The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-08-20
gomery county to perform and must be true to its
THOMAS BRACKET REED, SPHINX.


The number of stalwart Republicans who have
looked askance at the administration of Mckinley
Hanna q Co., and been looked at askance in return
Is dlSpoportiOnately large, considering that but q
few short months intervene between now and the
next national Republican convention. Now these
recalcltrantS are not handful of American
citizens" They are distinguished gentlemen
pr1sing group as impressive numerically as it is
in quality of brains responsibility and long service
IN the interests of Republicansm.
Of the heavyweights perhaps Messrs Hoar
Hale, Edm1nds. Proctor Boutwell, and Foraker are
most prominent. Tagging along behind these come
Burrows Plngree, Jones and Thurst0n, the latter
having just slipped off the fence and dropped into
the antiimperialistic meadow land. OF the lesser
lights. the rank and file, ward workers and con-
Ventlon manipulators their is legion, the
woods are full of EN- AT home among their con-
Stituents, they pipe. merriy and volubly but of
course their treason" is suppressed as far as pos
Sloe' and even were they inclined to talk for pubca
ton their peculiar views would hardly reach cold
print in Republican organs
But the one great thorn in the side of the adj
minlSratIOn is Thomas Bracket Reed ex-czar and
selfImmolated, selfeaced autocrat of the speakers
chair OF course. physically, Mr. Reed does not in
the least resemble a thorn. Quite the reverse He
is too fat But politically just old Anti Expan-
sionist himself He is, in fact the original anti
lmper1alist Of the Republican party, the man who
first registered kick against the policy before he
registered at London hotel. He it was who aston
lshed and deeply panied Mr.. Mckinley by the cruel
remark, The administration has recently purchased
100000 yellow bellies at 81 a head"
And then Mr.. Reed became as dumb as an
oSyter. No perfumed Adonis of a newspaper man
has been permitted to pat his fat Drawn and bet
his sesterces that Reed would say something "agn'
the government every day in the week Far from
II. bo I.OiCo
for thousand antiexpansion screeds True he
numbered IN the index but the index proved to be
the whole edition. The thrust went home like a
rapler passed through the heart Of antagonist
Inc sentence was fatal as a dum-dum bullet,
he sang his little song and then packed his grip
went to Europe in company with Dick Croker
The shadows murmur but the deeps are dumb"
The shadows have continued to murmur ever since
the cogent epigrammatic remark of Tom Reeds,
but the deep, persOnied by Mr.. Reed himself has
remained dumb on the question Of Mr. McKineys
alleged policy ever since. Every is perfectly
well convinced that Reeds voice is not for war nor
for continuation of benevolent assimilation" Rut
you can't quote him. You can't pin him down and
If the administration has any CORY locks to shake
1t must Haunt them elsewhere than in the presence
of MI. Reed Drawing himself to his full height
of American manhood he can place his hand on his
heart and truthfuly declare:
Il amt sayin' nothu' at all"
In contemplating this attitude of the great
American sphinx one cannot but sympathze with
MI Mckinley. One by the political chums uDon
whom he would naturally rely have deserted him
And such as have not kicked over the political traces
he has been compelled by force Of popular onnon
to fire from his cabinet court-martaI and retire on
full pay to preserve peace in the nation Other Re-
puhllcans than Tom Reed have boldly denounced i'm
perallSm and in turn have been denounced as Soon
perheads TRAITORS" and ''aunties" They have
talked and been met promptly with obiugatton
They have impetuOusly thrown themselves into tbe
melee, and it has been give and take in the mix
up But the bad boy, Reed, has simply looked on
Winked and chuckled. 1t once the expressed de-
sire OF Dickens fat boy to make somebody's flesh
creep. That is just about what Mr. Reed has been
able to do to the administration.
Whether this department of the aggrayating Reed
is all part of play for position remains to be seen
There are number Of astute politicians who believe
that 1t is. They declare that Mr. Reed is making q
still hunt for the Republican nomination. If So no
one need remain in the dark concerning Mr. Reeds
position. By the time the convention meets it will
be found that he has greatly underestimate the
actual cost price of Filipino yellow bellies"
And along about that exciting period Mr. Reed
may. and undoubtedly will, have something else to
say At present, however, he remains taciturn
eXasperating ''aunty"