The Monitor-register., 1896-01-31

Is Met Everywhere by Men Who Want
to Talk to Him-He Sleeps as Late as
He Can In the Morning, Walks to the
Capitol When the Weather Is Fair and
4 Eats Bread and Milk For His Lunch.
| Newspaper Attacks ON Himself Make
| Doings.
| copyright, 1896, by George Grantham Balm
| Speaker Reed says the president has
saved him from a great deal of work this
session. Perhaps that is the reason Mr.
| Reed looks so healthy. He was never in
| finer physical condition. As to his MEN
| tai state, he does not say enough witllin
the hearing of any newspaper man to give
| him satisfactory clew. Mr.. Reed is in "a
receptive, not communicative, condition
this year. Perhaps he will have SOME
| thing to say toward the end of June. His
| friends say he is perfectly satisfied with
| the political outlook and is confident he
| will be nominated by the Republican con-
vention at st. Louis.
| What simplified the situation for the
speaker at the beginning of congress was
the message of the president, which made
| 1t possible to put the tariff and bond bills
through the house so abruptly. Instead
| of a turbulent, protracted debate and con-
| stant maneuvering to reconcile conflicting
| interests in the party, the Republicans had
a campaign which was short, sharp and
decisive. What promises to be the most
| important legislation of the session was
| put through the house with rush in three
days. Before the 1st of January, when
| the important work of q long session was
| expected to begin, the most serious work of
| this session was completed With the
passage of the tariff and bond bills the
| speaker was able to lie back and take life
comparatively easy. But there are duties
which the speaker has to discharge even
| when the house is not in session.
| Il believe | have charge of everything
| on the house side of the capitol except the
dishwashing, the speaker said to me in
his snug little office at the Shoreham
| few nights ago.
| Doesn't the restaurant come under
your jurisdiction?" L asked.
Eyes, | suppose il really does, ~ said Mr.
Reed. II learned the other day that Mr.
Randall's predecessor had charge of the
restaurant, though for what reason it was
| given into his custody don't know Aft
er him it was turned over to the commit
tee on public buildings and grounds
The speaker of the house of representa-
| tiyes actually has charge of the rooms in
| the house side of the capitol, and he has to
make the assignments of committees to
these rooms. This is only one of the mani
| fold duties of the speaker of the house.
| Any one who thinks Mr.. Reeds occupa-
| tien is limited to sitting in the speaker S
chair welding a gavel is very much mis-
| taken. l. '..-
When he first came to Washington, Mr..
Reed had his mail brought to the Shore
ham in the morning. Mr. and Mrs. Reed
and their daughter occupy suit of three
rooms on the fourth floor of the Shore
| ham, facing Fifteenth street. There is a
| sitting roons between two bedrooms, all
| opening on a private hallway. Opposite
these rooms is small rbom, which Mr.
| Reed uses as an office. dt has one win
dow opposite the doorway, opening on a
| court. Next this window, in corner of
the room, is a fat topped desk. 1t is usu-
| ally pretty well covered with newspapers
some of them in their wrappers, some ly-
ing loose as the speaker has dropped them
after looking hurriedly over their pages
| The window seat also is Uttered with pa
| pers. In front of the window is a COM
| Portable armchair of leather. In front of
the desk is tilting chair of cane COM
modious enough to accommodate Mr.
neeo ample ngure "lthout crowolns'
| Between the leather armchair and the door
| is table, on which there is a typewriter
used by Mr.. Reeds stehographer.
Mr.. Reed is an amateur photographer
| and. bicycle rider, but he has not learned
~ ~ p.ay on %ss. ~ ypemiieor ye'; opposlte
! oiio 'ypewIisoi am . s,oie Is Ie'oNihs nook-
oase niiea chieliy wiSn pupiao pooks Oh rel
erenoe. MI neeu mas nhe library al
sn ais noilio Al ui'i.'iu ou' no orihgS very
row nooAs ~ masiiihf}Von' ie,yihs ailhesS
"hoiiy Oh 1he congressional library.
:, The Speakers Mail.
When Mr.. Reeds mail came to the
| Shoreham, he used to spend ten minutes
| in his office before breakfast every morn
| ing, while Mrs. Reed went down to the
dining room and ordered his breakfast
| Now he does not enter his office usually
till he has had his breakfast. The mail
goes to the capitol, and Mr.. Allen opens
most of it before he sees the speaker
Personal and Confidential on an en-
yelope are not necessarily. bars to Mr.. AL
| lens progress. He has learned to dis,
| criminate between letters which are really
| personal and those which are only labeled
so, and as Mr.. Reed receives very few per-
sonai letters most Oh tAe' mai is opened
ana read by MS secretary.
Usually, too Mr.. Allen IS able to write
answers to most OF these letters before Mr..
heea sees them. Ihe answers and the let
ters ne puts together on Mr. Reeds desk.
rms desk Is nat topped, ike the desk in
MI heed o1fce. IL stands IN the middle
vi small opiohg room a the eastern END
Oh the house lobby. &h9doorway OF this
room Is wlthln the siYrea precincts OF the
mouse, and you nave % 1ess two doorkeep'
ers before you reach lg Another guardian
si's a' the speaker MT' opposite tne
doorway Is the prlvats stairway reserved
FOR the use OF members.E
Mt. heed desk, as s-Nsald' occupies tic
center OF the room. ME- Reed s chair is
tliting oflee chalr, faclng east. Behind it,
peslae one OF the Two windows which
lght the room' Is apaelously pigeon
holed desk used by MI. Allen: There are
several Sc, leather covered fhalrs IN the room.
Ihere are couch, typewriter desk and
heavy pooKsheIVes against the walls. Iha
windows are shaded lace curtains,
Whloh hang from heasy' OLD tashloned
iainprequlns'
The stage is set for Nj Reeds business
bay, and am going to 3ell you how he
spent his time on typN day recently
or how other people & mt his time a
modest suggestion of mite, which he was
good enough to say ws more like it."
This comment was not preliminary to
recital of his days pHgramme, for Mr..
Reed does not exploit himself in converse
tion. In fact, he has a very admirable
degree of conversational modesty, virtue
not altogether common with public men.
Mr.. Speaker Reed Breakfasts with his
wife and daughter atabout 9 O'Clock.
Whether he has ham and eggs or mutton
chops ON this particular morning / don't
81