The Somerset reporter., 1902-12-11
Death of MIR. Reed.

Thomas Bracket Reed, former Speak
er Of the House of X representatives. and,
for many years prominent In public life,
died at Washington, Sunday morning at
1910 O'Clock in his apartments in the
Arlington hotel. The immediate cause
of death was uraemia.
Mr.. Reed reached Washington, Nov.
80, having gone to attend to some mat
tiers in the United States Supreme court.
He WAS at the Capitol, Monday, visiting
with friends and former associates in
Congress, and witnessed the converting
of the second session of the 57th Con-
gress. Apparently he WAS enjoying
good health, but later in the day, he
called on DR.. F. A. Gardner and com
planned of gastric distress. The follow
ing day his physicians compelled him to
remain in bed while a diagnosis was
made of his condition. Symptoms of
appendicitis appeared, though his con-
dition WAS not considered alarming.
Mrs. Reed and her daughter, Miss
kitte, arrived at Washington, Wednes-
day, and remained with Mr.. Reed at the
Arlington hotel until his death.
Thomas Bracket Reed was the son of
Thomas Bracket and Matilda (Mitcheli)
Reed. he was direct lineal descend
ant of George Cleeye, the first settler of
Portland, then Falmouth, and Anthony
Brackett Of Portsmouth. He WAS born
October 13, 1889, In house on Hancock
street, close to the house where the poet
Longfellow first saw the light. He was
educated in the public schools of the
oitv and anfarad Rnuydoio aollana In,
| 1856. In his class were many young
men who have since won distinction In
various departments of life.
Mr.. Reeds political career began In
| 1867 when he was elected a member of
the Maine House of Representatives
| from Portland. He served on the Judi
ciary committee and it was largely due
| to his efforts that the Superior court was
established 10 Cumberland county.
After serving two terms in the House
he was elected to the Senate from Cum
berland county, and while a Senator was
| chosen to the office of attorney general,
his competitors being Harris NJ. Plaisted
and Edwin B. Smith, both of whom
were men of distinction. He was but
80 years old when he was elected to this
office, the youngest man that had ever
held it.
It was in 1876 that Mr.. Reed first en-
| tered national politics, when he became
a candidate for the Republican nomina-
| ton to Congress against the Hon. John
| HI. Burlegh of South Berwick, the then
member from the first district. He
served continuously In the House until
he resigned in 1885, receiving the Re-
publican nomination each successive
congress- 60. 60.
The House of Representatives of the
51st Congress, which met in December
of '9s (but which was chosen in the
election of '9S, when Harrison was elect
ed President,) had a small Republican
majority of the members certified as
elected. Mr.. Reed, as the leader of his
party, as its candidate on two occasions
for Speaker of the House naturally be.
came a candidate for the Republican
nomination for Speaker, but he did not
get it without a contest. There were
other ambitious men who coveted this
great place, and Mckinley and Cannon
both entered the lists. 1t Is we'll known
to everyone that Mr.. Reed was trl
umphantly elected and it is with this
portion of his career that the American
people are most familiar. Ii was early
In this Congress that Mr.. Reed did the
one particular thing which has given him
his greatest political celebrity. He
counted a quorum. For years it has been
the custom Of the House OF Representa-
tives to ascertain the presence of men,
Der by calling his name. IL he answered
to his name he was present. IL he did
not answer he was not present, although
he might be sitting in his seat on the
floor of Congress. The refusal to answer
to his name gave every member of the
House the power to indulge in what has
been known in parliamentary tactics as
tilibustering.
| Mr.. Reed had gone on record as being
opposed to these tactics of obstruction,
but 1t is probable that few, II any, OF
the members of the House knew wher
Mr.. Reed was elected Speaker that h
was going to cast presidents to the wind
aud to embark In something absoutel,
new and revolutionary in the matter o.
parliamentary procedure In the House.
| 1t was on February 20, 1890, that MI.
Reed first counted quorum. Their,
we're not Republicans enough present to
constitute a quorum, which is, of course,
one more than half the number of mem.
bers Of the House. Sickness and absence
had reduced the Republican membership
below that point, and when the roll call
disclosed that fact there was a hush IN
the House and moment of great ex
|pectancy. Mr.. Reed counted a quorun
from Democrats present and thus was
the dead lock broken. Finally, the rules
of the House of Representatives were
adoped, and these rules gave the Speaker,