Evening star., 1937-12-19
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

Elmer" is name to coniure with at
the Capitol-he's House employe but
called upon for service by most of the
Senators and their Office help. He was
born on farm near Stoughton. Wis
out for about 20 years has been practi-
cally indispensable in helping to nut
through legislation. Incidentally. he has
been an under-cover benefactor tn most
OF the high school and college debaters
throughout the country. He has given
important service to every State in the
Union by helping the members of Con-
gress do things for their districts. AL
though there is today not much "peace
on earth" Elmer lives I'D very religiouslv
to his creed of good will toward men"
Elmer Lewis, superintendent of the
House document room, is well worth the
study OF psychiatrists and PSYCHOLOGISTS,
pathologists and others of such breed
Tor he mas peculiar gift or ability. He
describes himself as "just a freak of
nature. He has card catalogue mind
more than that, he has a number
registering mind. It's absolutely uncannv
the way he can give you the number of
any Dill or report without stopping to
In his card catalogue and cross index.
which always confirms his mind record
veteran members and employees frankly
admit that they have never known Elmer
70 give a wrong number
For two decades he has piven in.
tensive study and drudgerous routine
work, fitting himself for the exactinp
duties OF his Office. He is a walking
AnrVrlnNo6io nm, 1a0ic 1oR;
content with merely storing bills and
documents and passing them out on re-
quest, Elmer has been studious how that
once can give more helpful service, and
has thought far ahead of the members.
His domain is a labarynth of between
the-Walls passages, caverns in the cellar
of the Capitol. alcoves on the terraces
all sorts OF cubbyholes and inches. There
is nothing efficiently about the layout of
his quarters. All the efficiency there is
was Elmer-made. One of his first in
noVatlonS was the grouping of laws on
every subject so that they are now ready
for access. ~.
In his pigeonhole Office Just of Statu-
ary Hall he sits on revolving desk chair
and can place his fingers unerrinely on
card reference to any law or legislative
proposal, reports thereon and related in
formation. He has more right in his
mind on any particular piece of leeis-
latlon than trained research student
could gather elsewhere in a whole dav's
work. Thus he has made himself one
of the most important coes in the leeis-
latlve machinery-and few DAYS pass
but some member in the heat of debate
on the floor sends an S o S to Elmer
y1fN
the cause for which he Is forensicalIy
battling. He has had an important part
IN engineering some of the most i'm
portant measures In the past decade
but always stays modestly in the back
ground, but always ready when needed.
Some of the treasured records in his
office date back $50 years-documents
of the Eighth and Ninth Congresses
1903 to 1807-and some House records
that 60 back to 1880. In one small cir
cular room he has assembled all laws
dating back to the Forty-fifth Congress.
He does his own typewriting and answers
personally all calls from any of the 96
Senators, 435 House members, four non
voting delegates or commissioners and
their entire encourage He has large
envelopes filled with all available data
on the major measures under considera-
ton or OF timely Importance ready to be
delivered to members as they seek in
formation on those subjects. He has de-
veloped a system of collecting speeches
and other valuable information on cur
rent subjects, so that when a Senator
or House members get requests from
high school or college debators, Elmer
can Immediately hand them the best
material on both sides OF the given
question.
Elmer is always pleasant, courteous
willing, helpful, efficient and unhurried
He knows all the answers - and the
numbers.
II the President and the new deal hit
the toboggan slide and begin to 60 down
hui, probably nothing can prevent their
defeat In the congressional and national
elections Of the next three years. Not
. few Of the Republican leaders In Con-
gress and out have been watchfully watt
ing for this to happen. It is that kind
of leader who is lukewarm to plans for
a national q. o. p. convention next year.
They believe that, given little more
time, the New Deal will hang itself That
end will be postponed, in all probability,
as long as the administration can find
millions enough to pass out in the form
Of relief, to the farmers, the workers and
to build larger armies Of Federal pay
rollers.