The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-07
EX-SPEAKER T. B. REED DEAD.

EX-SPEAKER I. B. REED DEAD.
CONCLUDED FROM FIRST PAGE)
mittee met again on Monday his perjuries
had been spread broadcast throughout the
| land Republicans were in dismay, but by
| wednesday the scene had changed; the Re-
Rublicans were riding on the crest and the
| Democrats were in the depths In a cross
| examination which lasted two days Mr.
| Reed succeeded in utterly demolishing the
| edifce of lies that Anderson had built with
| Infinite care and pains. The latter's re-
| ward was to be called "a liar and vaga-
bond In the report of the majority of the
Mr.. Reed was also prominent in the
| cross-examination of Samuel j. Tilden,
Smith M Weed. Manton Marble and Col.
! Pelton, Mr.. Tildens poor, dependent
nephew. who had offered thousands of dol
lars for electoral votes with the sang froid
OF a Monte Cristo. That was a week of
marked to Tribune correspondent Mr..
Reeds trenchant style is plainly percep-
tioie In the published report of the Views
this reference TO Manton Marble: HE had
! written the Ark and Shekinah letter, and
mad otherwise conducted himself loftily be-
| avoid an attempt to preserve himself II
was not for him to take the bold position
OF Mr.. Smith Weed that il was right to
rescue stolen goods from robbers Such
an ark OF refuge would have wrecked him
| long before reaching Ararat"
Mr.. Reed had fairly won his spurs in
| the forty-nfth Congress- and in the Forty
sixth he was promoted TO the judiciary
committee, of which he became chairman
In the Forty-seventh Congress. In that
capacity he distinguished himself by bring
Ing In and carrying through the House of
Representatives BILL which became law
providing for the establishment of the
| Court or Alabama Claims and for the dis
| tribution of the balance of the Geneva
award thus settling a fierce contention that
mad vexed Congress for number of years.
chairman Reed also submitted several re-
ports on bills relating to the forfeiture
| OF grants of public lands to aid i'm the con-
Struction of the Northern Pacific Texas q
racine ana number of other railroads
ana the legal propositions laid down i'm
tnose reports have been uniformly upheld
ing the Supreme Court
IN the next three Congresses the House
OF Representatives was controlled by the
democrats, and Mr.. Reed became the rec
ognlzed leader of the minority. He was the
nominee of the Republican caucus for
speaker IN 1885 and again in 1887 and i'm
IsSs ne was nominated and elected speaker
or the House of Representatives of the
rHty-nrst Congress.
MR.. REED AS SPEAKER
When Mr.. Reed entered upon his duties
as speaker he found himself at the head
OF narrow majority, which was confront
ed oy strong minority ready and deter
mined to do everything in it's power to
oDstruct and thwart the will of the ma
Jorlty. The situation was a most perpIex-
ing one, and to many the difficulties seemed
insurmountable. Not so to the new sneak
er He had been a thorough student and
had mastered the general principles of
parliamentary law, and he possessed the
courage and frmness to apply them to the
existing emergency and enforce them
When the session was nearly two months
old, and after the Democrats had shown
In every conceivable manner their deter
mination not 10 allow any business ia he
voting quorum of Republicans, the sneaker
determined that the time for him to act had
arrived. '-e'O
In order to complete the quorum on n
yea and nay vote he directed the clerk to
record the names of a number of Demo-
Gratis who were present and had refused
TO respond when their names were called
The scene that followed is indescribable
In an instant the Democratic doctrine
Whlcn virtually gave the minority power
to rule the majority was overturned and
shattered, and in a second the Democrats
membership became a wild, bowling, half
frenzied mob. which the speaker faced
with unruffied cOmposure gavel i'm hand
The scenes of that day were re-enacted
many times during the next fortnight and
the country, as well the Hall of Rem
reSenlauVes; rang with vituperative and
vehement denunciatiOn of Gar Reed.
but ne Needed them not. His triumph and
Vlndication at the hands Of the Democrats
came four years later, when they heinp
then in control of the House of Representa.
tlyes, adopted the quorum-counting rule.
=
action of Speaker Reed had been sustained
before that, however, by the supreme
Court of the United States. Twelve years
nave passed since the majority of the
House was ernanciDated from the bondage
OF minority rule by the bold act of firm
and COURAGEOUS speaker. and the member
ana propose 10 restore the old order NJ
things would be regarded with plying de-
rision. ~
ABLE LEADER OF MINORITY.
In the Fifty-second and Fifty-third Con-
crosses the Democrats again controlled the
House of Representatives, and again Mr..
Reed headed the minority both on the floor
and in the committee of ways and means
TO which he had first been assigned by
Speaker Carlisle in the Forty-ninth Con-
sress. OF Mr. Reeds efficiency. power and |
resourcefulness as the leader of a minority
it is hardly necessary to speak Those and |
other qualities endeared him to his party
associates and commanded their loval ana |
untalterlng support in every emergency |
while they at the same time extorted re- |
luctant tributes of admiration from his |
party foes No other member of the House /
or Representatives since James G. Blaine |
left II welded so powerful an influence
over his party in that BODY or did so much /
toward shaping and controlling its policies |
as Thomas Is. Reed whether as speaker /
or as leader of the minority
II was his powerful influence as sneaker
IA low "HiSH prevented the passage of a l
free-siiver coinage bill by the House of |
Representatives. and again i'm ls93 II vae
his powerful influence as leader OF the Re-
publican minority which held his party al
most soiidiy IN opposition TO every attempt
10 debase the coinage and thrust the conn
try upon silver basis. AS leader OF the
minority OF the ways and means COMMITTEES
OF the Fffty-third Congress he drew that
part OF the protest of the Republican mem
bers against the Wilson bin which dis
cussed and exposed the general features
OF that measure, and the speech delivered
by him In the House I'm closing the debate |
on that bin In behalf OF the minority was
and Is generally regarded by every body COM
Detent TO express an opinion on the subject !