The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-20
REED TO Retire.
Speaker Will Resign
Seat in House to
Practice Law.
JUST ANNOUNCED.
Distinguished Career and
Political Services of
Maine Statesman.

New York, April 19.-At the office Of
the law firm of Simpson, Thatcher &
Barnum of this city it was announced
today that Speaker Thomas B. Reed
of Maine had decided to become mem
Der of that firm upon his return from
trip to Europe, on which he will start
in a few days. Mr. Reed was seen TINS
afternoon at the Hotel Manhattan,
where he is staying pending his depar-
ture for European trip. One of the
partners in the firm, Mr.. Barnum, said
earlier in the day that he could not
say whether Mr.. Reed would resign
from congress, but he thought that
such action would be natural Sc
quence.
When asked if he would tender his
resignation to the House, Mr.. Reed
said; Il would rather not talk on that
subject, in fact, l have not given the
matter any consideration as yet" The
speaker declined to talk about his bus
mess transactions or intentions, and
was equally reticent as to whether he
would take up his residence in this city
after his return from Europe where
he intends to pass the greater part of
the coming summer.
1T is step not lightly to be taken,"
one of Mr.. Reeds personal friends said
last night, for him to resign his seat in
congress and an almost sure reelection
to the speakership, and to leave the
city of his birth and the constituents
he has served so long. Yet, they say,
it is time he was making some money.
He is go years old. He is graduate of
Bowdcin college, studied law imme-
diately after leaving college, in 1860, and
was acting assistant paymaster in the
United States navy from April 10, 1864
to Nov. 4, 1865"
Mr.. Reed was admitted to the bar in
1855 and began practice at Portland;
was a member of the Maine House of
Representatives in 186S-69, and of the
Maine senate in 1870. He was attorney
general of the Pine Tree state in 1870.
II and "; was city solicitor of Port
land in 1874 rs, '76 and II; was elected
from the Portland district, which in
cludes the counties of Cumberland and
York, with population of 200 to the
forty-fifth, forty-sixth, forty-seventh,
forty-eighth, forty ninth, fiftieth, ffty-
first f1fty-second, fifty-third, fifty
fourth. and fifty-fifth congresses, and
last fall was reelected to the coming
fiftY-siXth congress of the United
States. He was elected speaker of the
House of Representatives on Dec. 2
1889, and on Dec. 2, 1895
The fight for the speakership will be-
gin at once. A majority of the New
York congressman. it is said, will pre-
sent the name of James Schoolcraft
Sherman of Utica as their candidate for
speaker, although Serene E. Payne OF
Auburn seems 10 believe that, as the
successor of the Nlate Nelson Dinglev
Jr.. of Maine, as chairman of the ways
and means committee, he should be
New Yorks candidate. Ohio will pre-
sent the name of Gen. Charles Henry
Grosvenor. and Illinois has two candi-
dates Albert j. Hopkins of the eighth
district and Joseph G. Cannon of the
twelfth. Iowa also has a couple of can
didates-DaYid Bremen Henderson of
the third district. and William Peters
Hepburn of the eighth.