Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-08

"consress end the Civil War"
unlike the apparently innocu-
Gus Foote Resolution on Public
Lands that touched OF the
massive Webster-Hayne de-
bate in 1880 on the nature Of
the Union-the historic debate
that defined the supremacy OF
the Federal Government over
the States.
Certainly, Democrats from
Dixie, especially those from
South Carolina, will demand
that the 1--WE include John C..
Calhoun. the Great Nullifer"
who charted the course Of
debate by States Fighters for
many Congresses to come.
Support for Calhoun may even
come from others who admire
the man solely as o great
political scientist and spokes-
man for q lost cause, despite
the fact that the Civil War
settled his political philosophy
for all time.
But las" packs . wallop.
1t directs the Senate to hang
medallion likenesses" OF its
i've greatest members-"out-
standing persons. the resolu-
ton says-in the flve untitled
spaces in the Senate Hall Of
Fame. that Is, In the reception
room outside the chamber.
Ninety six in the flesh.
though ineligible, Senators
must pool their wisdom and
pick the 1--WE all-time. great
and dead-Senators. Living
statesmen are barred from
consideration. q fortunate pro-
vision.
You can be sure all 90 law
givers will be heard from when
his Hurricane-Hazel Of elo-
quence gets under way ct the
new session Of Congress. State
pride viii light up the Senate
chamber with forensic Roman
candles. Favorite sons. long
gone to political Valhalla, will
be dug up and draped In rail-
ment far more glorious than
ever they wore in life.
Deep in the heart OF Texas
they're already whooping 1t up
for their picturesque hero and
statesman. Sam Houston. Mis-
souri, insists she must be shown
massive reasons why her able.
swashbuckling Senator son.
Thomas Hart Benton. Father
Of the West. does not rate q
place on this five-man team
Of the Senate's "greatests."
Vireinio's Nominee
A Virginia editor has Of
fered John Randolph Of Roam
oke, Richard Henry Lee and
others from that States az
ray of distinguished sons who
have made the grade TO the
greatest legislative body In
the world"
Massachusetts, says there1l
be no selection unless Daniel
Webster gets right up ct the
top Of the LIST. Can you
imagine Kentucky agreeing to
any list that omits the name
OF Henry Clay. the Great
Compromised
II lungpower and long -dis-
lance talking -about-nothing
in-particular-for hours on
end count for anything in this
Senate Hall Of Fame Race.
Louisiana's Huey Long viii
walk of with top honors.
Politics will barge In. OF
course. The resolution sees To
that. It authorizes the Presi-
dent Of the Senate - Vice
President Nixon to appoint
q committee Of five members
to make the selections. It's an
old Capitol Hill custom to
pack committees In favor OF
your own party. That makes
1t dead certain that dead Re-
publicans will outnumber
dead Democrats on the me
dalton likenesses."
But who are the i've great
est figures ever to occupy the
seats Of the mighty on Capt.
toll Hill? There's the rub. Try
picking them for yourself
There1l be SO judges, with
Democrats and Republicans
clawing the air and each other
to glorify their respective
legendary party demigods.
Ten Year Job
Picking Miss America, OF
making selections for the
Baseball Hall of Fame al
Cooperstown, New York, will
be as simple as ring-around-
the-rosy compared to culline
five Senatorial idols from q
list that State pride and fill
buster might expand to
rs prospects.
What's more, Resolution 14S
prolongs this palaver for 10
years. 1t says the Senate must
pick only one Of It's five
"greatests" during each Con-
gress.
Obviously, the greatest Of
the "greatests" should be
named first. That will be the
Job of this years Congress.
Is there any State that won't
have a candidate for this top.
of-the-list Senator? Hardly.
The Senate has a galaxy Of
dead talent to select from, but
the resolution gives no hint a.
to how the five greatest must
be fenced off. except that the
committee making the selec-
tions is authorized to seek ad.
vice from historians and the
general public. This. Of course
let's Mr.. and Mrs. America II
on the competition.
Obviously, the greatness Of {
Genator ran he Fnaa aiIrad ~