The times., 1897-04-09

The Candid and Suave .ir. Reed.
The Speaker, more frequently called the
Autocrat of the National House of Repre-
sentatives, should thank The Times for
having given him an opportunity TO make
the very lucid and apparently nervy, can
did and dgnified statement which fell
from his lips Wednesday afternoon in
review, II not in denial. of some very
serious accusations presented verbally TO
him hy Representative Simpson OF Kansas,
but which of late have been with more or
less variation and more or less emphasis
addressed To him by The Times.
Speaker Reed does not need To be told
that the editor OF The Times, although adj
verse to him n almost everything political,
likes him as man and admiTes him rs "A
politician. He is brainy, self-posseSsrd,
plucky and persistent, There has never
been anything of a flunky or sycophant
about him. When Mr.. Blaine owned Maine
as his sepH rate personal estate, the one
man in it whom he did not own was
Thomas Braokett Reed BE has never, so
Tar as we know, pretended to an admira ton
or following he did not feel or yield.
Neither the fraudulent Hayes nor the frigid
Harrison couiu allure or daunt him acting
Presidents though they were. The Surly
contempt which Mr.. Reed entert aims not
only entertains, but frequently expresses -
for shams commends him TO our admira-
ton without much doubt he would be
''biger man than Grant in the White
House, Tor he would be much more "f
dictator, and very much less liable 20 in
fluence. 1t only requires one man TO make
up Reeds mind, while with Grant it fire.
Guently required two, or sometimes q half
dozen
30 much for OR opinion of Mr. Reed as
a man, and next, a few pleasant, if not
pngent, paragraphs about him as co
ordinate branch of the Government To
say that lie has not, so far as the present
session OF Congress is concerned, also
luleiy dominated legislation in the House
Of Representatives is to be absurd. Very
little has ever passed that body that he
did not want passed during his previous
speakerships But this session absolutely
nothing has gone through. Hitherto he
has pretty effectuaIly controlled the com
mittees. but this time he does not allow
any to exist For him to say most suavely
and moderately, as he did in reply 10 Mr.
Simpsun-thau he is but the creature or
the House-is as though Poueroy, the boy
murderer, should insist that lie is di-
rect descendant of AGam, and therefore
entitled to all the rights and imnunities
of any of his unjailed cousins, Oh as though
Mr. Mckinley should announce with the
usual mock humility that lie was only the
servant of the people and could do nothing
they did not authorize him TO do.
OF course, MI. Reed was made Speaker
by the House, but he knows very wen that
Speakers are not unmade 10y The same
formula. 1t is true that the members have
the nominal right TO direct what business
shall be done and how done-but theredsn'
a solitary denizen of that historic chamber
who doesn't possess a better chance for
instant personal translation TO heaven
than he does of hitting the tympanum of
Mr.. Reefs ear with his directions" if
IA 70 l,a hi+
Therefore. however candid or plausible
the explanation of the Speaker appeared
to be, there was literally nothing in it.
Mr. Reed is boss, until he is dethroned, and
Mr.. Reed doesn't want any legislation.
In partisan sense heis right. Much legis-
lation of the Dingley variety would simply
deepen the grave of the party and increase
the distance the resurrectionists would
need to travel to reach it. In bland but
most ingenious manner, Mr. Reed has sug-
gested this view 10 his party friends. Il
am your agent, your instrument he fe-
marks Now, what is it you want me to
doo Shall l really appoint the committees
and open the floodgates OF legislation?
IL YOU think so, Mr. Boutelle or Mr. Hop
kins or Mr. Grosvenor, why not move that
it be done?''
All they have to do is to call Mr.. Reeds
attention to the matter in a parliamentary
manner He won't do thing to them
He will merely shift the responsibility End
abdicate his autocracy.
Agreeable If True.