St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-04-12
He APPEARS ILL AT EASE,
WOMEN, HOWEVER, ARE GREAT
ADMIRERS eEE THE WIT OF
Mr.. REED.
MAINE MANS QUEER CLOTHES,
ordinations Which Are
Sometimes Set on by Blue
Neckties.

and terrible -, the czar, malign
ReeSnr- The other is Of Tommy
the big, mischievous, over
srown, fun-loving schoolboy with a
sharp wit and fondness for using 1t
Neither of these satisfies a woman,s
idea Of Reed.
funny enough, he always leaves an
impression upon women who meet him
casually that he is afraid of Woman
He is.
When susan B. Anthony wanted fig
uratively to throw her arms about
rom Reed and give him a laurel bou
qaet for his supposed equal-rights-for
women sentiments, Mr.. Reed hid him
seii at the mere intimation. But per
maps most men would have done like
WISE Inc swarms of women who
ionged TO shake his hand because he
was supposed in his callow congress
slonal days to have penned a minor
lty report in favor of suffrage for
women were unable to find him. He
was anywhere but in.
There must have been bushels of
lady's calling cards wasted on Mr..
Reed. And not one of them ever drew a
word or handshake from him.
To moderate-sized woman Thomas
Is. Reed is regular mountain.
He is polite in a scared sort of way.
Sometimes he is very gracious when
at home. Only he Is restless,
He has fashion of getting I'M and
walking around the .oon1 once or twice
lie goes to the window and pulls the
snaoes w and looks out Then he
zones back and subsidies into atten-
ton.
There is a solid pleasure in going to
Mr.. Reed.
He isn't given to making promises
that he hasn't an idea of fulfilling. He
will say frankly what should be. done
to bring about anything desired. Or
he will point out the flaws and useless
ness of any further efforts.
sometimes he is abrupt in doing so,
but when he is done a woman knows
he meant whatever he said.
Tom Reed never has had chance to
put on any laurels. He has been rep
resented as wearing crown, but only
as Indicative Of power despotieany
used.
wives of congressman who vow all
manner Of unkind things against Reed.
who say he has been despotic in his
treatment of their husbands and they
never will speak to him, suddenly be-
come meek and amenable when face
to face with him.
There is an underlying impression of
| backbone about him that compels them
to an appearance of friendliness and
| cordially. And yet Tom Reed has no
more magnetism than a dead wire.
q to LII. ~
doing something. And that something
is different from what any other man
is doing or would do.
Women have especially enjoyed his
retorts and Yankee wit. Most of them
wish he was back on the floorso that
there might be some fun again.
If Mr.. Reed has any reason for being
especially good-natured to a woman
who is paying her respects to the
speaker, he can bend his body in the
most Chesterfieldian manner The wo-
man Is rather oVerpowered by so much
man bending over her hand, because
she cannot help but realize what diff
ficult thing it is for him to do
His is very firm hand for so fieshy
man. 1t has very good grasp, and
does all the shaking desired by it. The
other hand is dropped as soon as Tom
Reed has done his duty by 1t. The
other hand has no say in the matter.
Women who know him best are his
admirers. These women are pretty
apt to be brilliant. They are not al
ways college-bred women.
If a woman understands the political
ground she stands on, or any other
ground for that matter, Mr.. Reed
seems to find her worth noticing He
hates sham .gu
He likes hostesses who give him
chance to sharpen his wit and yet
don't act as If they had invited him
solely hoping he would fire OFF one or
two good things at their table.
There is one young woman. to whom
Mr.. Reed does condescend now and
then to talk Of public affairs. Older
women look on in amazements at the
audacity of the plain questions the
younger woman from Massachusetts
sometimes asks him. She doesn't hes
itate to inquire about the probable
course OF the house procedure with any
measure, and Mr. Reed seems more
amused than anything else at the quer-
les. What is more he usually gives
her an answer that turns out correct.
Tom Reed in society has been one of
the sights of the past season He has
gone everywhere in what is called the
exclusive set. Until this year he has
never shown any desire for dances and
balls, and 'thep events Of the season.
This may be accounted for by his
daughter being great favorite
Formerly If Mr.. Reed appeared in a
house, the hostess felt unusually hon
ored. because he SO seldom did show
himself anywhere, except at small din
ner parties. where the party was to be
made up Of brilliant people.
A woman who fias known Reed for
years decMres that If he everSSmade
the White house running successfully,
Tom Reed would give the country an
original administration. He would be
a unique president, and keep the. coun-
try guessing most Of the time.
But presidents aren't chosen for the
varied performance they are fitted to
give. Tom Reeds clothes have amused
the country on several occasionsa He
even inaugurated, the fashion of wear
ing sashes in the summer in the house.
His summer suit Of indescribabIe Ken
lucky stuff started more men to wear
ing them. At one time Reed wore pale
blue neckties. He doesn't wear flowers
in his buttonhole.
Tom Reeds head and shoulders are
way above a lot Of other men in this
country. The trouble with Reed is that
he doesn't know what to do with these
towering members. He has more brains