Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1885-01-03
MR.. REAGAN AND HIS LE9ISLA.
TIVE W0RK-PEN PICTURE
OF TIE TEXAS STATES
MAN.

Inc prominent u2ure IN inc mousse
during last week, says a Washington
correspondent of the New York World,
was Reagan of Texas. For number
OF years he has worked for just one
object and that is to pass what is known
as his Interstate Commerce bill. This
measure, in q word, seeks to equalize
the freight and passenger charges of the
trunk lines of the country, so that dis
eliminating rates caLnOt be made.
Railroads under the present system
often charge less for carrying goods a
long distance than tor short. By this
discrimination they have it in their
power to build up trade in favor of
localities and very much injure it in
others. Mr.. Reagan thinks that con-
gress has the authority to regulate the
freight and passenger rates of the
country, and has worked for years to
carry out his idea. He has met with the
opposition which would be expected to
such a radical measure. The railroads
have employed the ablest lawyers in
the country to come here to fight this
bill.
1t is the one last ambition of MIR.
Reagan's life to see this bill become q
law. He will have to hurry up, how
ever, as he is now sixty-six year. old.
He was very sick last summer and the
doctors thought he would not live.
He was absent from congress during
the closing days of the first session OF
this congress. Just before adjourn
ment he managed to crawl out and sit
in the sun in Lafayette Park. Ire
member seeing him there one day last
June. His face was as yellow as a
China orange. He sat upon bench
facing the south with the far-away
look in his eyes of a very sick man. Few
who saw him then imagined that he
would live through the summer and
least of all that he would ever be able
to do any more work as a member.
But this fal when he returned to
Washington he was apparent as well
az ever. He has an iron constitution,
and if it were not for his tendency to
biliousness, ought to live long time.
Mr.. Reagan. like most of the southern
men, is tall and large boned There
is scarcely all underslzed man from the
south In either branch of congress
Malone is the only dwarf from below
Mason and Dixoq's Line. Reagan,
besides being tall and broad-shoulder-
ed, has become quite stent within the
last fifteen years. He dresses withou.
the slightest thought beyond simply
covering himself. All garments are
alike to him. He generally wears q
suit of coarsely woven dark goods and
carries his Indifference to his persona
appearance so far as to permit local
Texas tailor to cut and make it. He is
fond Of the square-toed boots worn
only i'll the south His favorite hat is
all enormous black slouch. He occa-
sionally yields to the conventionalties
of Washington life and puts on silk
hat. But before putting it Oh he gen.
| orally takes whisk broom and rOughs
it the wrong way and puts it on care
fully hind side before.
When he speaks in the house he can
hardly be heard in the galleries. His
voice is a harsh gutteral. His manner
is dry and uninteresting. His talk is 8
vocal rumble. running along on the
same key without the slightest sign OF
fatigue for any length of time. Ills
articulation, however, is so poor that
even those who are near him have to
follow him closely in order to compre-
hend his meaning. His style is involv-
ed and cumbersome. There is not Q
single grace about his public utter
| ances, yet Reagan is a man of force
The secret of it lis Ill the fact that he
believes himself to he absolutely in the
right in what he advocates before the
house. Added to this lie has all iron
will and power of persistence that lie
defeat can discourage or even moder.
ate. In the house the average mem.
ber has no real convictions and not the
slightest power of application. Yet al
of them are forced involuntarily to re
| spect such a positive character as tina
represented by Reagan.
| Indeed, the house has become such s
mob that only the most positive charac
ters can rise to the surface. The gift
of eloquence counts for nothing. The
day OF the orator has passed away il
the house of representatives. Wealth
and social rank count for nothing.
is that nameless something which j
comprised in the word d'character'w " hicl
is absolutely essential to make career
i'll this over-crowded body.
Reagan is half farmer and half law
yer. He lives in Palestine, Tex. II,
Is one Of the oldest landmarks OF Amer
ican politics left in public lie. al
though born i'll Tennessee he has beel
iorty-tive years resident OF Texas
He settled in it when it was youu:
republic, shared in its struggles to
Independence and gloried in its annex
alton to the Union, which he a few
years later did his best to destroy. IL
was member of congress here in th
first year of Buchanan's administration
and was member at the time of tn
breaking out OF the rebellion. Thi
solemniy earnest man carried his dog
ged temperament and iron will into tn
secession movement, and was one o
the prominent members OF the con
federate government. He was mem
Der OF the first co Igrcss of the coufed
eracy and was atterward its poStinas
ter general. He remained stanch t
the contederacy to the last. Towar,
the close of the war he was also actin;
secretary of the treasury. He was ais,
with jeff. Davis i'll his famous fiigh
through the south. There are som
southern people foolish enough to ad
vocate Mr.. Reagan for the postmaster
generalship in Mr.. Cleveland's cabinet
as if it were possible to make tn
blunder of selecting the postmaster
general of the contederacy under tn
first democratic administration sine
the war. Mr.. Reagan himself is 10,
sensible to think of such thing, and i
III no way responsible for the littl
feeble talk that has been made upol
the subject He is now SERVING hi