The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-02-01

to Talk to Him-He Sleeps a Late as
He Can In the Morning, Walks to the
Capitol When the Weather Is Fair and
Eats Bread and Milk For His Lunch.
Newspaper Attacks Himself Make
Him Laugh-The Record of One Days
Doings.
Copyright, 1895, by George Grantham Bain.1
Speaker Reed says the president has
saved him from 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 within
the hearing of any newspaper man to give
him a 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 ne 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
it possible to put the tariff and bond bills
through the house so abruptly. Instead
of turbulent, protracted debate and con-
slant 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 a 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
hon NI1s,b &C. mott V9c
81 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 iurisdiotion?'' I asked.
Yes, suppose it really does, - said Mr..
Reed. Il 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
or him it was turned over to the commit
tee on public buildings and grounds -
The speaker of the house of representa-
tives 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-
ton is limited to sitting in the speakers
chair welding a gavel is very much mis-
taken.
| 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 a suit of three
! rooms on the fourth floor of the Shore
| ham, facing Fifteenth street. There is
| sitting room between two bedrooms, all
| opening on q private hallway. Opposite
I these rooms is a small room, which Mr..
Reed uses as an office. 1t has one win
| dow opposite the doorway, opening
| court Next this window, in a corner of
| the room, is fiat 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 q fitting chair of cane, COM
modiOus enough to accommodate Mr..
| Reeds ample figure without crowding.
Between the leather armchair and the door
is table, on which there is a typewriter
used by Mr.. Reed S stenographer.
Mr.. Reed is an amateur photographer
! and bicycle rider, but he has not learned
to play on the typewriter yet. Opposite
the typewriter table is a revolving book
case, filled chiefly with public books of ref
erence. Mr.. Reed has a fine library at
his home in Portland, but he brings very
lew DUCKS 10 NaSnlu2GODy TOlylnB aIUOSb
wholly on the 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. Tho mail
goes to the capitol and Mr.. Allen opens
| of IORfnT hn hn Ion
Personal and "Confidential'' on an en-
velope 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
! sonal letters most of the mail is opened
and read by his secretary.
Usually, too, Mr.. Allen is able to write
answers to most of these letters before Mr.
Reed sees them. The answers and the let
tiers he puts together on Mr. Reeds desk
This desk is fiat topped, like the desk il
Mr.. Reeds Office. 1t stands in the middle
of small Oblong room at the eastern enc
} of the house lobby. The doorway of this
room is within the sacred precincts of the
house, and you have to pass two doorkeep
ers before you reach it. Another guardian
} sits at the speakers door. Opposite thu
} doorway is the private stairway reserved
for the use of members.
t Mr.. Reeds desk as I said. occupies TIT
t center of the room. Mr.. Reeds chair is
fitting Office chair, facing east. Behind it
beside one of the two windows which
light the room, is a capaciously pigeon
; holad desk used by Mr.. Allen. There ar
several leather covered chairs in the room
There are q couch, a typewriter desk ant
heavy bookshelves against the walls. TIL
a windows are shaded by lace curtains
which hang from heavy, old fashions,
lambrequins-