Mexico weekly ledger., 1899-06-22
CHAMP aARES LETTER
Tom Reeds Chance For
the Presidency.
WILL PROBABLY BE IN 1904
In Any Event He WIN Remain
a Historic Character.
EXAMPLES OF BIS READY WIT.

Notable Passages at Arms on the
Floor OF the House Rennllea-caus-
tie rhsnEs which conxresnmen
said 60 one Anosher-A Jovial Per-
son In Private Life-How a Sly Man
From ohio Came to Grief-rnt with
Jerry simpson.
Especial washington letter.
II Il be true that the Hon. Thomas
Bracket Reed intends to resign his
place In the house end 90 to New York
to practice law, itstin remains problem
atical whether his political career is
closed. II is safe 10 assume that when
the ambition to be president once en-
tiers a mans head II remains there I'M
til he Is dead I believe that Mr.. Reed
increases ms chances to be president
by removing to Gotham.
II anything should happen to ma
terially diminish the popularity Of
President Mckinley, Reed will be
nominated In 1900. Failing that. he
will probably appear in the national
convention Of 1904 as the favorite son
Of New York and bag the nomination
easily. That will probably be his last
chance, for he will then be s.. and
only two men have been elected the
first time when past 05-General Will
liam Henry Harrison and James Buch-
anan. Harrison died within n month
after his Inauguration, and Buchanan
was clearly In his dotage during the
latter half Of his term.
These facts have established a sort of
age limit, and, while Mr.. Reed at the
age Of 90 will probably be in the full
possession Of his mental faculties, the
chances are that he win not get the
nomination in 1908 unless he gets it in
1904. But even if he never secures a
presidential nomination he will forever
remain a great historic character. It
is chiefly as speaker that he will be re-
membered, for be unquestionably be-
longs to the small group of really great
speakers A man may be a great man
and yet not be a great speaker, and
vice versa. Mr.. Reeds fame as a speak
er has to a very large extent over
Swallowed his fame as leader of the
minority, although he was as great ON
the floor as in the chair. In both posi-
tions he is an object of intense interest
to Democrats as well as to Republic
ans.
When a man hasn't ingenuity enough
TO invent a witticism or bit Of humor
himself and hasn't heart enough to en-
joy II when originated by others, he
writes the wit or humorist down as a
fool That Is the billiards argument
against brilliancy.
II would require vast audacity TO
deny 10 Nj. Reed brightness and
strength Of mind. and yet there is moth
ing on earth that he would not Jest
about He does not spare even his own
personal appearance. One evening he
was dining at a swell Washington res
taurant. A newspaper correspondents.
desiring TO see him on important bust
ness. peered into the dining ROOM, but
did not recognize him. The landlord
went in and brought Mr.. Reed ont,
whereupon the scribe said, ~ sa,S you
IN there, but .siatook you for Pr sident
Cleveland. Reed, solemn as al, owl,
replied. "For heavens cake, nevV let
Cleveland know that, for he is too vain
Of his beauty now"
The qualities which give Reed his
immense power in the house are hfs
readiness at repartee and his biting
sarcasm.
Tom Marshall described old Ben
Hardin as q kitchen knife whetted on a
brickbat.
Reed is a sort OF combination rasp,
Damascus blade and blndgeon. Meta
phorically speaking, sometimes be rubs
the skin of, sometimes he cuts to the
bone, and sometimes ne brushes in a
skull as though it were an eggshell.
For instance, day be was making
a speech, and, as usual. faying the
Democrats, when Anderson Of West
Virginia, a handsome and highly re-
spectacle member Of six years service,
without rising from his seat, logged
his memory about something he did
when Speaker. Reed paused long enough
to attract the attention Of everybody,
and then, with his most exasperating
nasal twang, said, yesterday I had a
discussion with Mr.. Wilson, the head
Of the West Virginia delegation. and
today, however unpleasant il may be,
I suppose ] will be compelled to have a
discussion with the tail Of the West
Virginia delegation"
OF course the house roared. II
couldn't help itself. Such a shot at
point blank range would place any man
in Christendom hors de c~ombat--tem-
porarily ct least.
Passages at Arms
On another occasion, while in the
full tide OF e~loquence, Mr.. Reed was
interrupted by the redoubtable Amos
Cummings Of New York. Reed looked
at him in a fatherly sort of way for a
moment and then, with mock pathos,
asked, 'Now, Amos, must you, must
yon really get your name into my
speech-must your" The theatrical
pose and injured expression set the
house in a broad grin at the expense Of
the bravest Of the Tammany braves.
During the discussion Of the Carlisle
bill John De Witt Warner made a furi-