Sketches from Capital Life
By Jim Rivers
WASHINGTON, D. C—There
were big doings in the sleepy little
town of New York on March 4th,
1789. The dual body of the Fed
eral Congress, scarcely an anaemic
shadow of its present corpulence,
was assembling for its first session
... a session which was to defi
nitely launch the infant theory of
democratic rule, just recently born
in a world of tyranny.
It might have been “black mea
sles” in the settlements, or Injun
trouble, or high water, or untrav
elable trails . . . anyhow, history
books tell us that attendance at
the initial session was limited to a
score of members from nearby
states and, to the chagrin of a Tar
Heel, reveal that none of the said
twenty came from North Carolina.
So, a quorum not being present,
this minority in knee breeches met
and adjourned daily for the ensu
ing weeks until April 6th, when
both houses were organized, Vice
President John Adams ascending
to the Senate dais and Representa
tive Frederick A. C. Muhlenburg of
Pennsylvania assuming the duties
of Speaker of the House.
LAST SATURDAY a joint ses
sion of the Congress observed its
one hundred and fiftieth anniver
sary. President Roosevelt deliver
ed a fetching speech, brimful of
“foreign policy” and tender prom
ise, garnished with the usual Dela
no charm; bewhiskered Chief Jus
tice Hughes, more solemn than the
law itself, represented the judicial
branch of government with a dig
nified address on the blessings of
freedom . . . then there were other
Speeches, songs, music and such
like. Cabinet members and de
partmental dignitaries, wives and
daughters of Congressmen and
Senators, diplomats, gold-braided
officers of Army and Navy, poli
ticians, ordinary New Dealers, a
few Republicans and an occasional
taxpayer packed every nook and
cranny of gallery and well. As wo
men would say—"it was a mighty
pretty party.”
THE SESQUICENTENNIAL of
America’s law-making branch cre
ates a craving to “look in” on that
first session; to call the roll of
North Carolina’s membership
Which, for some reason or other,
didn’t arrive until the spring of
1790; to find out how they lived,
where they came from, how much
money they had. By Constitutional
apportionment the State had five
House members during the initial
assembly, and there wasn’t a law
yer in the bunch. Pay was scanty,
the Treasury was thin, and a con
servative sort of Congress hastily
determined that six bucks a day,
coupled with the glory of service,
should be quite enough for its
doughty members. There were no
fancy offices, overstuffed chairs or
tow-headed stenos, and the plumb
ing was on the outside. The duly
elected representatives of a newly
freed people gathered in the dram
shops of old Manhattan for discus
sion of public matters and a two
bit tavern bed brought slumber
when day was done.
But let’s refresh memory a bit
With brief biographies of those
sturdy sons of Carolina who, bear
ing the Federalistic banner, blaz
ed the trail for the ambitious hun
dreds who since have followed to
coveted Congressional seats. There
wasn’t a “softie” in the lot—for tall
and sinewy timber grew in those
days. We’ll start on the Senate
side with . . .
BENJAMIN HAWKINS, of War
ren County, a Princeton student at
the beginning of the American
Revolution, whose knowledge of
French earned him an appoint
ment as interpreter on the staff
of General Washington. Hawkins
was a delegate to the Continental
Congress and, following his service
in the National Assembly, he was
appointed agent of all Indian
tribes south of the Ohio River by
the first President. Then there
was another Senator by the name
of . . .
SAMUEL JOHNSTON, born in
ijc____. --■
Dundee but fetched to America to
become a citizen of Chowan County
when a lad of three. Lawyer he
was, but not by right of college
diploma, and moderator of the Rev
olutionary Convention. Johnston’s
service in the Congress was follow
ed by a term in the State Assembly
and years on the Superior Court
bench. And over on the House side
was . . .
JOHN BAPTISTA ASHE of Hal
ifax, who commanded North Caro
lina’s troops at Valley Forge, later
attending sessions of the Continen
tal Congress as a delegate. Retir
ing from National politics, Ashe
served three terms in the State
Assembly, was elected Governor of
North Carolina in 1802' but died
before his inauguration. And an
other representative was . . .
TIMOTHY BLOODWORTH,
reared on a New Hanover farm;
self-schooled teacher of schools and
master of many trades, who manu
factured muskets and bayonets for
Washington’s army. And a finan
cier of considerable importance in
those times was . . .
JOHN STEELE, shrewd Salis
bury planter, whose service in the
House was followed by six years
as Comptroller of the Treasury,
having been appointed by Presi
dent Washington and reappointed
by Presidents Adams and Jeffer
son. And a scholarly fellow was . . .
HUGH WILLIAMSON, of Eden
ton, ordained minister of the Gos
pel, professor of mathematics, stu
dent of medicine. A signer of the
Declaration of Independence, Wil
liams attended as a delegate the
convention which framed the Fed
eral Constitution, and during the
Revolution was surgeon-general of
North Carolina troops. Last but
of a certainty not least was a red
head named . . .
JOHN SEVIER, Virginia-born
fighter extraordinary, who with his
brothers had moved to the alluvial
Holston. Valley (Tennessee), which
probah.y at that time was in the
“State of Wilkes.” Hero of Kings
Mountfdn, later for three years
governor of the “proclaimed” State
of Franklin, and first Chief Execu
tive of Tennessee, the dashing John
adds color to the histories of two
states and a nation as well.
—o—
THERE’S NO DENYING the
fact that North Carolina had a
powerful delegation in Congress
when this group finally reached
New York. They had plenty of
stuff “behind the ears,” a little
book-learning . . . and a fresh re
membrance of the cruelties of an
Old World monarchy. They start
ed something that has proved to
be good.
It’s a genuine pleasure to occa
sionally glance back at events that
are gone. Things haven’t changed
a lot, so far as government is con
cerned. Congressmen wear clothes
of a different cut, and lawyers
are not as scarce as they were in
the first session. Fact is they now
hold eleven out of the thirteen
North Carolina seats in both
houses. Not so bad—for the law
yers.
—n—
Wresting the lead from the Ad
ministration in a concerted effort
t o restore business confidence
Chairman Robert L. Doughton of
the House Ways and Means Com
mittee and Chairman Pat Harrison
of the Senate Finance Committee
Friday called on the Treasury for
tax-easing recommendations.
A letter from Harrison and
Doughton followed the Mississippi
Senator’s declaration Thursday for
“radical” cuts in expenditures, re
moval of tax deterrents to business
and abandonment of another $5,
100,000,000 increase in the legal debt
limit.
The two Senate and House com
mittee chairmen pledged their co
operation toward helping business,
:hrough removal of burdensome
:ax law provisions. They voiced
aelief that both their committees
ivere in sympathy with the Presi
lent’s recently-announced views
aoncerning business and govern
ment co-operation.
Representative Doughton, con
fined in Naval Hospital for two
weeks with a bronchial trouble, left
Monday for St. Petersburg, Fla.,
where he will spend several days
resting.
Harold D. Cooley, representative
from the Fourth North Carolina
District, has written President
Roosevelt and the chief of the Bu
reau of Navigation suggesting that
the next airplane carrier be nam
ed ‘‘Kitty Hawk,” in honor of the
site of the birth of heavier-than
air aviation.
“Kitty Hawk has real signifi
cance in the field of aviation not
only in this country but in every
section of the world,” Congressman
Cooley said. “No name would be
more suitable for an airplane car
rier, and it would be hailed by
Americans and aviators in every
section of the world as most ap
propriate.”
—o—
The $499,857,936 War Department
appropriation bill, providing first
funds to tool industry for the new
air defense program, Friday re
ceived the speediest House approv
al on record for military appropria
tions.
Mrs. Hawley Hostess
A very delightful evening was
spent at bridge Monday of this
week when Mrs. Frank Hawley was
hostess, entertaining the Monday
Night Bridge Club and several ad
ditional guests. Five progressions
were played from eight to ten fif
teen at which time the scores were
added and prizes awarded. Miss
Ruth Transou won high for club
member and Mrs. Lyle Wilson won
high for guests, both being pre
sented attractive gifts. A much
snjoyed salad course was served.
Jonquils and other early spring
flowers were used with lovely ef
fect throughout the house. The reg
jlar club members and guests were
Mesdames Rives Manning, Fred
Wilmer, J. R. Allsbrook, Carroll
Wilson, Howard Pruden, H. S. I-,oy,
Lyle Wilson, George Hayes, J. D.
fJassada, J. M. C. Covington, John
Dunn, W. S. Dean, Misses Ruth
rransou, Kent Bentley, Aldine Bos
ivood and Susan Holliday.
Mileage Hints
wy J. F. Winchester
! Supervisor of Motor Vehicle Bquip^
ment, Esso Marketers
. «C1PARKPLUG” has become so
I much a part of our language
that It is today a readily used and
j understood word in the sports’ field.
The Sparkplug on the ball field is
1 __ the player who
[Queues o 11 a
fresh attach on
the opponents.
Like most of
the too familiar
things, though,
the sparkplug
has come to be
both accepted
and neglected by
the motorist.'
Yet, it is the
sparkplug which
in the last analysis must touch off
the entire power of the car. Poor,
dirty, or abused sparkplugs fail to
deliver maximum efficiency, and the
motorist wonders where his “power’*
has gone!
Regular attention to sparkplugs
will save the motorist time and
money. Some estimates place the
loss in gasoline from dirty or worn
sparkplugs at one gallon in ten.
Truck fleet operators know how im
portant it is to keep plugs in such
condition that they don’t needlessly
pse even a few extra drops of gaso
line. Motorists can hardly, then,
afford to neglect this important
item and thus lose the satisfaction
of smooth performance with lower
costs.
Today few motorists bother with
the simple job of cleaning their
sparkplugs as any well-equipped
service station can do this quickly
and thoroughly. It will take but a
few minutes and cost but a few'
cents. At the same time the station'
can test your plugs and detect any
“gasoline thieves’’ that may be
among them.
Will Preach At
Lebanon Church
Dr. Farlines, president of West*
minster Seminary, Westminster,
Md., will preach at Lebanon
Church Sunday afternoon at 2:30.
A cordial invitation is extended to
the public.
CH E VROLETt-^rLutt,
AiS That’s Best at Lowest-Cost”
Ir
It takes the best in motor car design, engineering and manufac
turing to give the best in motoring results. Today, as always,
Chevrolet brings you the best in modern motoring at the lowest
cost in purchase price, operation and upkeep. See this car at
your Chevrolet dealer’s—today!
Don’t be satisfied with anything but the best—
BUY A CHEVROLET:
A GENERAL MOTORS VALUE
SEE YOUR LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER
\
TRI-CITY MOTOR CO. INC.
Roanoke A we. at 10th Roanoke Rapids, N. C.