Evening star., 1946-04-28
Capital Sidelights
BIZ Will 2. Hennedu.

Timely admonition to strengthen the
backbone of Congress has been relayed
from former colleague, Alfalfa Bill
Murray, by Representative Compton l.
White of Idaho, who has reviewed for
members several chapters from Mr.. Mur-
rays book, The President, the Supreme
Court and Seven Senators" 1t is an
interesting account of the proceedings
of Congress during the period when it
exercised control of the executive de-
partment of Government. Copies have
been sent to the desk of each present
member of Congress, with the reminder
that Congress still retains all the power
conferred upon it by the Constitution
exercised in these days by the direc-
ton of those in control of the executive
departments Representative White en-
phasizes that: I'm considering present.
day conditions it is reassuring to know
that Congress still has the power to
formulate and control governmental
policies-if the membership was prop
erly organized and knew how to use
this power"
picturesquely unique characters in Con-
gress Born in Texas, he lost his mother
at years of age, ran away from
home a. IL, picked cotton, chopped cord
wood, worked in a brick yard and on a
farm. taught school for five years and
was editor of several newspapers. After
admission to the bar in 1895 he became
of
the Chickasaw Nation Q898-l90D, then
engaged in ranching. served by unan-
imous choice as Speaker of the Okla
homa House of Representatives, was
member of Congress Q9l3-l9l0 and
Governor of Oklahoma u931-l935).
Mr.. Murray is author of number
of books, including Rights of Amer
leans Under the Federal Constitution
and Forms of Government From
Theocracy to Foolacracy." This most
recent message from the past shows
how Thaddeus Stevens in the Thirty
ninth Congress, outgeneraling the
Kitchen cabinet" and the brain trust,
built up his directory-"a joint commit
tee of Is congressman and Senators.
vested with absolute power in all matters
related to the South, with one exception,
and that bithely ignored by the Pennsyl-
vania boss. The directory owned Con-
gress and Stevens owned the directory,
which ne called the Committee of
Public Safety.
In the Fortietn Congress the directory
re cfr
President JohnSon's removal of Secre-
tary of War Stanton, with the Tenure
of Office Act cited as violated. Tech
nically the United States Senate was
trying Andrew johnson for violation OF
a Federal law, but actually it was trying
the President for being President. try
ing the Constitution for making him
President and trying the doctrine re-
sponsible for the Constitution-the doc
trine of separate powers 1t was sit
uation thoroughly dramatic: Stevens
was looking straight into the jaws OF
death, carried in and out of the sessions
by two giant Negroes. When the
time came for argument he planted
his clubfoot in the aisle and con-
signed 'wavering' Senators to ever
lasting obloquy.'"
alfalfa Bill" calls the roll again
for those seven Republican Senators
who bolted Stevens leadership, whose
Not guilty." was distinctly heard above
the roar of a mob-baiting cant 80
changed the channel of history, saved
the American experiment and made all
men their debtors" Those seven who
bravey faced their own political liquida-
ton were William P. Fessenden, Joseph
S. Fowler, James w. Grimes, John B.
Henderson, Edmund G. Ross, Lyman
Trumbull and Peter G. Van Winkle-
and many members of Congress today
are thrilled in reading Alfalfa Bills"
tense description of their climactic vote.