to Con-
gress. The late Representative James L.
Slayden, who served with distinction
from 1897 to 1919, and subsequently di-
rected an orchard in Virginia, a ranch
in Texas and mines in Mexico
The late Speaker Charles F. Crisp of
Georgia, conceded to be one of the great
Speakers, had as his parliamentarian his
son, Charles r., who succeeded him in
| Congress.
Senator Wallace H. White, Republican,
Of Maine was secretary to his grand
father, the famous Senator William P.
Frye, successor to Senator James G.
Blaine.