Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1895-02-28
a SHAKEN REED.


a SHAKEN REED.
The PItiable Spectacle Presented by the
Ex-Czar a Trimmer.
When the committee of WAYS and
means took up the question of saving
sixteen million dollars to the taxpayers
by authorizing geld bonds for the re-
cent loan. Mr.. T. E. Reed, the repqb-
lican leader, opposed the measure.
When the currency bill. as amended,
was before the house, Mr.. Reed did not
vote on the first roll call, and did not
vote on the second roll call until he
had had time to ascertain by simple
mathematical device that the bill was
surely defeated. Then he recorded his
honorable name In the affirmative. A
change of a very few votes, say dozen,
with a little drumming up of lodging
members, would have secured the pas
sage Of the bill. It is our impression
that much greater change than that
could have been secured by Mr.. Reed
had he so wished. While the bill was
pending in committee of the whole Mr..
Reed divided the republicans who
would have voted for the bill as a
whole by raising the question of pay
ment in gold. He proposed a substi-
tute which in the midst of number of
confusing provisions included payment
in coin, he at the time knowing per-
fect1y we'll that payment in gold was
of the essence of the measure, and that
no other mode of payment would meet
the requirements of the situation.
Here we have the short and simple an
mails of the very poor craftsmanship of
Mr.. Reed.
It is related of the once brilliant and
aggressive gentleman from Maine, in
the year 1890. when the Sherman bill
was urged as the only means of pre-
venting free coinage bill, and when
it was suggested that a free coinage
bill would in any case be vetoed by
President Harrison, that Mr.. Reed re-
marked that he was not acquainted
with anyone who knew what Mr.. Har-
rison would do or would not do with
such bill. The president was at that
time a candidate for denomination, and
the significance of Mr.. Reeds remark
was obvious. Mr.. Reed is now himself
an aspirant for a presidential nomina-
ton. Is he acquainted with anyone
who knows what he will do or will not
do on any matter that may affect the
satisfaction of his legitimate but de-
moralizing ambition? The doubt sug.
gested by the question is bitter, but it
is inevitable. Mr. Reeds own course
compels it. The once courageous and
rather contemptuous representative,
who compelled admiration for his
candor and respect for his sincerity,
hoyrovor ho haro 1ooEa5 II, NON.
ners. has vanished, and in his place we
see the hating, timid. scheming, half
suppliant politician, squirming and
twisting around whatever he fancies
may be an obstacle in his path.
And the element in this spectacle
that is at once pitiful and grotesque is
that, of all possible ways. this, for a
man of Mr.. Reeds mind and tempera-
ment, is the least likely to lead to sue
cess. It is the very converse of that
which his great rival, Mr.. Blaine, fol
lowed to tragic failure. Naturally a
plotter. the latter assumed the man
ner and sought to make the reputation
of dashing and open-hearted leader.
Mr.. Reed, having shown that he is by
nature a brave aud spirited fighter,
now seeks the advantages of a shire wd
trimmer. What is common to both ca
reers, what was fatal in one and is full
of peril for the other, is the contra
diction between the real character and
that assumed. Mr.. Blaine could not
win the confidence due to bold leader
because at heart he was not one, and
Mr.. Reed cannot gain by the arts Of
the tricky politician even the advan
tage they are capable of giving because
at heart he despises them and is un-
fitted for them. This fact, so obvious
to those whose observation is unprej-
udiced, it is probably too late for Mr..
Reed to recognize. But if he could get
himself into the frame of mind habitu-
al with him only a short year ago,
there are some things that we should
venture to call to his attention with
the hope that it would not be in vain.
One of these is that on the currency
question the tendency of public opinion
in the United States for the past TWEEN
ty years has been distinctly toward
honest money, which is the same as
saying, in the conditions prevailing,
toward gold payments. This is shown
by the fact that, though the issue has
never been clearly voted on, the more
nearly it has been presented, the more
decided has opinion been in the
right direction. If it were possible
now to put the question to the peo-
lie, unobscured and unconfused, the an
swer would be overwhelmingly for
honest money. The next point to be
noted is that there is a very powerful
current of events tending to force this
issue directly upon the country. We
have paltered with it, compromised it..
deferred it, over and over again. At
every successive stage the result has
been more disastrous. The half blind,
half cowardly hesitation in taking the
final step, paying our demand notes
once for all in gold, and DESTROYING
forever the last excuse for doubling
the absolute honesty of the nation,
has cost US, literally, two thousand
millions of dollars in taxes and millions
more in business losses. If the Ameri-
can people once clearly understand
this, they will act with a swiftness
and decision that nothing can with
stand. In that day the leader they
will choose will not be trimmer or a
schemer They will not choose him for
his skill in lodging issues or evading
difficulties. They will take the man
they think they can trust because he
has not failed them. There was time
when Mr.. Reed had given reason for
such confidence in him. Lately he has
impaired it. Yet a man who has the
courage frankly to recognize wherein
he is wrong and promptly and firmly