Evening star., 1939-03-12
Capital SideIights
BIZ VIII P. Kennedu

Aside from the 15Oth anniversary Of
the First Congress, which was celebrated
last Saturday, the past week has been
one OF outstanding anniversary memo
rials. Senate Leader Barkley emphasized
that the same date commemorated the
sixth anniversary of the Inauguration of
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who, he
said, has faced an unprecedented series
of trials at home and perils abroad" In
the House on Tuesday, Representative
Silent John" Rankin recalled that SO
years ago Daniel Webster made his
famous speech that probably had more
effect on the affairs of this Nation than
any other one utterance by any public
man during that turbulent decade" He
also recalled that on that day there was
born man destined to play great part
In the history of America, and especially
to leave his imprint on the history of
the House - Representative Champ
Clark, former Speaker, one of the great
men of this Republic
The Thomas jefferson Memorial Com
mission adopted a resolution eulogizirg
the service Of its former chairman. the
late Representative John j. Boylan. as a
true lover of Thomas jefferson and the
principles he espoused in life" Joseph
P. Tumulty, secretary to the late Presi-
dent woodrow Wilson and a lifelong
friend and admirer of Mr. Boylan, paid
a tribute in which he said that Mr.. Boy
Ian was man born in an unpretentious
part OF the great city of New York. wear
Ing on his face the smudge of honest
poverty, who dreamed beautiful dream
who gained his objective by openness
and honorable action. Quietly, unosten-
tatiously, he went about his work scorn-
ing vulgar display, happy in the thought
that after he had departed there would
be left behind those who would not mock
the thing that his vision built to an un-
measured monument-to him God was
more than nodding star atop windy
hill"
Again on Tuesday, Representative
Bruce Barton, son of a minister, who
grew up in Northampton, Mass, under
the aegis of Calvin Coolidge, paid tribute
to Frank w. Stearns, the COL House of
the Coolidge administration, and father
of the present House member, Repre-
sentative Foster Stearns of New Hamp-
shire. He emphasized that years ago Mr.
Stearns advised his fellow alumni of
Amherst College that young Massachu-
setts State Senator Calvin Coolidge)
was destined to become President-"and
never wavered in his conviction that
Providence had raised up this strange,
silent Yankee politician for special serv-
ice to the Nation" He told his colleagues
that never in our history has such
self-sacrificing devotion to younger
man been shown-running through the
fabric OF his practical New England
character was golden thread of mys-
tlclsm. His life was abundant proof that
love OF country and unselhsh friendship
are the secret of serenity and peace"
The name of Representative Charles
A. Plumley was unfortunately omitted
from this column last week as one of IA
men now in the House who had previ-
ously served as Speaker of their State
Legislature. But the omission affords
an opportunity to record that William D.
Hassett, now White House secretary,
helped to make Mr.. Plumley Speaker Just
as Plumley helped to make" Bill Has
sett HaSsett was student in the
graded schools in Northfield taught by
the present Mrs. Plumley-Miss Emalie
A. Stevers-and for four years attended
high school under the principalship of
Mr.. Plumley. When it was rumored that
Plumley was a candidate for the State
Legislature and If elected was likely to
become speaker, Bill" Hassett made the
trip to his old home town to vote for his
former teacher-on November IL, 1911.
Those were the horse buggy days"
and when Bill arrived at Northfield he
was met at the station by Andrew E.
Benny. his next door neighbor, who drove
him home. Benny was the candidate
against Plumley-Hassett accepted the
"lift" from Benny and next day voted for
Plumley. They have been personal
friends for more than 40 years.