The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1899-05-06


triumphant Career as Speaker
Will Expect Him to Renounce
Politics Altogether.
Thomas B. Reed, the autocrat of three
houses of representatives, at sixty years
of age has put aside the practical
certainty of an indefinite continuance OF
his cZarship to compete for wealth and
llonors at the New York bar. His aban-
donment Of a political career which. in
the measure of it's success, fell short only
of the highest reward in public life, has
caused a profound sensation. The gap
which his retirement makes has set in
motion all elements of his party In a
contest to fill the space which he occu-
pied. Though it had been rumored from
time to time in recent years that Mr.
Reed might become a resident of this city,
and though the reports lately had become
more definite in character, there was
a shock of surprise when the actual an
nouncement was made that he had de-
cided to join the law firm of Simpson.
Thatcher & Barnum. Mr.. Reeds friends
induce him to undertake the practice OF
law in New York. He has been in pub
lie life for more than thirty years, and if
he should die tomorrow his property
would hardly suffice for the support of his
family, even In moderate circumstances
His official salary, to be sure, has been
supplemented by a small income from his
law partnership in Portland and by his
salary as arbiter between the insurance
companies, but unfortunate investments
made for him a few years ago by'a friend,
IN Whom he had confidence, left him
little besides the roof over his head. -
Mr.. Reed will go abroad with his wife
and daughter before settling down to his
practice here. 1t is understood that he
Will pe away until toward the end of the
summer and that on his return he will
leave Portland, where he was born and
where his home has been ever since, to
make new home for himself here, says
the New York Herald. While neither Mr.
Reed nor his partners will talk of the de-
tails OF the agreement between them, the
report is that he has received a guaran-
tee OF $5O,OOO a>year for adding his name
and reputation to the firm. This is the
salary paid to William Mckinley, who
carried off the nomination for president
when Mr. Reed was candidate in 1896.
Mr.. Reed gave much thought to the Of
fer presented to him before he finally &C.
cepted 1t. Even when it had become
settled fact he was reluctant to discuss it,
as though the decision was one that his
judgment had dictated against his in
cl1nation. 1t was evident that the step
which he had taken cost him much. and
that he Anticipated little that might be
pleasureable In the, change in his career.
AS lawyer, his partners will expect
him to renounce politics altogether, and
1t Is not likely in any case that he would
care to involve himself in the political en-
tanglements of his new surroundings
That he will ever again be a presidential
candidate is equally improbable Senator
Platt, to be sure, favored his nomination
in 1896, bo& he is now as good as pledged
to the denomination of Mckinley, and in
1904 the friends of Gov. Roosevelt expect
New York to present his name. In taking
up his residence here, therefore, Mr.. Reed
will indicate that he has put all thought
of the presidency behind him, and that he
is, in fact and in deed, out of politics.
With the retirement Of Thomas B. Reed
from the house of representatives the
most commanding figure in public life
during the last decade has passed from
the stage. Mr.. Reed has rounded out his
congressional career. Ten years more of
service as speaker of the house or as lead
er of the Republican side on the floor
could not add to his reputation or give
which he has already won. He has con-
cluded that the path to the White House
Is not open to him, or that, at any rate,
1t does not lie through the speakers chair
He Is a poor man and wants to make.
money. These are the reasons which actu-;
ated Mr.. Reed in making his decision to
resign his seat in the house of representa-
hves and accept partnership in New
York law firm. -i...-- -a.' st.. !
Until his election as speaker Of the,
Fifty-first congress there was little i'm Mr.!
Reeds career to attract general atten-;
ton. AS student at Bowdoin he wasl
known during the first years of his coursei
as an indolent student given to dreaming3
and reading, rather than to hard study:
Before the close Of the junior year, how
ever. he resolved to go to work, and heI
graduated third in his class. His entire|
career Is in way typified in his collegei
course. Indolent by nature, he is capab lei
when occasion arises of prolonged and
arduous work. z,.-- !
study law, but interrupted his course to,
serve during the latter part of the war
as a volunteer paynDaster in the navy.
He was admitted to the bar in 1865, and,
practised law in Portland, his native
town. He held various local and state
offices, including that of attorney general
of Maine, until he was chosen to the
AS attorney general of Maine and as a,
member Of the house Of Representatives
Mr.. Reed was known as a capable law
yer and clear headed, ready debater,
but until he was elected speaker of the
Fifty-f1rst congress and became the GEN.
tire of the stormy scenes that made the
sessions of that congress memorable he
was scarcely known to te country at
large. 1t is doubtful if even those who
knew him best had any adequate idea of
the force and courage Of the man who
had been selected to preside over that
turbulent house with its bare Republican
majority and its large and determined
minority, which fought him day after
day and resorted to every conceivable
legislative method to thwart his purposes.
Mr.. Reeds title to fame rests upon his
action in the Fifty-first congress of
counting a quorum, of doing away with
the fiction that man could be physical
~ present in the hall Of the house. Of
representatives and at the same time
could be constructively absent. The
absurdity of the fiction for which the
Democrats contended vas illustrated
when Representative McCreary of Ken
lucky shouted out above the din and
confusion of one of the widest scenes
Of the early days Of the congress:
Il deny your right, Mr.. Speaker, to
count me present"
The speaker looked at the irate Ken
tuckian, and witk twinkle Of humor III
his eye, said quietly:
THE chair is merely making a state
ment Of the fact that the gentleman is
present. Does he deny tt"
To Mr.. Reeds unflinching courage in
carrying out the course he had determined
upon in this congress was due the fact
that the slim majority which the Repub-
licans then had was able to do business
at all, and to his insistence upon strict
party discipline in that majority was due
the passage of the measures that had
Ied ermined 1IYo0r w tho n q rfv leaders An.