The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-10-17
Truth aud Nonsense About Reed.


The Washington correspondent Of the
Boston Evening Transcript reports
Hon. Thomas B. Reed as talking freely
to his friends at the capital about his
reasons for quitting public life. The
New York Sun quotes and comments,
to use its own expression:
at was made quite clear by Mr..
Reeds conversation that his retirement
was not due primarily to any profess
sional opportunity which offered itself.
Such opportunities have been open to
him for many years"
True as the Declaration Of Inde-
pendence, says the sun. Mr.. Reed
has remained in public life at the sac
rlhce of professional opportunities. such
as are always open to any lawyer OF
his calibre. That is generally the case
with the ambitious statesman; yet the
choice Of career is not generally de-
void of consideration of self-lnterest.
The correspondent writes:
HE was not victim of political dis
appointment. He long foresaw the I'M
possibility Of his nomination in 1896
but 1t became apparent to him in the
Spanish American war that he could
not continue to occupy the conspicuous
position in the Republican party and
maintain his self-respect."
The Sun is of the opinion that 1t Is
unlikely that Mr.. Reed, either In pr.
vate conversation or primarily for pub
LEGATION. ever said to anybody: III am
not victim of political dlsappoint-
ment." His sense of humor would
not permit so serIo-comlc an an
nouncement to pass his teeth; and, in
the second place, the statement would
not be true" No man who desires
the presidential nomination Of his par
ty and sees it go elsewhere, no leader
who discovers that his views and opln-
Ions on main questions OF party policy
are being rejected enthusiastically,
and almost unanimously; no man who
finds his own constituents at variance
with him on the greatest questions Of
the day can be said truthfully to be
free from political disappointment. OF
course, Mr.. Reed has had political dis
appointment. just as Mr. Blaine expert
enced them before him; and he, proba-
bly, would confess his disappointment
instead Of denying it. as this report rep
resents him as doing.
The correspondent further says: "He
realized that he was in the minority;
that as party leader he would neces-
sarlIy have to become an element Of
dlscord or return summarlly to private
life, apd he chose the latter course"
A course entirely consistent with self
respect and dignity. pursues the Sun.
Reeds position was regretted on many
accounts, but nobody whose opinion is
valuable has ever, so far as we know,
questioned Its proprlety or regarded 1t
as anything but creditable to the ex-
speaker.
The Transcript contributor continues
"The ex-speaker believes that the OUT
come Of the Spanish American war did
not necessarily entail the programme
that has been followed in the Philip
pines"
This the Sun sets down among the
improbable reports of Mr.. Reeds ut
terances. Having delIcately with
drawn to private life. in order that his
dissenting views might not be an en-
barrnssment to the Republican party, Is
it likely that he would emerge so soon
from privacy to reiterate so ostenta-
tIously his opposition to the adminIs-
tratlon and his criticism of Its policy"