Evening star., 1944-02-06
Capital Sidelights
By viii P. Kennedy.

A timely question has come from a
Capital Sidelights" fan-"How long
have We had Congressional campaign
committees?" 1t was the late Repre-
sentative ant Senator Simeon D. Fess
Of Ohio, one of the most successful of
recent Republican congressional COM
mittee chairmen, who impressed upon
this writer that the word campaign"
has no proper place in the title of the
committee. There are both senatorial
and congressional (House) committees
and OF both major parties. They func-
ton not only during campaigns whether
IN presidential (quadrenniaD years or
IN oy-election years. They are con-
tinuing bodies during each and every
year, irrespective of campaigns. OF
course, however, their principal task is
to further the election of the largest
number of members of their respective
parties.
Such q committee first came into
operation In 1856, when the Republicans
In Congress, engaged in a sharp conflict
with President Andrew johnson, feared
to trust their chances of election with
the regular party national committee.
In earlier years it was a Joint Senate
and House committee of the respective
parties. During the presidential years"
IN which President and a Vice presi.
dent are elected, the two partv con-
gressional committees cooperate CLOSELY.
with the national committees, and in
the "on years" they concentrate espe-
cially on election of party members.
with the principal objective Of winning
control Of the House and Senate,
Veteran reporters of debate In Senate
and House, as we'll as newspaper corre-
spondents in the Capitol press galleries.
have reason to be proud of q pioneer
reporter in the Senate-Henry j. Ray
mond. He graduated in 1910 from the
University of Vermont, of which Repre-
sentative Matthew ]. Lyon, whose single
vote elected Jefferson President in 1901.
was father" in 1871. Mr.. RAYMOND
served before the days of shorthand or
stenography, but he had devised a crude
system OF his own for taking down the
address OF deliberate speaker. Daniel
webster, characterized as "the most
famous orator our country has ever pro-
duced," noted Mr.. Raymond's ability.
and used 1t. Webster told Mr.. Raymond:
Except for you the world would have
very few of my speeches. Your reports
have preserved them"
The history of American politics and
forensic oratory are also indebted to
MIR. Raymond for Websters own ex-
PLANTATION of the remarkable ability to
memorize a speech, shared in more re-
cent years conspicuously by Alfred E,
Smith. Mr.. Raymond asked Daniel the
godlike" how he did it, and Webster
replied: Il can prepare speech, revise
and correct 1t in my mind, and then
deliver the corrected speech exactly as
finished" Chauncey M. Depew testified.
Il have known most of the great orators
OF the world, but none had any approach
to faculty like this"
Mr.. Raymond was connected with the
New York Tribune (1841-1848), with the
Courier and Enquirer (1S48-185O), with
Harper's Magazine O85O and estab-
lished the New York Tim0 O85D. He
was Speaker Of the New York Assembly
In 1851 and 1861. Mr.. Depew gives an
eyewitness view of Mr.. Raymond:
HE was the best debater we had, and
the most convincing. I have seen him
often when some other member was In
the chair In committee Of the whole,
and we were discussing critical ques-
ton, take his seat on the floor and
concentrate on writing an editorial. As
the debate progressed he would rise and
participate. When he had made his
point, which he always did with direct
mess and lucidity, he would xesume writ
ing his editorial. The debate usually
would end with Raymond carrying his
point and also finishing his editorial
refuting the claim Of metaphysicians
that two parts Of the mind cannot work
at the same TINA"