Evening star., 1944-09-03
Capital Sidelights
By VIII P. Kennedy.

representative CnarleS A. Plumley
of Vermont. serving his 1lth year in
Congress, like his father, the late Rep
resentative Frank Plumley, who pre-
ceded him by quarter Of a century,
consistently emphasizes to his COL
leagues the history of his native State.
For several weeks he recently has been
urging them to endeavor to have their
respective States follow the example
OF the old Green Mountain State"
which Is having competent authorities
write l0-volume State history. Three
of these Vermont volumes already
have been published and at least two
others will be available during the next
year, Mr.. Plumley says This under
taking, he explains, is being forwarded
under the auspices of the Vermont His
torical Society. The latter performs for
the State its historical function and is
the ofiicial State Historical Society. oc-
cupying quarters in the State Library
and Supreme Court Building. It Is
supported both by State appropriations
and by private endowment. The current
Vermont Quarterly, copies of which
have been distributed at the Capitol
by Mr.. Plumley, contains biographical
and genealogical notes on Col Matthew
Lyon. by Loyal Stephen Fox. supple
menting House document which Mr..
Plumley had printed two years ago.
Above all things, the ballot is the
badge of freedom Americans wear"
are the concluding words in an appeal"
to citizens, entitled Let No One Be
Absent From the Polls" written by
Howard Fast, author of Citizen Tom
Paine" placed in the Congressional
Record by Representative Charles B.
Hoeven Of Iowa, a veteran Of the First
World War
Lets get tough" is a national bat
tlecry suggested by Representative
Thomas D. Winter of Kansas, who was
in the air service during the First World
War. He says that If every American
would pledge himself in these words.
"our vexatious economic, social and
worldwide problems would be mini
mi1ed or would vanish" He does not
claim authorship of the phrase. He
founc these words in a song written
by Mrs. Claude Hamilton, jr., of New
York City, of whom he knows only that
she is the mother of two small chill
dren and wrote the song as her protest
~
mothers appeal to get 1T over quickly.
There is new candidate for poet
laureate OF, Congress-James Patrick
McGovern, well-known Washington
lawyer, former captain in the A. E. F.,
during the First World War. His verses
often are printed In the Congressional
Record. Most recently Representative
J. Glenn Beall of Maryland inserted
Mr.. McGovern's New Roads to Rome"
and Representative Augustine B. Kelley
of Pennsylvania inserted his win the
War;" which Mr.. Kelley said "is 50
timely and inspirational as to be worthy
of musical setting by one of our
Nations great composers" Mr.. Kelley,
who formerly attended West Point, has
the distinction of having five sons In
service and cast the deciding vote to ex-
tend the draft. although it meant send
ing three of his sons into the service.
How prayer wings its way was illus
trated notably recently in the Senate.
On D-day. June 6, when the Allied
forces landed on the coast of France,
the Rev. DR.. Frederick Brown Harris.
Senate chaplain, opened the session
with an inspiring prayer which in
cluded this paragraph: upon our dear
boys in this fearful baptism OF fire, of
whom we think today with special ten
derness, lifting them up on the wings
of our intercession as knights of Thy
righteous will, and upon the hosts of
oppressors now at last to emerge irons
dark dungeons Of thraldom, pour Ths
enabling grace as together they strilse
the blow on that fair and historic LAIRD
where the grapes of wrath are stored. !"
Weeks later, the Senate chaplain re-
ceived letter from 1t. Gen. Mark w
Clark, dated from the headquarters OF
the 5th Army, expressing the appr scia-
ton felt by the officers and men ,lndes
his command, which concluded: AThe
wonderful support and prayers Of jthose
at home Is q constant source Of ir6spira-
ton and strength to Us In the accom-
plishment Of our purpose" Senate,
Alexander Wiley Of Wisconsir called
ti attention 1s Of his colleagues 70 Gen