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

the speaker and until the committee rises
and this may occur at almost any mir
ute-the speaker is free. But he must be
within call.
There is morning business in various
forms today-InessSges from the senate to 4
DO received, resolutions of inquiry to be |
considered, committee reports to be made
The speaker preSideS through all OF this,
kept constantly alert by the changing con-
ditions. At O'Clock the house goes into
committee of the whole, and the speaker
surrenders the chair to one of the menbe
and returns to his room.
On the way he is stopped by two MEM |
berS, one of them with bill whose posi-
biIities he wants to discuss with the !
speaker, and one with request for
transfer from one committee to another !
Mr.. Reed gets away from these two as !
quickly as he can. He does not tsrry in |
his room; but, finding there is nothing OF |
Importance for his consideration there, he |
goes down stairs to his den. This is a |
room at the foot of the private stairway
Here no one may disturb him as he eats
his luncheon of bread and milk. Here,
too, he frequently comes to read in the
afternoon-often to look up authorities on
parliamentary matters.
At2:30 O'Clock today he has an engage
ment with the chairman who complained
of his committee room in the morning
He is waiting for Mr.. Reed in the speakers
gate, and the speaker conyinces the mem
Der that his committee is much better
fixed than many other committees, SO ne
agrees to remain where he is. Tho speaker
returns to his room, disposes of another
importunate member with a bill and man
with claim, and then sits down at his
desk and takes up the pile of mail which
has been awaiting his attention.
Mr.. Allen stands by while the speaker /
skins the letters and signs them. Most
of them he takes in at glance. Some
letters have been held for his conSidera-
ton. He dictates the answers to them.
Mr.. Alien tells him of request for inter
ference which has come from man in the
railway mail service in Maine who has
been removed. He has investigated the
case and found that the removal was made
on charges which the man admitted to be
true. The speaker mods his approval and
dictates letter to the man in Maine, tell
ing him he cannot have the departments
decision changed. And so the mail is dis
posed of It is not always disposed of so
easily or quickly, and not infrequently 1t
accumulates for several days untouched.
Sometimes the speaker has the unanswered
letters brought to the Shoreham in the
evening.
A Stream of Visitors.
When the mail is out of the way, there
are more people to be seen-senators,
members Of the house, a cabinet officer
who has come to the capitol to appear be-
fore q committee and finally the man who
wants to shake the speakers hand, for MIR.
Reed is easily approached. He sees almost
every one who calls, and if the visitor
comes On business, gives him a fair hear
ing If you ever call on Speaker Reed and
| fail to see him, you may know that he IS
| really busy. He is not excused merely be-
cause he does not want to see you.
The succession of visitors continues IN
h.
! moned to the chair to receive the commit
| tee report, to put a motion, and on 1t to
| declare tho house adjourned. Several
members trail after him into his room.
| He talks with each of them as briefly as
| possible, signs the letters his stenographer
has written, puts on his hat and coat and
| says good night to his messenger. The
| elevator takes him to the floor below. He
| goes out through the eastern exit, signals
| to cab and climbs into it. There are
evenings when he walks part of the way
! home, but not today. No need to tell the
| cablnan where to go. He drives around
| the steep circle down to Pennsylvania av-
| enue, to Fifteenth street and then to IL
| street. In ten minutes Mr.. Reed is climb
ing out of the cab at the II street entrance
| of the Shoreham. In three minutes moro
he is in his sitting room on the fourth
floor At $50 o'clock no is in the dining
room of the Shoreham. AT 1880 O'Clock he
|
is the stenographer. There is a note to
answer and a magazine to be examined,
| and a newspaper to be read before visitor
| is announced.
This one is q crank who wants to dis
cuss the silver question with the speaker.
He has not the slightest claim on MI.
Reeds time, but he is treated with the
same consideration that the speaker ac-
cords to every other visitor. newspaper
correspondent comes in to ask the speaker
a~question about the presidential cam
paign The speaker parties it wittily, and
the correspondent goes away unsatisfied,
| but unOffcnded. Presently the speaker
looks at his watch.
81 made an engagement with two gen
tlemen for this evouing, and they have not
come yet" he says to Mr.. Allen. My
wife tells me there is reception at The
White House. 1 had forgotten about it,
Will you ask them to come tomorrow even
! ing?''
He rises from his desk and goes out Of
the room. The silver crank continues tc
turn, but there are only Mr.. Allen and the
stenographer to see the wheels go round.
Half an hour later the speaker and hi!
wife and daughter are at the White House
bowling to hundreds, seen of thousands
The hurry and rush of the crowd bort
him little, but presently some congenia
spirit joins him, and he enjoys converse
tional episode That ended, he joins hi
wife and daughter, and at IL o'clock tho
are back at the Shoreham. BY midnight
the speaker is in bed and asleep.
Mr. Reed spends about one-half of hi
evenings at home, sometimes writing il
his office, sometimes reading in his room
sometimes entertaining guests. He is
domestic man, and no doubt he woult
prefer to spend all of his evenings in tn
7 bosom of his family. Yet he likes a din
ner party if there are no speeches to b
; made, and, like President Cleveland, h
, enjoys a quiet game of cards occasionally
. | There are few recreations permitted t
, | him. The duties of his office are too ex
|, acting. But he equalizes matters in tn