A Singing Legislature
“The Rev. W. D. Hammack, ‘Uncle Billie,’ has been the chaplain of the Lower House for several years. He is a great believer in the power of song. He likes to ‘raise a tune,’ and he doesn’t care whether the Governor of Georgia and the Legislature are at loggerheads or at peace; he thinks a legislator should be made to sing whether he can sing or not. So every morning for ten minutes he lines up the early arrivals just before the House opens for the day and starts on some of the old-time religious vocal numbers.
“Richard Russell Jr., Speaker of the House, gives Mr. Hammack carte blanche to lead his flock of lawmakers just as far in the harmony line as he can, and ‘Uncle Billie’ has made good. He pitches the tune every morning and the House sings. Sometimes it is ‘Jesus, Lover of My Soul’ and the next morning it is ‘Nearer, My God, to Thee.’ Another favorite is ‘All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name.’ Once or twice they have tackled ‘Gimme the Old-Time Religion’ with much success.
“Many years ago a philosopher said, ‘Let me but write the songs of a nation and I care not who makes its laws.’ And the Rev. Mr. Hammack, although he had written none of them, has done a lot with his songs during the dog days of the legislative session. Georgia has probably the only singing legislature in captivity.”
No better song could have expressed the feelings of our nation, and so it was that we sang