The National tribune., 1899-05-11
THE SpEAKERSHIp.
IN Astonishing Democratic TriDrts to
Speaker Reed.
Louisville Courier Journal

Louisville Courier Journal.
The next House will have no master.
All Of the candidates for Speaker with a
combination Of all Of their qualities fit
ting them for the Speailership would not
make one Tom Reed. Since he was
elected Speaker the House has been en-
trely and absolutely under his domi'if-
ton. He had the brains to plan and the
nerve to execute. During his first term
as Speaker the Democrats put forward
their best and gameSt men to check
mate or bulldoze him, but they all went
down before his cool head, nerve force
or blasting sarcasm. Ex-Speaker Crisp
was the only man on the Democratic
side who ever made the least headway
against the rulings of Iieed, and he was
generally beaten and forced to resume
his seat amid ieerS from the Hepublican
side of the chamber. Dead game mem
bers from the South rushed TO the front
10 denOunce Reed for his brutal and
highllanded acts of usurpation," but their
scuthing denunciationS had no more
effect upon him than the pouring OF
water upon the back Of whale. Little
Fighting Joe Wheeler used to get furious
at Reed and rush down in front OF the
Speakers desk and shake his fist at the
"Czar of the House" and receive in reply
for his outbreak OF passion a grim 1901:
and a cold, scornful smile. No one could
ever understand in the confusion what
Gen. Wheeler said, but from his appear
ance and gestures they must have been
heavily charged with inhamTabie fiuid.
Benton McMillin was another Democrat
who often got mad enough TO kill Iced in
his seat, and Reed only laughed at Ben
ton as he did at the outburSts Of Dich
Bland, Joe Bailey and the rest. Those
days after the frequent scenes with the
"despot' the Democrats used to retire
to the cloal-rooms and one could smell
y, fro, ,,,1ae Of a Capitpl In the
othsr.
In his second term the Democrats, Buck
Kilgore and all, quit kicking. They were
completely whipped and took Reeds S
medicine liilealittle men. Reed went on
and ran things as he pleased. He did not
consult the President Of the United States,
much less the members OF the House, how
he Should do business. He ran things to
suit himself and permitted no dictatiOn
from any source, and when he lald down
the gavel Of the House on the 4th OF last
March he was st II the monarch OF that
body. And strange TO relate those Demo
Gratis who had hated him most du ing his
early r2ign on the throne OF the House are
his friends today, and he retireS from
Congress with as many admiring friends
as any member Of that body.
There is but one Tom Reed and the
Republicans have no one like him. His
loss to them is irreparable. The next
iority, and Reed will be often and often
missed. There is really no first-class
Speakershi2 timber in the next House on
either side, and the Republicans viii ex-
periencc great difficulty in selecting
| we'll equipped man for Speaker. The
next Congress vii be a critical one for
the Republican party. Great questions
are coming UP there next Winter for con-
sideratiOn, and upon their solution de-
pends the election the Fall following.
There are breakers ahead for the Re
publican party notwithstanding the pres
ent rosy condition OF public affairs, and
in less than a year many Republicans
will deeply regret the retirement of their
greatest leader, the giant from Maine.