The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1895-12-12
MR.. SPEAKER.
PERSONAL TRAITS OFT. 3. REED.
Friendly and Apprec.a:;ve Sketch Of
the Ez- and New Speaker.
Washington Times.

til within the last half dozen years
because Of a combination of physica
Iethargy and intellectual indifference
which kept him from putting forth hi
strength. If he had been Of Blaine
nervous, eXcitable, and snowy tempera
n,ent, he would have had throughout
his twenty years In Congress the same
prominence that Blaine had through
out his congressional career.
But here in Washington, Reed has
always been recognized by those who
had the chance of hearing his remark
able conversation, if not by those who
heard his speeches and read what he
wrote, as an unusual and original man
from whom almost anything might be
expected III the way of intellectual
achievement.
GA lazy giant" was the way he was
summed up a dozen years ago, and the
only question was whether the giant
would ever think it worth while to arise
and show what he could do. Six years
later he did arise, and he soon made his
name a household word all over this
country, and his doings familiar to all
who read newspapers and magazines in
other countries
| Since then he has grown steadily in
| the public estimation, and has Just as
steadily developed his intellectual re-
| sources, until now he is recognized at
something like his real value. His
ambition, that seemed to slumber so
long, woke with fierce appetite when
it did wake, and his masterful will has
been seeking to crafty it, and in the
process he has steadily grown in the
public eye.
The new ''man from Maine" is real
Maine man, and not, like Blame. a
Pennsylvania, for he was born in the
very city of Portland, which has ten
times sent him to Congress, and he has
lived almost constantly in Maine, get
ting his education in her schools, and
also being graduated from her leading
college, and having practiced for thirty
years at her bar.
He is a genuine Yankee in every
thing except physical appearance. Ev
erybody knows how round and stout
his body is, how rolling his walk, and
how cherubic his face at distance, for
near to it it looks like Bismarck 5 and
you can see the power behind it. He
has all the Yankee shrewdness and sa-
gacity, and the Yankee wit comes forth
in his Yankee voice, and even with
Yankee pronunciation, and the Yankee
drawl.
He has all the strong New England
traits, and some of the fine ones. His
feet are always on the ground, and his
eyes are always on level with those Of
other men. There Is nothing of the
eiOOuU II1lli, anu I1C -
a philosopher rather than poet, but
be has ideals, as we'll as ideas, and he ad-
mires and practices the sterner virtues.
He is not known to be a member OF
any church, and is not known as being
a regular attendant cf any one here,
but no one doubts that he is an upright
man. His private life is lrreproacha-
be. and his home life is beautiful. His
wife and his daughter and he are three
most devoted and intimate friends.
He has meyer been rich, and proba
bly, never will be, for he is not a money
maker, and he has neglected his prac
tice a good deal of the time that he has
been III public life, and be was elected
to the State House of Representatives,
three years after he was admitted to
the bar He has meyer been able to
keep house here or to entertain exten-
siyely, and this winter, at least, he and
his family VIII have a small flat In Vice
President MOrtOn's hotel, the Shore
ham. and up on the fifth floor at that.
He has had little leisure Of late years
for bis law practice, and has made al
most as much money by writing for the
MAGAZINES as he has from most Of his
law cases. However, he has always
lived comfortably, and bis Yankee
thrift has kept him out Of debt. He
keenly enjoys what are called the good
things of this life by most people.
He likes society, at least the conver-
sational part of it, and especially din
ing out, although like most public men
he dislkes public dinners. He is fond
of the theatre, and of music, and of art
and of literature, In French, as we'll as
English.
He is fond of fun of all good sorts,
and especially of the kind that is found
at Gridiron Club dinners under the
robe Of secrecy. Indeed, his fun and
his love of fun are the most serious
drawbacks he ha. as presidential can
didate or a candidate for the preslden-
tial nomination, even in this country,
where we laugh more than they do any
where else IN the world. But these