Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-05-06

terry Of thslr fundamental truths. afr.
Reed has made very few set speeches.
He had taken u very activc part Va the
routine debate % the House and had
developed the rcmarkable traits OF
leadership which he'd naturally 10 his
selection az speaker Of the Flny-flrat
Congress- which assembled in 1853.
His election u the spcakorFhip WIS
not secured, however. without "a hard
fiEht. His chief opponent WIS William
Mckinley. who had cntCrud Congress
the same day that Mr.. Rood became a
member In is57. They had served to-
gcther on the ways AMI means COM
mittcc and had both tlacn 10 promi-
hence by their crcdltnhlr careers, each
attaining distinction on different lines.
Mr.. Mckinley had devoted HE cntlfe
attention to the study Of the tariff and
had become the spokesman " his par
~ on TINT question. which was cuntin-
uaily before the House IN one form or
another. but In general Leadership he
had not developed those essential quail
files which were 70 markell in Air. Rtcd.
TWO Washington corrcfp
Tho chief features u Speaker Reeds
course In the fifty-ffst C1ngwsa are "a
matlsr ~ history. lie brought about
revolution In the rules of pnriiamcn-
for the responsible majority 10 trans
act the business 81 the House. II had
been porslhic for a single member BY
the use 81 dilntory motions. to block
public business for an Indefinite time.
II had been the rrnctlcc Tor members
IN their seats 10 refrain from voting
In order to break a quorum AR. lice1
Insisted that motions pnin1hly diiatory
should not be rccugrizfd ~ the chair.
and that mcmhcrs Nifhiy present
should be counted o. lfracnt Tor the
purpuac Of making n quorum 60 do
hurlncsr.
Ills purpose 81 counting % quorum
was known only 20 hlmaclt lie tool,
no one into his confidence. u " prob
able that had h. conferred with his
Republican nnHocinten d. would not
have bccn advised 10 take such q radi-
cal departure. hut be- sprung his plan
ulirn tho House and Instantly cvUry
Rcpubicinn member c1mc To HE sup
Tnt. The orcnaion demanded the exc
crvi-- 81 all the qualities ~ successful
leadership. and Il was fullY ana easily
met. IN the exciting rccnps that marked
the daily fcraionH ~ the iiourc Tor
many weeks. Nh Reed displayed great
courage. patience md dilnitN.
Aficrward the United States supreme
court sustained AIR Reed in hin poo
ritlun.
With the return of the Democrats TO
power. he resumed hin place ~ loader
on tho floor. He only emphasized his
isarsfrlon Of all the requirements u
The position. A. tho mixing i,rpub-
litun member NJ the Ways and means
committee he was foremost IN uuuual.
ton 10 the various Democratic PROPOSE
tons concerning questions NJ revenue
and finance. Ills formal speeches on
the tarin and financial hills " the Fif-
ty.HcoJnd and Finy-thir1 Congresses
wen, notable for their power
with the return Of tho Republicans
10 tho control Of tho Fifty-fuurth and
Fifty-nfth Congresses Mr.. Heed was
ngnin chosen Speaker BY common con.
sent. lie stands with four or I'VE
other men In the history u Congress
Who have distinguished themselves a-
great leaders. In romc respects he
fai Hufpasaca them nli. and In no re-
sfeci does he falstrlNp th'at None
has cnuniiod him In tho ability of I'M
pressing his influence upon others or In
IN" puwct ~ ccnqucrlnE the most pow
crfui and Determined Opposition. A.
a parliamentary orator aud debnier he
ranks with the highest u has long
been acknowledged that In the power u
statement he ~ unrisnllcd. Others.
~ ore fortunate In opportunity. have OK
credcd him In the scope ~ their con-
iributiona 10 political history have
originated more impofinni Legislative.
10 n greater number 81 public queE-
lions. u. 4 = 80 49,.
Mr. Reeds orntory Ia forccful and
eloquent. showing complete intellectual
grasp % every subject which u cm-
braces. Hts speeches and addresses
Ia Congress aud elsewhere. reflect all
the characteristics ~ the man. They
are the product Of n philosopher, They
abound In originality and Wit. .,r.
Reeds sense Of humur IL developed to
the last degree. fio always nora things
In their true proportions.
IN the partisan strife of the House
he was not restrained by any specially
tender regard for the rcuHibllitirH %
his opponents, nor noted Tor any par
ticuinr nuavity ~ manner, His dig
nifty and rolf.c0mmnnd. however. were
inynriablc. His reserved power. u
which ~ much has been Justly said.
was always apparent In tho running
hrc Of debate he had no equal nc
always Hrrmcd 10 have the ability ~
fully meeting every occasion without
preparation ~ warning.
Mr Reed ala acquire his great prom
inencc nor riao 10 his position Of power
By any ~ the arts NJ a mere politician.
nor was he assisted by any googfaphi.
cal considerations, Ito utterly lacks
the one. and the other. " they had
operated nc an would have worked
against him. Hut h. has not required
their doubtful support. Ills advance
iuont has been due solely 60 his Hu-
pcrior intellect and force and 10 his
abrolutr honesty and Independence of
character.
Tie common criticism that has been
applied 10 SIR, Heed during his public
life has been that be- lacked habits "
Industry. His exceptional abilities
were conceded hut II was raid that he
had not displayed his talents In the
limo ~ constructive HtnteHmnnnhip,
Nothing could be further from the real
truth. ~ hc said recently, "lhcrr ~
no genius but the genius Of hard work"
Il h quite true that be- has not boon
the author ~ many Important meas
urcs 81 legislation, hut what n Of rruut
consequence. ho has pccn tho means ~
enaoting into laws the billl which
others have drawn.
Hut Il iH very apparent that his OPP
portunitlcn Tor the display of conftruc-
tive statsHmanahip have been rare.
Durlng the twenty-five years OF HIS
service. the House was controlled by
the Democrats Tor fourteen years. In
ak of the other eight years Mr. Reed
was Speaker. leaving him hut two
years on the loor with his own party
In control, In those two years he was
chairman N the judiciary committee.
and the measures which u reported 20
the House were framed under his nu-
porviHion and submitted with his APP
prevail
Tho organisation Of the House IN. of
course la gnfuulrfn uuFapalHou az tho