The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-11-26
THE NEW MAN FROM MAINE.
Mcfarland. in Philadelphia Record.

THE NEW MAN FKOM MAINE.
Mcfarland, in Philadelphia Record.
Washington. Nov. 2S.-Enter Thomas
Bracket Reed. the new man from
Maine" Fifty-six years old last month,
in the prime of his powers, mental and
physical, ten times elected to congress,
speaker of the house OF representatives
when he was so years old, and about to be
elected speaker again, and by a curious
coincidence, as before, on the second day
Of December; today the leading candidate
for his party's nomination for the presi-
dency and its most prominent man, he
takes the front of the congressional stage.
For the next six months he will be the
most interesting mar in congress, il not
In public life, and a. that he says and
does will be important. His political op-
ponents and his party rivals will be watch
ing him constantly. and will be. quick to
take advantage If his foot or his tongue
| slip. This time, as before, he will be not
only speaker, but leader or rather master
of his party, and therefore of the house.
Grain, of Texas, was showing some ladies
the house one day when Reed was presid-
ing and somebody. was making a speech
asked one of the ladies', who had never
been in the house before. "Why, that gen.
tleman who is making a speech said
Grain. But who is that in the chair?'
little more about things, and she pointed
to Reed. ''Oh,' said Grain, that is tho
house of representatives" And that was
as true as 1t was witty.
=
AT the beginning of the session Mr..
Reed stands higher In politics than he ever
did before. He is the head of the Re-
publican class, and the great question
that which he has gained. / must say, l
think he will. Now that John Sherman
has placed his own name ON the retired
list, l think that Mr.. Reed Is the strong
rot In tho pnnt.b1tran ~ yt 4 a,
certainly the most brilliant among its
leaders. He is the only one who can be
properly termed a genius. No one would
think of applying that term to Senator
Allison, much less to Governor Mckinley.
Ex-President Harrison, who is much ADLER
than either Allison or Mckinley, would
only be termed a genius by his most de-
voted admirers, while everybody else
would say that he was q man of great
talent and great versatility and great
force of character. Reed Is different, just
as Blaine was different, with that differ
ence which we try to indicate by calling
a man a genius. Reed was never appre-
ciated outside of Washington until with
In the last half-dozen years, because of a
combination Of physical lethargy and in
tellectual Indifference which kept him
been of Blaine's nervous, excitable and
snowy temperament he would have had
throughout his twenty years of congress
the same prominence that Blaine had
throughout his congressional career. But
here In Washington ! think Reed has al
ways been recognized by those who had
the chance of hearing his remarkable
conversation, IL 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 In the
way of Intellectual achievement.
"A lazy giant was the way he was
summed up a dozen years ago, and the
only question was whether the giant
would ever think 1t 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 ~intellec-
tual resources. until now he is recognized
at something like his real value. His
ambition. that seemed to slumber 80 long.
woke with a fierce appetite when 1t did
wake, and his masterful will has been
seeking to crafty 1t. and In the process he
has constantly grown In the public eye.
Everybody realizes. now that. whatever
differences there might be as to the wis.
dom Of his policy or the Justice of his
acts, he would be a great president. IN the
sense that he would. like President Cleve.
not be directed by the members of his
cabinet. Mr.. Reed would govern whether
with or without them, for over everything
else In his makeup stands his Independent
and imperious will.
The new imam from Maine" Is q real
Maine man. and not. like Blaine, a Penn
sylvanian. for he was born in the very
city of Portland, which has ten times SEM
him to congress-, and he has lived In
Maine almost constantly, getting his edu-
cation in her schools and being graduated
at her leading college and having ,Prac-
ticed for thirty years at her bar. He Is
a genuine Yankee in everything except
physical appearances. Everybody knows
how round and stout his body Is, how
face at a distance, for near to, 1t looks
like Bismarck's, and you can see the
power behind 1t. He has all tho Yankees
shrewdness and sagacity, and the Yankees
even with Yankee pronunciation and this
Yankee drawl. He has. all the stronh
New England traits and some of the fine
ones. His feet are always on the ground
those of other men. There is nothing OF
the transcendentalist about him, and he
Is a philosopher rather than a poet, bu,
he has ideals as well as Ideas, and hs
admires and practices the sterner vir-
tues. He Is not known to be a member
of any church, and / have not heard OF
his being a regular attendant Of any one
here, but no one doubts that he Is an up,
right man. His private life Is beautiful.
His wife and his daughter and he are
three most devoted and m friends.
-
He has never been rich and probably
never will be, for he Is not a money.
maker and he has neglected his practice
a good deal of the time that he has beer
in public life. and he was elected to the
state house of representatives three years
after he was admitted to the bar. He has
never been able to keep house here or to
entertain extensively, and this winter, as
last, he and his family will have a small
fiat in Vice-President Morton's hotel. the
Shoreham, and up on the fifth floor, al
that. He has had little leisure of late
years for his law practice, Ind has made,
/ suppose, almost as much money by writ
ing for the magazines as he has from most
OF his law cases. However. he has always
lived comfortably, and ! imagine his Yam
kee thrift has kept him out Of debt. He
keenly enjoys what are called "the goot
things of this life'' By most people. He
likes society, at least, the Conversations
phases of II. and especially dining out, al
though. like most public men. he dislikes
public dinners. and since he first became
speaker he has been prominent In Wash
ington society as he never WA before. He
Is by far the greatest OF the few public
men who do appear In society. most OF
VIC are more prominent there than
they are anywhere else. He is
fond of the theater, and Of music N OF
art. and Of literature, IN French as well
as In English
He is fond Of fun Of I'll better sorts.
Indeed, his fun and his love Of fun are the
most serious drawbacks he has as a