Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-15
Were His Presidential Prospects At
fected by Yesterdays Action?
HIS MOTIVES EXPLAINED BY FRIENDS
The Criticism on His Action on the
Bond Resolution.
EFFECT ON HIS LEADERSHIP


Reed were thought to be as much in evil
dence in the House yesterday as the finan-
cial fortunes of the country The support
ers of the Maine man were nervous and
anxious. The supporters of other repubi-
can presidential aspirants were alert and
expectant How would Mr.. Reed come out
OF the scrap? How would he bear seeing
his Ieutenants in the House set up for
themselves on the question of the bond
scheme, and make open exhibition of the
republican division on the point at issue?
And how many republican votes would
they be able to throw against a scheme
which the recognized republican leader in
the House was advocating?
MIR. Reed Somewhat Disturbed.
1t was apparent that Mr.. Reed himself
was somewhat disturbed. He knew of the
general interest attaching to his attitude.
He was restless during the whole of the
debate, remaining in his seat but very lit
tie of the time. He was absent from the
chamber when the republican members en-
Enthusiastically applauded the condemnation
of the gold scheme by Hopkins and Can
non of Illinois and Grosvenor OF Ohio, but
he could hear the noise from his chair in
the cloak room, where he was comforting
with his supporters.
How very strange, and loud. and un-
welcome 1t sounded to him, however. no.
body could tell from anything he said or
from the expression his face. The
effect il produced was only to be gathered
from his increased activity and the number
of conferences between him and his friends
rat followed. His short speech toward
the close of the debate was well done. as
to ease of delivery and simplicity of express
sion, but it was not considered character
istic as to close graphing or directness.
His rebellious Heutenants had denounced
tie administrations contract with the New
York bankers as monstrous and impeach-
able. Mr.. Reed would only say that, while
perhaps this was true, 1T was not wise to
permit the contract to obscure the duty OF
Congress to the financial issue itself.
His remarks upon the whole were received
most respectfully but coldly by his party
friends
What His Friends Say.
From the day the Presidents gold mes
sage was received by the House Mr.. Reed
and his friends were advised of the hope
entertained by his opponents in the party
that it would result in putting him in
hole. The reasoning was simple. 1t was
asserted that If Mr. Reed voted against
the scheme his eastern friends would r>
sent it, and that if he voted for it any ~
crease of his support in the west would be
rendered impossible. A straddle was not
to be considered for a moment Sucn
treatment of the question would be diff
cult for even trained trimmer, and was
Impossible for Mr.. Reed. whose whole
credit rests upon courage and straight1or-
wardneSs. His friends assert that he took
the course dictated by his sense of duty,
regardless of personal considerations Or
possible personal consequences. There was
but the ore question before him, either in
the committee room or the open House,
and that related to the public interests.
The President had laid down PROPOSE
tion embodying both the credit OF the gov
ernment in the open market and the saw
ing of an enormous sum in the way of in
terest, and Mr.. Reed thought it his duty
as a republican to show as much zeal In
the countrys behalf as the President was
protesting.
In doing this he did not consider that he
vas indorsing to the full what the admin
fstration had done and was asking should
be ratified. Mr.. Reed, according to his
friends, would neither have issued such
bonds nor bound himself by such con-
tract But the responsibility for what had
been done was not his and re did not con-
slider that he or any other republican rep
resentative would share in it by vote
designed simply to save the government
from additional embarrassment.
The other Republican Views.
The other republican view of the ques-
ton charges Mr.. Reed with having un-
necessarily gone TO the administration
assistance. 1t was not his fight. This con-
tention, and that of the party. had chal-
lenred the necessity of any such policy on
the part OF the administration. He had
stated that the treasury trouble was due
to q lack of revenue. and he should have
held to that proposition and to the remedy
suggested by it. Every proposition for an
issue of bonds for keeping up the gold
an increase in the revenue, and specifica-
tions. if necessary, as to how the money
should be obtained.
According to This view, there was no rea-
son why Mr.. Reed should take sides at all
as between the warning democratic fac-
tiOns. The democracy was in power. and
IL it desired republican support it should
have been Obliged to come 10 republican
terms. Mr.. Reed ought, they say, to have
laid down these terms. Had he done so the
result would have been an undsputed. un-
diluted republican victory. Mr.. Cleveland
would have led the gold democrats, Mr..
Bland the silver democrats and Mr. Reed
the solid republican column advocating
more revenue for the government. There
would have been no legislation. as is the
case as 1t stands But now the republ-
cans under Mr. Reed share in the adninis-
tration's defeat. while the silver democrats
under Mr.. Bland are more jubilant over the
victory obtained than those republicans
under MIR. Hopkins who helped achieve 1t.
Possible Effect of His Action.
This criticism Of Mr.. Reed takes into ac-
count more than the simple question of the
action he has just recorded. That, 1t is
suggested. might be forgotten. or remeded.
before the holding of the next republican
national convention But there Is the next
Congress coming on, whose business Mr..
Reed as Speaker of the House, must large
ly direct. This money question will be sub
mitted TO 1t, and probably in more diff
fiCult form than the present Congress has
had to deal with. Committees are to be
appointed, measures drafted all interests
.a-t and west considered. How will MIR.
Reed acJ,i,: himself of that task? The be-
lief is that 1t will prove much the most
difficult task he has ever attempted. And
to what extent will this revolt In his
party against his leadership find express
sion then? The prediction is that some OF
the men who have just tasted the sweets
of independence will assert themselves
again, and especially after proving that
the old leader is not invincible. MIR. GroS-
venor who is Mckinley man, spoke with
great animation yesterday, and the two
Illinois members. who are classed as IA
yorirg a western rather than an eastern
man for President. were emphatic beyond
their former record in urging the rejection
of the scheme 10 which Mr. Reed had given
his approval. Has the Reed leadership in
the next Congress received a black eye in
advance? The anti-Reed men on the presi-
dental issue believe that IL has.
Naval Movements.
The cruiser Charleston has returned to