Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-01-15
THE SPEAKER AN UNCOMPROMIsING
ANTI-ExPANsIONIsT
WANTS NO "YELLOW BELLIES"
MANY AMUSING STORIES TOLD OF
HIS OPPOSITION.
Refu.es to Recognize Representative.
:. With Bill Calling for Cash, Be-
cuuse .We Need All the
Money We Can Raise
to Buy Mnlays.''

WASHINGTON, Jan. II. - Especially
Speaker Reed is an anti-eXpa nsionist with
q ven yeance. and several RICH stories are
current in the house lobbies illustrative Of
his rad zeal opposition to annexation of OUT
lying territory. Mr.. Reeds views seldom
fail of the element OF wit which enters into
his discu ssion of the question. and the only
pity is that some of his best stories are
hedged in by conditions which makes it
unparliamantary to insert them in print.
People here may be eXpansionists or they
may be aItti-expansionists, but there Is
that about The wonderful man from Maine
that makes people handy his anecdotal
stories about with the relish that curries Of
hearty enjoyment, whether the arrows Of
his wit pierce them or not. His best friends
are eXpausionasts, and some of those VINO
love him least are with him on a platform
against the proposition. Both alike laugh
at his quaint stories.
A short time ago there was a proposition
before the house to appropriate sS5O,0O0 for
an exposition at Philadelphia. The measure
precipitated an acrimonious debate, but
after a long wrangle the bin passed the
house. In the latter stages of the debate,
while Reed was presiding, he motioned to
Representative Adams. Of Pennsylvania,
who was sponsor for the bill, and who
happened to be standing near the speakers 3
chair. Adams stepped up close and Reed
drawled solemnly into his ear:
Say. BERTHE, you better look out or the
president will veto your BILL
"Why?" asked Adams. in astonishment.
why" drawled Reed. your bill pro-
yides for an appropriation of $35000o, and
he could buy 10000 Malays with that much
money"
Reed says. with a touch Of the pathetic
in his voice when he says it. that for years
he has been holding the house down to the
most rigid economy, and erecting g. tomb
stone to his popularity because OF his uE-
willingness to appropriate money Tor the
manifold schemes proposed in the house.
and now he sees the fruit OF his scrimping
and economy wasted in the acquisition OF
.yellow bellies" and other fndigestible ele-
! nents of unregenerate mankind.
1t is almost of daily recurrence that some
member of the house comes to him with a
request for recognition for a bill in which
! his constituents are deeply interested.
docs it carry an appropriation" is the
| speakers stereotyped query these days.
"Oh, few thousand dollars Is the usual
reply.
..Then I'm sorry I can't recognize you,"
| REPLIES the car. 1--WE need all the money
! we can raise to buy Malays."
| He expressed some regret the other
day to Uncle Joe Cannon. chairman of tho
; committee on appropriations, that he had
| so long labored in admonishing the house
! to the practice of economy when the only
| end attained was that 1t enabled the presi-
| dent to increase his holdings of yellow
| bellies at 81 a head.
| During the late recess the speaker was
travelling on a railway train, when one OF
the passengers who knew Reed by sight
| approached him and started conversation
j on the annexation of the Philippines.
| "Are you an anneXationist. Mr.. Reed?'
asked the traveller, innocently.
| "Oh, yes" drawled Reed in reply; I'm
in favor of annexing the Philippines. Porto
Rico and Cuba. 1t will be an immense
thing for our export trade, especially in
the canned goods line. We shall then be
in position to supply all the natives with
canned beef. canned fruits and canned lib.
| erty."
But many of Reeds best anti-annexa-
ton anecdotes lose their point because they
are the products of conditions and circunl.
stances that cannot be translated into cold
type. , A.. uss+o ,o,,,ou ,,.,,
was defeated in 1896, but reelected last fall
paid his respects to the speaker in the lat
ter's room at the capitol. This member
has pet project providing for a sweeping
Of eStng laws f9r the Sat benefit
he was conspicuously identified In the
! Fifty-fourth congress. 1t involves a large
grant of land from the public ID domain. m
first words he addressed to the member
as he entered the room.
Hang expansion, said the member; ~
"oh" exclaimed the, speaker. you are
for spoliation nearer home.
err enlivens the situation with regard to the
question whether We shall expand or shall
not expand. as from day to day the issue
uble in the discussion of its merits AND
demerfts. FRED F. SCHRADER.