Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-02

making m0neyin New York. II was for
financial reasons that Tom Reed gave
III the speakershlp and went back to
law. He VIII probably make a fortune.
He Is thrifty and he has the Yankee
ability to bargain. He Will get single
fees much larger than his speakership
salary, and he could make big income
from his literary work, II he cared to do
so. Tom Reed Is master Of English.
He writes rapidly and always writes
well. He can turn out four or five thou
sand words IN an evening, and when his
manuscript is finished II Is ready for
the printer He aid some writing while
he was Speaker. and his income has for
years been Increased by his literary re-
ceipIs. He has not attempted occurring,
although he has received many offers TO
go on the platform. For one lecture
which he gave In Boston he was paid
$1,000, and this same lecture he has re-
| peated a number Of times at $500 per
night He has written a great many
magazine articles, and his work Of this
nature Is so popular that he can COM
mand his own prices.
He will probably write a book some
day giving his "reminiscences Of public
men and his times. II so, il will have
l - 'NfA o. RNoNF ~ wiz WI fanny NC MNll
written. Mr. Reed Is a college bred
man and has no end OF Latin ana
| Greek quotations al his command. He
is also a French scholar his chief
amusement being the reading Of fashy
French novels In the original, but he
never let's his French, Greek or Latin
get into his speeches and considers
plain everyday English the best med-
um Of thought communication. Tom
Reed has generally been considered q
lazy man. This is a mistake. He has
always been a hard worker and a
hard student, He mastered the
French language after he was forty.
His range Of historical reading is very
wide, but he is thoroughly abreast OF
the literature Of today.
Speaking OF Reed as a lawyer recalls
a story | once heard as TO his admis-
sion TO the bar. He was brought up.
YOU know. for a minister His father |
was a New England sailor and he |
wanted TO have one preacher in the |
FAMILY. Tom was selected 10 be that |
one. He was sent 10 the high school, |
and finally by means Of some assistance |
from the church was admitted 10 col |
lege TO study for the ministry. Az |
he went on with his studies he found |
that preaching was not his mission |
he went 20 the church people and told \
them that he could not go on with his |
course az school upon the existing un- |
derstanding, but that he would pay |
back the money which they had given |
him as soon as he could. He at once |
went TO work, and by teaching and |
doing odd Jobs was able 10 keep him |
self at school and at the same time to |
pay his debts.
The moment he gave up the Idea Of |
being a preacher he decided 20 make |
the law his life profession. He bought |
some law books and crammed Black
stone while he was tending school Az
ter time he had saved enough to take
him TO California and he decided to 20
there to make his fortune As soon as
he arrived In the State he applied for
admission to the bar. The examination
was at Stockton. and the judge who
put him through his questions was a
well-known lawyer named Wallace.
who afterward became chief justice Of
the State. Tom Reed, in relating the
story, says that his examination con-
sited Of only two questions, The first
was as to whether he had studied law.
Young Reed replied that he had, The
second question followed. 1t was;
rs the legal tender act constltu-
tional2'
Yes. sir; It undoubtedly is" was the
reply.
That is all right" said Judge Wal
lace. You may consider yourself adj
mitted 10 the bar Anybody who can
answer offhanded a great question like
that. upon which so many mighty
minds are divided, ought to be able TO
practice In any country
Tom Reeds practice was not sue.
cessful In California. At any rate he
soon returned TO Portland, and in 1864
became a paymaster In the United
States navy, He held this position
about a year and then opened law
office in Portland He soon acquired
a large practice, was elected TO the
legislature. then to Congress, then
Speaker. and now he Is back TO the law
again in New York.
The election OF Henderson win be a
cut and dried affair. There will be no
opposition 10 speak Of. and he will be
chosen unanimously. | met man last
night who was one Of the candidates In
what was perhaps the greatest speak
ership contest OF our history. This was
Senator John Sherman, | called upon
him at his house on franklin square
and had chat with him about the
days Of 1853, when Congress baloted
from the 9Th Of December until the last
Of January for a speaker. There were
thirty-nine ballots, and John sherman,
then a young Representative Of thirty
three, was throughout the whole the
leading candidate. He came at one
time within three votes OF being elected,
and on the thirty-nlnth ballot, seeing
there was danger OF the Republicans ,
falling 10 get the speakership, he threw
his vote TO William Pennington, Of New
Jersey, who was thereuDon chosen ,
speaker. The contest was a most eN- ,
citing one. Both North and South were ,
excited over the hanging Of John :
Brown, and party relations were /,
stretched TO their utmost. A book by ,
Hinton y. Helper entitled "The I'M
pending Crisis" antagonistlc 20 slavery,
had been published, and II was charged q
hat Sherman had recommended the q
use OF the book as a campaign docu- !
nent The truth was he had never seen \
he book, and merely recommended II K
N the statement that certain objec- o
ionable things alleged TO be In II should v
be cut out before publication. q
During the contest Violent speeches. !
we're made sherman's friends stuck i
% him throughout the whole, and 8
rhaddeus Stevens said he would never II
'hange his vote until the crack Of h
loom. When al last, having changed s.
[, he was asked how he could break &
uch a promise, he replied n
We'll, the truth Is. / really thought a
heard Il cracking n
1t was about this time that Sherman a
anne near having a duel with Wright b
ls TO some remarks made b. the lat n
er in debate. Wright was member &
Il Congress from Kentucky. In a G
peech upon the floor he said something o
which was very offensive 20 Sherman | Il
md Mr. Sherman thereuDon took up | h
box Of waters and threw them In h
Nrght's face Wright was fire. q
alter, and Sherman thought he would a
ertalnly challenge him or attack him. q
ie put a pistol In his overcoat pocket h