The Portland daily press., 1896-03-07
THE SAME tom REED.
Has Not Changed Under Trying Con.
ditiOnS.
DIFFICULTIES THAT BEsET HIM.
Calm and Courageous as AIways-His
Present Works. Patriotic and Unselfish.

Calm and Courageous as Always-His
Present Works. Patriotic and UnseIfish.
(From the Regular Correspondent of The
New York Press.)
Washington, Feb. $3.50 far as even his
most intimate friends can discover,
Speaker Reed is utterly Indifferent to the
effect which any public or personal action
of his may have upon his Presidential
prospects. He is engaged solely in presi-
ding over the House of Representatives,
and his only aim is to see that such legis-
lation as comes out of the House shall be
safe and beneficial. He is doing this I'M
der conditions of greater embarrassment
than ever before confronted Speaker.
He is hampered by an Executive of an
opposite party, which has so depleted the
Treasury that it would be wild insanity
for the Republican majority to enter upon
schemes of National policy in which the
party thoroughly believes and with which
| Speaker Reed is heartily in accord. In
endeavoring to act the part of a patriot
and place the Government upon paying
basis he finds himself baked by combi-
nation of democrats and Populists in the
Senate, who place their own petty preju-
dices above the crying necessities of the
Government.
| The Speaker has to keep in check a
| triumphant and restless majority made
up of Republicans many of whom have
come to Congress for the first time, and
| nuarv oDa of WHOM, ic 90 rro,. to coarro ON
preparations and other benefits for his
district in order to make himself solid
with his constituents. Under ordinary
conditions many of their requests ought
properly to be granted, but with con-
stantly recurring deficiency, with Treas
ury running millions behind every
month, it would be WORSE than folly to
are not called for by crying necessities or
to protect the National honor.
While the deficiency in the Treasury
has been growing daily under Democratic
mismanagement, the permanent expenses
of the Government have been increasing
with equal rapidity. Every dollar of
debt added by the Cleveland Administra-
must regularly be paid. Speaker Reed
appreciates the situation, and all this is
aggravated now by the defeat of the
Dingley Emergency Bill in the Senate
1t is rather remarkable fact that the
very men who did most to defeat this
measure are those who are clamoring
most loudly for increased appropriations
of various kinds.
In the midst of this deplorable financial
chaos the Speaker Of the House stands
like a rock, immovable and not afraid.
1t can be truly said of him that he is the
strong tower of the Government today
With duck hunting President startling
the country with sensational messages
i with an impotent Senate throttled by sill
yer highwaymen, Speaker Reed directs
the policy of the vast Republican major
ity in the House with an unerring judg-
ment, splendid strength Of purpose,
magnificent conservatism and patriotic
foresight which makes him the sole refuge
of those who look for returning stability
and prosperity.
This is not situation which any man
plaCSu hS MT hoou Is can regard WIN
levity, and yet there are some who count
themselves observers of public men who
have the 1ippant audacity to criticise
him for what they term recent change
in manner. There has been no change
in Mr.. Reed, aside from that which would
come to any man of brains and courage
placed in conditions of such weighty re-
sponsibility as now rest upon him, and
who realizes to the full extent the duty
he owes his country. With all this resting
upon his shoulders, Mr.. Reed in his per-
sonal relations is not whit different
from what he was when leading gallant
minority on the floor The grasp of his
hand is as cordial, his satire is as pun
gent and the democratic simplicity of
his manner is as marked as ever.
He cannot be SO much in evidence, per-
haps, because there is no man in the
United States whose time is SO fully oc-
cupied with the routine duties pertaining
to his position, and yet he is never SO
busy that any citizen who really wants to
see him is turned away. Mr.. Reed is not
professional handshaker, and never
was. He does not carry a property
smile, and he never will. He is alto
gether too big and too honest for either.
But he has warm human sympathies, a
teart which knows no distinction Of per
|