Show From Washington Washing on By Dy REPRESENTATIVE LAURENCE J. J BURTON DURTON R RUI UTAH R-UTAH UTAH II A Washington reporter for a a well-known well newspaper once wrote that Sam Rayburn of Texas Texas Texas Tex Tex- as Speaker of the House regarded regarded regarded re re- the United States Capitol Capitol Capi Capi- tol tot as his personal property When this remark reached the speaker he let the reporter knowin know knowin in no uncertain terms that he disapproved of that statement A few days later that same reporter was standing on the House steps chatting with Mr Sam The Speaker looked up at the dome and at the flags rippling in the breeze and said Just look at MY Capitol today Isn't she beautiful I believe we can excuse Mr Rayburn for thinking of this imposing imposing imposing im im- im- im posing building as his Capitol He had been Speaker longer than anyone who him 17 years But every citizen must share Speaker S aker Rayburn's feelings feelings feelings feel feel- ings that this is MY Capitol This among all the Federal Buildings is s the house of the people Those of us who serve here representatives and senators owe our presence here to the people I never cease to respond to the of this great granite and marble structure as asI asI asI I cross the street from my office office office of of- fice to attend a session of the House of Representatives or a committee meeting Within the rooms of the Capitol events events' of great importance importance import import- ance and small have transpired decisions have been made which affect the lives of all of us and of generations to come Up Mr S Sams Sam's ms m's steps have been carried the flag-draped flag coffins of four martyred Presidents Lincoln Garfield McKinley and Kennedy On these same steps one year ago Congressman Adam Clayton Powell held a press conference following the I vote of his peers which denied I him his seat in the House of Rep Rep- In what is now Statuary Hall the first section of the Capitol to be finished the man House met from 1807 to 1814 when the Capitol and most public buildings build ings in Washington were burned by the British Rear Adm Sir George Cockburn entered the to capitol on a dark raining night nigh with British troops who had orders orders orders or or- ders to destroy and lay waste to our Capit Capital l City A sketch which appeared in a London Londot newspaper shows Cockburn standing on the Speakers Speaker's chair chaff asking Shall this harbor o of Yankee democracy be burned Torches were set to furnishings furnishing and it was the rainstorm which whirl kept the building from being completely destroyed After the war reconstruction began hegan and the wings were soon oon added After the House moved mover into its its its' present chamber the former chamber was abandoned to the use of of hawkers who sold sole their farm produce there In It 1857 it became a showcase for fox statues of noted individuals and therein now you can see the marble marble mar marr ble likenesses of many great Americans statesmen Inventors inventors inventors tors explorers heroes and pa pa- The Capitol is a veritable treasure house of art You can see the wo work k of an Italian political political poli poli- refugee who sought asylum asylum lum furn in the only country where said one can really be free he Constantino spent 25 years Tears of his life painting within the Capitol His greatest legacy to o his adopted country is the fresco painting inside the great rotunda dome Each morning for 11 months months' this artist painted lying lying lying ly ly- ing on his back on a scaffold high sigh above the rotunda floor unil until until un un- til il square feet on concave surface was completed 0 Many walls ceilings and corridors corridors corridors cor cor- cor- cor have been adorned with his pis renaissance style of paint paint- ing His life was shortened by aall a fall all he sustained from a scaffold scaffold fold rold on which he was working He broke his fall by grabbing onto into part of the scaffold but hung lung there for some minutes unil until until un un- un- un til il rescued It is said that the shock hock hastened his death Of great beauty and one of my favorites is the Presidents President's room designs cover every very inch of the surface of the walls waIls and ceilings with frescos both allegorical and tive ive This room located at the end of the Senate gallery is furnished with leather chairs once nice used by Lincoln and the table is said to be the one upon which Lincoln signed the Emancipation Emancipation Emancipation Eman Eman- Proclamation Other presidents have signed bills in inthis inthis inthis clock this room An antique stands in in one corner comer It is said that this clock once had gold hands but they were lifted by bya a tourist They have been replaced replaced replaced re re- re- re placed by rather ordinary fixtures fix fix- tures The Capitol has been the scene of sad and tragic happenings War has been declared there President John Quincy Adams died there shots have been fired onto the House floor by tors from Puerto Rico Congressmen Congressmen Congressmen Con Con- gressmen have engaged in fisticuffs and one member was slain on the steps near the house A mourning nation has paid final tribute to 15 of its sons presidents presidents presidents dents and war heroes But every day activities in the Rotunda and halls are not sad Mostly it is a place of holiday crowds honeymoon couples and children fascinated by a thousand thousand thousand thou thou- sand and one strange new sights I urge my constituents wh when n they visit me to spend as much time in the Capitol as they can I like to accompany them when my schedule will wil allow altow I thrill anew each time at the history which has taken place within it I enjoy seeing again and again the art that reposes there and I rejoice in the opportunity opportunity opportunity to be a part of our history history his his- tory as a representative of the people |