Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-07-12
TOM REEDS FEAR.
He Loses His Nerve and BECOMES
Limp Under Certain Circumstances.

Kate Fields Washington: Few who
know him would pretend to doubt
the courage of Tom" Reed under any
circumstances. The man who calmly
races the wrath of the whole demo
cratic party, and who smiles at the
picture of kilgore kicking down the
doors OF the house, must needs be
possessed of at least 4 few grains OF
sand"
Incredible as il seems. however,
there are times when the big man
from Maine Is a coward and con.
fesseS there are two persons on earth
of whom he is absolutely afraid--hi'
wife and his only child, Yet Mrs
Reed is a little woman, pretty and
amiahlc, and Miss Reed, who adorcs
her father, is a sweet-faced, brown.
eyed. slender girl, still in her teens.
1t is not in private life that Mr.. Reed
Quails before his nearest and dearest
ones, but in public, when making n
speech, that he hates above all things,
to see his wife and daughter looking
down upon him from the galleries.
The seats may be packed With all
sorts of people. rs they always are
when he speaks, and If there were
bombs in all their pockets Tom" Reed
would so on screuely, without fear or
favor. But when Mrs. and Miss Reed
mcckly declare their intention Of being
two of the spectators he gets weak
i'll his knees. The ear" the auto
crat," the "usurper," the "tyrant"
backs down ingloriouSly, and hegs his
wife and daughter to spare him and
stay at home. He does not care
copper for the public, but he fears
these gentle foes of his own household,
and it is Il great relief when he can
persuade or bride them to stay at
home. This he often does so far as
he knows.
The day he made his speech closing
the debate on the tariff Mrs. Reed and
her daughter naturally desired to hear
it, so they said quietly but firmly in
the morning that they would 90 up4to
the house. At first Mr.. Reed was dip
lomatic. He offered no objection. but
in persuasive tones pictured the dis
comforts they would be subjected to
from crowded galleries and bad air.
The private gallery, he urged, would
be as packed as the rest. and rs for
the debate, the tariff had already been
talked to death and had not a shred
of interest left
To all this and much more of like
tenor they replied that they enjoyed
crowd now and then; that they had M
fear Of bad air and IL the tariff had
been talked to death there was moth
ing they would like so much as to
witness the funeral Then Mr.. Reed
threw diplomacy to the winds and fell
upon his knees, so to speak, begging
them to spare him the ordeal of their
presence at his speech-making
"Now, girls" he said, appeallngly.
you know l can't do anything If you
two are up there looking at me. Kitty,
If | make failure, you and your
mother will be responsible. really
think you might stay away and per-
suade her to, when you know Just how
! feel | can't help it. | don't care
a continental for the rest of the world
but do not want you two in the gal
lcry."
What could they do? Well, they did
what they had done bcfore-apparent-
ly yielded to his entreatics and let
him start for the capitol happier
but not wiser man. When he was
safely out OF sight they put on their
bonnets, quietly left the Shoreham
and, boarding street car, went to
the capitol They avoided the halls
To that gallery Reserved for Mem
bers' Families" and went direct to
the public seats, where, by patience
and good management, they got in,
in spite of the crowd. There they sat,
looking down on the unsuspecting ex.
speaker, who, inspired by their sup.
posed absence, made cns OF the great
est speeches Of his life.