Show 1 Capitol Hill Hears Senate Chaplain Marshall Offers Challenging h lle ging Prayer I I NeU'S NeUS 1 Ne ts t's Analyst stand and Commentator r I Service 1616 Eye Street N. N W. W Washington Was D. D C. C WASHINGTON N Many lany words spoken beneath the high-arched high dome of the capitol become first page news But quoted are the words which appear a pear beginning ng with the third if paragraph of the thet t t Jc A first page p ge of f the t Con I Congressional g res s Ion a i Record However t 41 h twice ice recently they were quoted r a and n d widely They were pre pre- preceded preceded preceded ceded by two first paragraphs which for the past 10 years have va va- varied Varied I ried only as to Baukhage the proper names and hour men men- mentioned mentioned 1 therein therein therein- The liThe senate met at 11 o'clock a. a m m. on the expiration of the re re- recess cess The liThe chaplain Rev Peter Marshall Mar Mar- Marshall shall wall D. D D. D offered the following prayer Then came paragraph three Including the part of the prayer of of- offered offered for that day that appealed to tome tome tome me Forbid it Lord that we should walk through thy beautiful world with unseeing eyes Forgive us our Father for taking our good things for lor granted so that we are in dan dan- danger danger danger ger of losing the fine art of ap ap- With such dire need in every other part of the world make us so grateful gr for the bounties we enjoy that we shall try by Thy help to deserve them more Where we are wrong make us willing to change and where we are right make us easy to live with I repeated that last paragraph on my broadcast because one of my associates associates' had called it to my atten atten- attention attention attention tion that morning Since then I have been getting letters from all aU allover allover over the country asking for copies of that prayer Earlier though I had not noticed the items Time magazine had carried a story about Chaplain Marshall and Newsweek magazine had quoted part of another er prayer Help us to do our very best this day and be content with to to- today's today's today's days day's troubles so that we shall shan not not t borrow the troubles of to to- morrow Save us from the sin of worrying lest stomach ulcers be the badge of our lack of faith Amen I think my choice is a fairer sample sam sam- sample sample of But both se- se reveal one characteristic of the doctors doctor's utterances which per per- perhaps perhaps perhaps haps is a reason for his popularity He is able to reduce religion to the simplest and most understandable terms terms his his similes like those of his Teacher are taken out of our daily life Peter Marshall is an interesting person as well as a popular preach preach- er Immigrant Boy Fulfills Ambition Dr pro Marshalls Marshall's personal history is reminiscent of early Horatio Alger He came to this country from a foreign land because he believed America was the land of f But his story is unique in this He came not with the dream of making his fortune but to fulfill an ambition for neither wealth nor power but simply to get a theolog theolog- theological ical education He was born in Coatsville in Lan Lan- Scotland His father died when he was little and Marshall was raised by his mother and step step- stepfather stepfather father who sent him to public school and later l ter to a technical in- in On graduation he took a position in a tube-manufacturing tube concern But he wanted to be a minister and he decided it would be easier to obtain an education for this call- call callIng calling calling Ing in the United States He came cameto cameto cameto to this country in his early twenties found work in New Jersey but soon had an opportunity to go to Alabama where he joined the business depart depart- department department department ment of the Birmingham News With the help of some friends who be be- became became became came interested In this pleasant Scottish boy with the intriguing burr burrand burrand burrand and the inspired goal he was able to enter Columbia Theological sem sem- seminary seminary seminary inary from which he was graduated In 1931 He held heid to two t NO pastorates In Geor Geor- Georgia Georgia gia gla and made the acquaintance of the young lady who is now his wife In 1937 he was called to the his his- historic historic tone Church of the Presidents in Washington a n church which has numbered among its worshippers John Quincy Adams Andrew Jack- Jack Jackson Jackson son Eon William Henry Harrison James Buchanan Andrew Johnson Millard Fillmore FUlmore Grover Cleveland Theo Theo- Theodore Theodore Theodore dore Roosevelt and Abraham Lin Lin- Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln coln whose pew left as it was when he used it Is a shrine for tourists Dr Marsh Ma Marshall hill dl was wan elected chaplain of ot the senate on January 4 of this year and it might ewell e b-e well well- tb f record record a bit of recent history as as a back back- background background background ground to his selection Dr Ze was chap chap- chaplain lain lam of the senate for 15 years-from years 1927 to 1942 When he wed cued many senators had favorite candidates for his job They auditioned them just like radio announcers announcers- although the ministers didn't know mow they were being auditioned and no senator would admit such a thing From among the candidates Dr Frederick Brown Harris Methodist emerged victorious gossips say be be- because bec because cause c use he delivered the shortest prayer Later on Dr Harris' Harris prayers became longer a common phenomenon among senate chap chap- chaplains chaplains lains according to some of the old timers in congress What they dont don't add is that in the speech body in the country the affliction may be contagious Traditionally filling of the chap chap- chaplains chaplain's chaplains chaplain's lains lain's post is a majority party pre pre- prerogative prerogative prerogative and so when the Republican Republican Republican lican congress convened after disposing of the question of Senator Senators s I t 7 n 4 rT t 1 K i- i iThe ia a The Rev Peter Marshall DD senate chaplain offered a prayer that probed deep into the con con- consciousness consciousness consciousness of the nations nation's busy harassed legislators Bilbo's qualifications Senator Wherry ry arose to offer a resolution that Dr Marshall be elected chaplain of the senate But Wherrys Wherry's proposal touched off an argument occupying nine typed close-typed columns in the Con Con- Congressional Congressional Congressional gressional Record No chap- chap chaplain chaplain lain Iain would dare deliver a ser ser- sermon sermon ser ser- sermon mon THAT THA long Democratic Sen Alben Barkley maintained that Dr Harris had done donea a fine job and should be retained He added that politics should not be permitted to touch the office of sen sen- senate senate senate ate chaplain He opined that Re Re- Republicans Republicans Republicans publicans were offering a very poor example for the time when the Democrats resume control of the body two years from now 1948 1948 I Republican Senator Bridges was shocked at the implication that poli poli- politics politics politics tics might be involved Why he protested he didn't even know mow Dr Marshalls Marshall's politics But the Republicans had their majority Dr Marshall got ot the job and as far as I can learn nobody has regretted the choice There are some Washingtonians who have read and listened to this Scottish boy whom America has awarded for achievement in a call call- calling calling calling ing in which there are often few earthly awards who feel that his presence in the Lincoln church is quite as appropriate as his ap ap- appointment appointment appointment as chaplain of the senate They feel that if the ghost of the I Great Emancipator ever slips into old pew of a Sunday he smiles in approval of the simple earthy truisms not too unlike his own own which come down from one pulpit in that friendly Scottish burr with the same terse impact with which they echo from the rostrum of the senate |