Evening star., 1938-03-20
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

House leaders are attending a testi-
monial dinner tomorrow night to honor
a veteran House employe, Kenneth Rom
ney, sergeant at arms, as guests of Chair
man John O'Connor of the Rules Com
mittee, who with Speaker Bankhead and
House Leader Sam" Rayburn comprise
the "triumvirate" of the House. Rom
ney is their police officer and banker.
He is official custodian of the Mace, the
symbol of authority, which is ordered
OUT by the Speaker on the extremely
rare occasions when any member be-
comes unruly. He recently wrote book
about The Mace" which Congress had
printed.
Representative OConnor. Who always
does his entertaining with generous
hand. considerable originality in surprises
and fine regard for all the niceties, has
invited IS OF the most prominent men,
bers, including the four Democratic
woman members. to this party for Rom
ney. 1t Is to celebrate the fact that he
is rounding out quarter of century of
efficient service Having made a name
for himself as newspaper man in
Washington State, Idaho and Montana.
Romney came to the Nations Capital
and was Washington correspondent for
number OF Western papers. In 1914 he
was appointed assistant sergeant at arms
when the late Champ Clark was Speaker
In 1917 he was appointed cashier, run
ming the private bank that serves all the
members and employees of the House,
and continued to serve under both Demo-
cratic and Republican regimes. He was
elected sergeant at arms in the Seventy
second Congress, when Vice President
Garner was Speaker He is now serving
his fourth term, and has never had oppo-
sition for the office.
Chairman OConnor of the Rules Com
mlttee is fraternally known among his
colleagues as ''red-headed Irishman"
and lets no appropriate occasion pass
without heralding the fact that his fore
bears were kings on THE Ould Sod" He
has made several speeches in the House
in eulogy of the OConnor clan. And he
didn't miss on ST. Patricks Day-but
came to the Capital with his arms well
laden to celebrate. 1t was due to his ad
monition that Speaker Bankhead was, as
Horace's famous purple patch that
shines afar" adorned with a vivid green
worn by members. O'Connor distributed
hundreds of green carnations. Then, as
he is presiding by designation of the
Speaker while the House is considering
the Navy construction bill in the Com
mittee of the Whole House on the state
OF the Union, at the opening of the ses-
sion he propounded a parliamentary
question to the Speaker: Whether it
uyN111d ho q 1,io1ofiNy, Af
dent while presiding instead of using
one OF the gavels on the Speakers desk
to use this shillelagh?" He displayed his
trophy while the House applauded. Then
he explained: This instrument of per-
suaslon comes direct from the ould sod
1t is the root of blackthorn tree" The
Speaker asked If by any chance it might
be the same identical shillelagh that the
gentleman from New York kindly allowed
the chair to preside with one year ago
today?" OConnor replied: "Begorra!
It's the selfsame persuasive instrument
which was caressed on that occasion by
the Speakers distinguished hand" Rep
resentative Guyer of Kansas suggested
that 1t might well be used instead of the
Mace. Representative Stack of Pennsyl-
vania interjected that To-day, in this
world of strife, wars and the overturn
OF governments, Ireland, God bless her!
Is at peace with herself and the world"
O'Connor continued: Il feel sure that
$500 years ago when st. Patrick drove
the snakes of paganism out of Ireland
and instilled culture and learning in
that land, he used this very useful instru-
ment, the shillelagh; so today we find
that island, famed in ballad, romance
and history. at peace with the world To-
day that fair land Is known as Fire. but
most of us still like to think of it as
Ireland, famed in song and story, blessed
with celestial guidance"
Ruling on the parliamentary question
Speaker Bankhead emphasized that 1t
was unique and he found no precedents,
but explained that he was mot unmind-
full of the value Of symbols of authority.
The Pope of Rome has his crozier. Nep-
tune had his trident, the House Of Repre-
sentatives has its Mace, and the field
marshal his baton. BY some strange CO.
incidence one year ago when the chair
was presented with this same instrument
Of torture or protection, the chair then
thought it might be inopportune to use
an Irish fighting weapon on day when
the House was considering a neutrality
act. BY repetition of coincidence while
we are today discussing preparation for
war or peace this same issue arises.
The chair assumes the authority, at least
informally, to grant as far as he can
permission to Mr.. O'Connor while pre-
siding to use the shillelagh. Appreciat-
ing the gentleman's well known attributes
of amity. pacific intentions and non-com-
bativeness, the chair feels sure he will
exercise hiAauthority with due restraint"