The Portland daily press., 1889-12-17
SPEAKER Rec 20.
How He Fills the Chair Of Presiding
officer of the House.

Washington Letter to Bangor Commercial.l
friend OF mine, stranger within the
gates of the capital went with me into the
dress galleries of the Senate and House the
other day. He was westerner. and of
course in dreadful hurry. He was doing
Washington 10 day, as most westerners do,
and had precisely sixty minutes in which to
see the great American Congree. "All I
want" said he, sis a rapid glance at your
statesmen. will take them In on the rum"
and so we made run for it, First of all. he
must see Speaker Reed. Everybody asks to
see Mr.. Reed, should not be surprised if
in couple of years Reed was the most ia
nous man Of his party. Already he is the
most talked about person in the capital. It
is not likely he will ever be President. for
somehow he is not the sort of man that gets
start toward the presidential chair II it
DC True as some people say 1t is, that only
neutral quantities are able to achieve the
presidency, Reed will not stand much of
show. -
He is anything but neutral quantity. He
Is the essence OF positivism. His tempera-
ment is as positive as the current of thou
great electric circuit. He is not exactly
tyrant, but he certainly has shown that he
knows who is Speaker, and that he does not
intend to have any body else forgetting it for
one moment. Ny friend was SO much inter-
ested IN Mr.. Reed that l could scarcely In
duce him to take look at any one else. We
were fortunate in getting a view of the big
man at his very best, and in having your
special artist on the spot to catch the pose
aud nx the characteristics. Reed in the
chair is quite as positive as he used to be
on the floor, and one fancies that
he half wishes himself back In his old seat.
leading the fight for his side. He states his
decisions ON points of order in a tone that is
almost argnnlentative. and then he appears
70 regret that he has no opportunity to talk
back right saucily at somebody who has dis
puted his correctness.
Reed is very alert. Nothing seems to es-
cape MN, and In his responses to the APP
peals OF members for information, in his de-
clsi0ns and control of the business of the
House, he IS as quick and ready as he ever
was on the floor. My friend pointed out to
me, however. that while Reed is counted one
q q, the readiest men with his tongue in pub
ne, aud his remarkably good, strong Eng
fish, almost Shakespearean in in its luminoS-
1ty, is considered one of the mar
wells OF extemporaneous speaking,
that In reality he is one of the
most deliberate and studious of takers. He
speaks with such drawl and twist of the
tongue that In uttering each word he gains
a. short time, an almost infnitesimally Short
time, but one of immense advantage. in
which to revolve in his brain the thought
ieSc anu tno manner OF expressing 1t.
In this way he is able to give clearness and
precision to his language, and to invent those
clear cut phrases which sing and cut their
way through the air like whip rapidly
swished in strong mans hand His voice
IS admirably suited to its present uses. He
has no difficulty whatever in making him
self heard to the remotest part of the hall.
His tones are not quite as vehement as they
were when he stood on the floor leader of
his party, and they are little more oleagi-
nous. But they rasp aud twang and crunch
and pervade much as of yore.
notwithstanding his sharp tongue and his
terrible sarcasm, Reed is kindly, COM
panionable man. He has as keen a sense of
humor as anybody know, and can be easily
provoked into hearty laughter. He smiles
and laughs in the chair, in striking contrast
TO his predecessor, who was more solemn
than judge on the bench, and whose pale,
thin face was never known to be Illuminated
oy smile while at his post at the head of
the house. Reed is fond Of games and of a
few friends: He plays whist and hearts &C.
casionally in his rooms at the Shoreham,
put he never drinks, smokes nor chews. He
plays billiards, and when engaged at this
pastlme Is always sure of large audience.
The crowds assemble not no witness his
game, which is very ordinary, but to hear
the remarks which he makes upon the
strokes of his competitor and himself.