Evening star., 1943-05-23
Capital Side|ights
By Will p. Kennedu.

Senator Wallace H. White, Republican,
Maine, occupies a distinguished and
unique position in the Senate. He sits
at desk like which there is no other.
1t is the same desk that Daniel Webster
used, and which later was used by
Senator Whites grandfather, the noted
Senator William P. Frye, who served
10 years in the House and 80 in the
Senate, being elected President pro
tempore for period Of IS years until
his death. Senator Frye had succeeded
the great James G. Blaine
1t was Senator George Frisbie Hoar
of Massachusetts, who was responsible
for the preservation of Websters old
desk IN the Senate when the sergeant
at arms was having the other desks
altered from a lift-top like old school
desks to a rigid-top with drawers be-
meath in which the Senators could place
books or papers. Senator Hoar pro-
tested: what was good enough for
Daniel Webster is good enough for
me-" 1t was Senator Frye also who
was responsible for the Senate having
seal which is used for three special
functions: Cd Signifving treaty ratif-
cations; CD attesting official documents
OF the Senate, and 60 attesting con-
hrmatlon OF appointments An official
seal is looked upon by all States as an
official part of all official papers, in
cludlng certificates of election of Sena-
tors and members of the House
Ihe old Senate desks still have the
receptacles for the sand shakers, form
erly used in drying quilled-pen sig
natures in the days before blotting
paper became available Senator Justin
S. Morrill, of Vermont, who held for
many years the record for longtime
service in Congress, just short of A
years, was the last to use a quilted pen
habitually. He died in WASHINGTON De-
cember %, 1885,
Senator Wallace White first came tn
the Capitol as clerk to the Senate Com
merce Committee and secretary to Sena-
tor Frye, President pro tempore. He
studied law while employed by Con-
gress, sreved IL years in the House and
now is in his 18th year In the Senate.
What is believed to be an unprecedent-
ed pension application has been present.
eo to Congress by Representative Butler
B. Hare. Democrat, South Carolina. He
has introduced bill granting a pen
sion OF $lOO a month to Oliver M.
Abbott of Westminster, S. c., as
dependent son of Continental Arnv
veteran. This dependent son is 90 years
OF age. His father, John Abbott, was
a member of the I'd South Carolina
Regiment of the Continental Army, en-
listing November II, 1776, at the age
OF IA, and serving under 1t. Col. Francis
Marion. The applicant for the pension
was born February 4, 1851, when his
father was 83 years of age. The father
died In 1856. The War Department
officially acknowledged the fathers war
record on April 3, 1885, and on Nav
18, 1899, sent Oliver M. Abbott a ronu-
ment for his fathers grave. Repre-
sentative Hares secretary has an official
letter from the National Archives Attest
ing that the census records show that in
1850 John Abbott was listed as So years of
age and his second wife Sarah as Al, and
listing son, DR.. w. Abbott, as aged 4.
The 1860 census omits the name of John
Abbott, who died in 1856, but lists the
widow, Sarah, as 81. the elder brother
as "Wilborn," aged II. and lists Oliver
Abbott as aged 8. Representative Hare
has a letter from Oliver M. Abbott.
under oath, giving substantially the
same facts. His mother was Sarah
Doyle and she was his fathers second
wife. There were nine children of John
Abbott by his first wife and only the
two by his second wife, Sarah Doyle.
In recognition of parental sacrifices in
the war effort, Representative Thomas
A. jenkins of Ohio, one of the admirable
veteran members, now in his 2Oth con-
secutive year of service, has started the
custom of distributing service flags to all
families in his district who have given
five or more sons to the armed forces
and is being followed by some Of his
colleagues. Mr.. jenkins already has pre-
sented three service flags with. six stars
each and four with five stars each. One
OF the six-star flags went to Mr.. and
Mrs. G. p. McAfee Of Ironton, Ohio, who
also have 4 grandson and 4 son.fr- LAW