The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1902-12-12
DEATH OF SPEAKER REED
DISTINGUISHED sTATEsM sUC.
CUMBs AFTER SHORT ILLNESS.
Former Speaker OF the House OF Represen.
tatives Was Confined to His bed hut
Seven Days when he Passed
Peacefully to the Great
Beyond.

Thomas Bracket Reed, former
speaker of the house of representa-
tives, and for many years one of the
most prominent characters in public
life, is dead, his death occurring in
Washington, d. c., at 1910 o'clock
Sunday morning, after a short illness,
the immediate cause of death being
uraemia. At the bedside when he died
we're Mrs. Reed and Miss Katherine
Reed, Doctors Gardner, Mcdonald
Bishop and Goodnow. and the nurses.
Mr. Reed passed away peacefully and
apparently without pain.
Thomas Bracket Reed was born DC.
tober IS, 1889, in Portland, Me-, and
received his early education in the
common schools of that city. In 1860
he was graduated from Bowdoin col
lege, winning one of the highest hon.
ors-the prize for excellence in Eng
fish composition. The next four years
were spent by Mr.. Reed in teaching
and the study of law. Before his ad.
mission to the bar he was appointed
acting assistant paymaster in the
United States navy.
After his discharge in 1865 Mr.
Reed returned to Portland, passed the
bar and entered on the practice of
his profession. Three years later he
was elected as a Republican in the
legislature of the state of Maine. In
1869 he was reelected to the house
and in 1870 made state senator. pass.
ing from the latter position to that of
attorney general of the state the same
year. Retiring from this office after
effective service in 1873, he was then
made solicitor of the city of Port.
land.
In September, 1876 he was elected
TO the Forty-fifth congress of the Unit.
ed States. which assembled in De-
cember, 1877. He Immediately be.
came prominent through a speech, one
of the few formal ones ever delivered
by him, in which he argued against
the payment of damages By the Unit
ed States for injuries received by
William and Mary college at the
hands of United States troops durini
the war The subsequent policy OF
the government in relation to wal
claims was largely determined by the
defeat of this measure, to which Mr..
Reed signally contributed He waa
also one of the minority members ap-
pointed to investigate the election OF
President Hayes in the famous Hayes.
Tilden controversy. His skill as a de.
batter was at once recognized, and his
influence becoming more strongly
marked each year, the leadership OF
his party was finally conceded to him,
and In the Forty ninth and Fiftieth
congresses the complimentary nom<
nation to the speakership was ten.
dered him by the Republicans.
In the Fifty-irst congress. that par.
ty having obtained the ascendancy, he
was elected speaker on the first bal.
lot. In the first days of his admins.
tratien Of the Office much opposition
was made by the minority to the en-.
forcement of what Mr.. Reed believed
his constitutional power, to count
members present in the house as par.
ticipating In vote. despite their re.
fusal to use their privilege. The ques.
tion of silence on such occasion con.
shutting legal absence, and the do
struction thereby of quorum, was.
however. set at rest by the adoption
OF new rules by the house, February
Ia, 1890. In September of the same
year Mr.. Reed was reelected to the
Fffty-second CO ess by large ma,
Jority. Mr. Reed proved himself an
interchangeable worker, even while in
congSss, and aside from his duties az
congressman and speaker he found
time to contribute to several maya.
zines of the day articles pertinent to
the various political and econ. mic
questions which were from time to
time agitatlng the country.