Evening star., 1945-12-16
Capital Sidelights
BIZ VIII P. Kennedy.

By VIII P. Kennedy.
The seasonal note Of holiday greet
ings-"Merry Christmas and a Happy
New Year"-has found its way into the
Congressional Record, giving a pleasant
interlude from pickering over industrial
strikes and the atomic bomb problem,
universal military training and world
wide rehabilitation. Representative Will
liam A. Pittinger calls attention to the
fact that the notes are strangely mixed
this year, with love and hate, greed and
other contrasts" He quotes the lofty
sentiments written by Alfred Lord Ten.
nyson, contrasting the old with the
hopes of the future in Ring Out the
Old, Ring in the New" Then he tells
the pathetic story of how Twas the
Night Before Christmas" was written,
in 1922, by Prof. Clement c. Moore, who
had devoted most of his life to . monu.
mental work entitled "A Compendious
Lexicon of the Hebrew Language in
Two Volumes" His 7-year-old son,
riding his pony, was thrown when the
pony fell and broke leg. He saw the
pony shot, was carried to q hospital and
lost the desire to live. Your son Is dy-
ing" the doctor told him. HE doesn't
want to live. You must cheer him up"
A professor of biblical learning and in
depreciation of Scripture at . diocesan
seminary, Prof. Moore's style of writing
was dignified, even pompous. He had
just finished an essay expressing alarm
because more Of the wen-disposed
among my young countrymen do not de-
vote. their leisure hours to the attain
ment Of useful learning" Now he must
devise some frivolrous amusement to
keep his son alive. In fevered despera-
ton he raced his quill pen over fools
cap for more than two hours, writing
as he had never written before. In q
gay and rollicking voice he read his
poem to the boy so near death: Twas
the Night Before Christmas" The child
liked it so well that he kept on living
for so years-and millions of other
children have shared the enchantment.
Representative Pittinger. with human
interest appeal. closes his remarks in
the Record by quoting America for
Me"-"Oh, it's home again Where
the land Is full of sunlight and the
flag is full of stars"-and emphasiz-
ing that "The song of the angels has
bee ,me the hope Of the world"
$500
The unique George Holden Tinkham
Of Mayfiower ancestry and Back Bay
blue-blood aristocracy but personally
"as common as an old shoe," as the
late Champ Clark characterized him. is
back visiting his old colleague in the
House. Representative Dewey Short OF
Missouri, after reviewing some of Mr..
Tinkham's correspondence, declared
him: "A prophet Of the present world
political situations" Mr.. Tinkham is
we'll known as character" now aged
IS. graduate of Harvard, he began
practicing law before "the turn of the
century" Forty-five years ago he be-
came a member OF the Boston Board of
Aldermen, then served in the State
Senate from 1910 to 1912, came to Con.
gress in 1915 and successfully was re-
elected until lS43 when, his district being
rezoned, he voluntarily retired. After
the declaration of war by the United
States against Austria, ne was the
first American to fire shot against
the Austrians at Capo d'Argine, on
the Piave River, December II, 1917.
The title of "Chevalier della Corona
dItalia" was conferred upon him by
the King of italy, but was not &C.
cepted because of the provision in the
Constitution prohibiting such accept
ance without the consent Of Congress.
MIR. Tinkham was an able member
of the Foreign Affairs Committee, an
outstanding opponent Of prohibition and
challenger of the late Bishop Cannon.
He also was q world traveller and 4
big-game hunter. For years he was
known about the Capitol by his old
battered brown fedora and his weli-
worn skipper's ped jacket. On the
present visit he is sporting new felt
hat and new naval jacket
X X
One of the sometime stormy pet
rels" in the House, Representative John
f. Rankin of Mississippi, has flare
for snappy anecdotes and for poetic
quotations. But he has just INDUCED
his penchant by directing his colleag-
ues' attention to more mellow noraliz-
ing-"one Of the finest addresses Of its
kind I have ever read"-delivered BY
DR.. w. 1. Orr. Z practicing physician.
before . Sacred Heart singing conyen-
ton in fulton, Miss, on The Sunset Of
Life. Il can be found on Page A57Sd
Of the Congressional Record d De-
cembsr ID.