Evening star., 1938-04-10
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

Ihere are two old stand-bys that are
frequently, sporadically, quoted in the
congressional Record. You may be sure
that every two years, when congressional
campaigns for reelection of House
members start, some one will insert in
the Record the classic speech made by
Speaker Champ Clark at the National
Press Club on March is, 1916. That
speech has directly reelected manv
House members. It has just been REIN
serted by Representative Guy L. Moser
OF Pennsylvania. That Great War
Horse of Democracy emphasized that
members usefulness to his constituency
and the country increases in geometrical
proportion to his length of service; that
useful and Influential members are made
largely by experience and practice and
getting to know the job and the agencies
OF Government. He also emphasized that
no man should be elected to the House
simply to crafty his ambition" and that
all members should be elected for the
good OF the country He advised new
ano ambitious members to do with all
thelr heart that which lies nearest"
pointing out that events over which YOU
nave no control may advance you more
faploly than you dream of or hope for
II Whatever your hand finds to do you
do with all your might"
lhe other old standby. which can be
found In scrapbooks and illuminated
framed notices all over the country. is
the Tribute to Dog by another great
Mlssourlan-the late Senator George G.,
Vest, who served in the Confederate Con-
gress and Senate.
y
How many Negroes have served in
Congress? TWenty-four - two in the
Senate, both from Mississippi: Senator
Hiram R. Revels, 1870-1871. and Senator
Blanche K. Bruce, 1875-188l. reared as
slave, who was later register of the
Treasury and recorder of deeds in Wash
lngton, D. c. The most noted of the COL
ored House members was John r. Lynch,
a slave, who served from Mississippi and
is still living in Chicago at the age of
". He held the highest Offices in the
republican party, both State and ma
tional. was appointed to important Fed
eral offices by Presidents Harrison and
Mckinley. The 81 other colored men
VINO served in the House were: Jefferson
r. Long. Georgia, Forty-first Congress;
John t. Walls. Florida. Forty-second.
Forty-third and Forty fourth; Joseph H.
Ralney. South Carolina. Forty second
forty-thlrd and Fourth fourth; Alonzo
j. Ransier. South Carolina, Forty-sec-
ond, torty-thlrd and Forth-fourth; Rob-
ert B. Elliott, South Carolina, Forty
second, Forty-third and Forty-fourth:
Rlchard H. Cain. South Carolina, Forty
thlrd and Forty-fifth; Jere Haralson.
AIaoama, Forty-fourth: Benjamin S.
turner, Alabama, Forty-third John A.
lyman, North Carolina, Forty-third and
Forty-tourth; Robert Smalls, South
carolina, Forty-third and Forty-fourth:
Rooert G. de Large, South Carolina.
Forty-second; Charles E. Nash, Louisi
ana Forty-fourth; James E. OHara
North Carolina, Forty eighth and Forty
ninth; George H. White, North Caro-
lima, Fifty-flfth and Fifty sixth: Thomas
+. Miller, South Carolina Fiftv-f1rst:
John M. Langston, Virginia, Fifty-first:'
Henry P. Cheatham, North Carolina
F1fty-first and Fifty-second; James r
Rapler, Alabama. Forty third; George
- Ns' @cutAA Sd1Olllld. Tlty-tllrQ,
oscar de Priest, Illinois, Seventy-first,
Seventy-second and Seventy third, and
the present member, Arthur Mitchell
Illinois, former secretary to Booker T.
washington, Seventy-fourth and Seven
ty-fifth.
Representative Ambrose Kennedy of
Maryland thrilled colleagues in the
House cloakroom the other day with the
story OF an early day Maryland states
man who lived all his life in his ances-
tral home and died in the house in which
he was born although he studied law in
the famous Middle Temple, London; was
member of the Continental Congress,
slgner Of the Declaration of Independ-
ence chief justice of the Superior Court
OF Maryland, chief justice of the Court
OF Appeals in prize and admiralty cases,
Governor of Maryland, influential in
establishing Washington College in Ches-
tertown, member of the State conven-
tion that ratified the Federal Constitu-
ton and was appointed by President
Washington judge of the United States
Court for Maryland. That was Repre-
sentative William Paca, who was born
and died at Wye Hall, near Abingdon,
Queen Anne County.