The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-12-15
BRAINY TON REED.
4 Pen Picture of the Speaker of
the House.
HE KNOWS WHAT ne KNOWS.
And He Also Knows How TO Tell Tt
Frank Carpenter Calls Him
a Genius.
Frank q. carpenter n New You word.

FRANK u. Carpenter IN New IoTk world
Tom Reed Is a geainS. His brain weighs
more than that OF any other man in pub
lie life, and is is OF the finest intellectual
texture. He can say more bright things
in the SPACE of ten minutes than any other
man in congress can get OF in the compass
OF an hour re knows what he knows too,
and be Is not afraid 70 cay 1t. He has the
same confidence in himself now as he had
Ehen he was s boy teaching school and
apply ing for admission to the bar IN Cali
fornia Tom Reed tells the story himself.
His admission occurred at the tine when
the eonstitutionality Of the legal-tender
act WAS being discussed by the greatest
lawyers of the state OF California
The first quest ton, says Reed, twas: Is
the legal-tensier act constitutional or un-
constitutional - / didn't hesitate a mo-
ment, but replied c0olly and emphaticalIy,
1t is constitutional This ended my ques-
tioning You can pass. said the judge.
We always pass man who can settle
great constitutional questions off-hand.
Tom Reed has been settling constitutional
questions from that day 10 this. He settled
his cases well enough TO make success as
lawyer, and his self-coniidenee. added TO
his remarkable ability. has made him the
Republican leader OF congress.
No one disputes Reeds leadership. Nc
kinley, Cannon. Henderson and Burrows
all follow him, and when the fight is on in
the House il is Reed who watches for and
is prepared for every surprise. His long
term in congress has amply fitted him for
the position. He Is posted on all public
questions, and his reading has covered
nearly every field of knowledge. He is a
fine French scholar, and his Shakespeare is
better thuInbei than his Bible, though he
knows the latter well. He has an analytic
mind, and when he gets hold OF a fact it
drops into one OF the little pigeon-holes of
mis- brain, ready TO slide off his slippery
tongue at a seconds notice.
Tom Reed looks anything but the tradi-
tional leader. He has the frame of Jap
anese wrestler. and his head might serve
for that OF q Chinese giant He is fat and
tall. an his big-boned body is padded at
every point with muscular flesh. / have
never seen him strike; but his fist, under
Sulliyan's training, would fell an OK; and
he has foot which would make him one
of the greatest football players in the world.
His face is broad, fair and fat; the cheeks
puff out, and pair OF small, half-almond
eyes shine out like diamonds under broad
forehead, which goes on and upward until
il fades away into fuzzy badness about
three inches in front of Reeds crown.
Reeds mouth is a strong one. and he has
q struggling red mustache on his upper lip
containing about enough bristles to make
a eamel's-hair brush. Reeds hair is thick
est at the sides and at the back. Is is not
luxuriant al any place, and he combs the
sandy locks well up aud back OF his ears.
so that the ends of them just touch the coll
lar OF his coat This big. round head is
pasted down upon Reeds broad, fat shout
ders. with 3 fat. wafer-Iike neck. and when
Reed sits in his chair in the House. with
his hands up under his chin and elbows
leaning on his desk. you wonder whether