The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1895-12-15
|1HE IMAM FROM MAlNE."
h. Takes the Front of the Congress
sioual 5 tage.
~ REEDS STRENGTH IN HIS PARTY.
|. posen Years Ago He Was Termed a
"LaEy Giant. Ike Has Never
Been Rich.
:. .,i,stop Letter to the Philadelphia

keC0ru'
Enter Mr.. Thomas Bracket Reed, the
.v "man from Maine" Fifty-six years
"A last month, in the prime Of his
nxers. mental and physical, ten times
[..,c,cd TO congress, speaker of the house
!, CONSERVATIVES when he was fifty
,..rs old and about TO be elected speak
again, ana by curious coincidence,
!. before, on the md day Of December;
,,asy the leading candidate for his
,,r,y's nomination for the presidency and
4, most prominent man, he takes the
tront of the congressional stage. For the
,ayt six months he will be the most in
k,res,ng man in congress, if not i'll pub
: life. and all that he says and does viii
4 important. His political opponents and
NJ marty rivals will he quick to take
,dyantage If his foot OF his tongue slip.
lhs time, as before, he viii he not
puly speaker, but leader OF rather mas
,sr OF his party, and therefore of the
house Grain ct IeAas was showing
sone ladies' tie house one day when
|Reed Was presiding and somebody was
making speech on the floor. which
d The speaAel = asked one OF the ladies.
mo had never been in the house before.
(Wby, that gentleman who is making
speech said Grain. But who is that
the chair asked another OF the la
Ies, who knew little more about things,
md she pointed to Reed, Oh" sad
Tam, that is the house OF Representa-
lives" And that was as true as il was
witty.
Reed had his own way about every
hing He ruled his own party with the
SINE rod of iron with which he ruled
have been speaker but for Mr.. Quay
Ind Mr.. Plat, did not like Reeds poll
n. Butterworth of Ohio, an ADLER and
tronger man than Mckinley, did not
Ike it, but they and others, however
hey may have protested in caucus and
narmured in public, had TO obey, and
Reed put through the so-called Mckin-
h acts, the COnger Silver bill, which
ecame the Sherman silver act, and the
Force bill, besides increasing the repub-
cin majority by unseating democrats.
int changing the rules and practice of
be house as he had TO do TO succeed,
tadcr bis own whip and spur.
He did the thinking for the house and
Ntthe blame for what it did or the credit
you choose to look at il. And this will
TIE ease again this winter. Only it
w Ne more ditticdlt for Mr.. Reed to
am out his policy with such an enor-
noa majority to handle, and with his
mas eager to embarrass him. - At the
beginning Of the session Mr.. Reed
s1lt, higher In politics than he ever
"a before, lie is the head of the rcpub-
aal class, and the great question here
y whether he will be able to hold that
sica he has gained. | must say, think
b WILL
Now that John Sherman has placed his
esa name on the retired list, think that
NJ Reed is the strongest man in the
republican party. He is certainly the
most brilliant among its leaders. He is
Ae only one who can be properly termed
genius. No one would think of apply
lng that term TO Senator Allison. much
sS to Governor Mckinley. Ex-Prcs-
gent Harrison, who is much ADLER than
aher Allison or Mckinley, would only
V Termed genius by MS nose devoted
tanlrers, whlle every bony else would say
'asl he Is Il man of great talent and
ntat versatility, and great force of char
eter Reed is different, just as Blaine
vas different, with that difference which
ny to indicate by calling man n
genius.
need was never appreciated outside of
nshlngion until within the last half
gseh years, because of a combination
PHYSICAL lcthargy and intellectual in
iasfence which kept him from putting
hoi'h his strength. II he had been of
aihes nervous, eXcitable and SNOWY
saperameut he would have had through
,m m us twenty years in congress the
sue prominence thaI Blaine had through
W mis- congressional career. But here
Washington | think Reed has always
sa recognized by those who had the
asace OF hearing his remarkable con
efsa,ion, Il not by those who heard his
pseehes and read what he wrote, as an
S oas and original man from whom al
.t anything might be expected in the
~ oi intellectual achievement.
lazy giant was the way he was
NJ LIneu up dozen years ago, aud the
Wy, question was whether the giant
mig ever think it worth while to arise
~. snow what he could do. Six years
rr ne did arise, and he soon made his
we household word all over tie conn
s IA ana his doings familiar to oil who
mn a newspapers ana magazines in other
a. Since then he has grown
auny IN the public estimation, aud
.c,,y!Ggst as steadily developed his intel
,f,oI ai resources, until now he is recog-
m at something like his rcal value.
n alnnluon, that seemed to slumber
6dJs, Nohe with fierce appetite when
tem wake, and his masterful will has
,roas.s seehing TO crafty it, aud in the
koblis he mas constantly grown in the
we everybody realizes now that,
n ~ er differences there might be as
Tia NJ wisdom Of his policy or the jus
L.