The Savannah morning news., 1900-08-06
REED AND THE PRESIDENT.
WHY HE WILL NOT TAKE THE
STUMP FOR MCKINLEY.


Washington, Aug. 9-Former Speaker
Thomas Bracket Reed will not lift his
drawing. nasal, but impressive voice in
behalf of the reelection OF William Nc
Kinley. This statement cannot and will
not be denied. 1t comes direct from a
prominent member of the Republican par
" who is actively engaged in promoting
the interests of Mckinley and Roosevelt
II is sustained by positive declarations on
the subject by the former Speaker him
self. Those who are aware of the real
extent of the feeling existing between Mr.
Reed and President Mckinley have nccer
for moment credited the reports now
current that the former Speaker would
take the stump in behalf of the Republican
ticket during the present campaign,
MIR. Reeds silence during the pending
campaign will be apologized for on the
ground that he differs with the admins
tration on its expansion policy. That.
however. is not the real seat of the diff
Guilty. So deep-seated is Mr.. Reeds per
sonal antipathy towards Mr. Mckinley
that he would perhaps go out of his way
TO give aid and comfort to the political
enemies Of the Republican party by sug
gestion or otherwise rather than lift his
finger 10 promote the success of any pub
lie or private enterprise In which William
Mckinley might be beneficiary.
Why He Hates Mckinley.
Now that Mr.. Reed has publicly with
drawn from politics and is said to be rap
idly accommodating an independent fortune
as advisory counsel to a number of rail-
road. insurance and other corporations, il
is in order to relate a few incidents to
show why the big man from Maine is so
vindictive and almost cruel in his hatred
Of Mckinley. From Mr.. Reeds own lips
fell the most bitter and scathing denun-
citation of William Mckinley when the
latter carried off the presidential nomi-
nation at St Louis, four years ago. 1t
will be remembered that Mr. Reed was
an active, aggressive and confident can
didate for the presidential nomination He
remained in Washington during the con-
vention of 96, but was in direct COM
munication with his political sponsors at
work in St Louis The very few per-
sons who were admitted 10 the then
Speakers private apartments in the
Shoreham Hotel will never forget the in
tensely dramatic scene there enacted
when the information came over the wire
that Mckinley had been nominated.
Mr.. Reeds private office was a long
narrow room on the fourth floor of the
hotel. In one corner was a cylinder-top
desk and a large. well-constructed revolv-
ing chair, capable of holding with per-
feet security the 29S pounds of solid flesh
and bones in addition to a massive and
active brain. The walls were decorated
with political cartoons, the majority of
which had the ex-Speaker as the central
figure. Many of these cartoons were the
original pen and ink sketches of the ar
ar cd
publication. There was a soft and three
additional chairs in the room-more than
enough to accommodate the occupants of
the apartment, when Mr.. Reed, with
burst of indignation, rage, disappointment
and blighted ambition. poured out TRADE
Of personal abuse upon his successful
rival The language he employed to de-
scribe how Mckinley and his managers
had resorted 10 corruption, bribery, du-
plicity, false promises and all the other
crimes known TO the political decalogue
was not at all like the choice epigrammat-
ic and digniied expressions which usually
characterized his utterances On this oc-
casion they were coarse, brutal and even
profane, that they revealed traits of
character in the man which were pre-
viously unknown to some of those pres
ent on that occasion. Not only did he
abuse Mckinley and his managers. but
he also named a number of conspicuous
members of the Republican party in the
South and che West as being traitors 20
his cause and selling themselves and their
influence for dirty money furnished by
Mark Hanna and the great financial cor
porations behind him.
Dramatic Scene.
The scene was intensely dramatic. The
usually white, flabby cheeks and brow of
Mr.. Reed were livid with rage which he
made n he
awkwardly up and down the narrow
room, relieving himself of the bitterness
he entertained for Mckinley and those
who had promoted his nomination.
Time has nos wiped out the hatred
which MIR. Reed entertains for President
Mckinley. During the period Mr. Reed
remained in Congress after McKinley's
election, the former never lost an oppor-
tunsty 10 emphasize his personal hostility
to every project which originated with
the chief executive. he summed the White
House he would ieopard's cave. and
he antagonzed every measure In which
he fancied the President had personal
interest. Those who had Mr.. Reeds con-
fdence know that he was as bitterly op-
posed 20 the United States going to war
with Spain as Senator Hale or any of the
most pronounced Spanish sympathizers.
Fortunately for Mr.. Reed, he positively
and emphatcally declined 10 allow him
self TO be quoted on the subject notwiih-
standing all sorts of ingenious contri-
vances were resorted 20 to exact from
him his views on the then all important
subject.
In this connection, another dramatic in
cident in the little narrow room on the
fourth floor of the Shoreham Hotel might
with propriety be related II was on the
occasion Of the Presidents proclamation
declaring wer against Spain. A Washing
ION correspondent of a well known news
paper was requested to obtain for publ
cation statement or some comments
from Mr.. Reed with regard to the Span
ish war and the Presidents proclama-
ton. MIR. Reed received his visitor with
his usual sarcastic, but none the less
friendly. greeting, and listened with
quzzical smile upon his broad. round face
while the correspondent explained the OBJ
ject Of his mission. As on previous oc-
casions. MIR. Reed declined 10 be inter-
viewed on the subject and with increas-
ing frmness, impressed upon his visitor
his reasons for not desiring TO be quoted
az that particular time. Beng thorough
ay convinced that Mr.. Reed meant what
he said, the correspondent expressed his
regret that the American people were 10
be deprived Of the light which the then
Speaker might thFow upon the subject.
Reed In Fine Rage.
Subsequently Mr.. Reed relented so far
as to say that while he emphatically OBJ
- A.