Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-12-17

experience Then he went TO California
for year, and was admitted to the bar,
but he found he liked Maine better. He
returned home, and toward the end of
the Civil War served year in the navy
as Acting Assistant Paymaster.
Begins Practice of Law.
Ee the.. began to practice law in
p )rtland, and in the course 4 two years
he made himself we'll enough thought of
to secure for himself nomination to
the tower branch of the Name Legisla-
ture. He was elected, and it is nota-
bic fact that ever after that time until
his voluntary retirement in 1899 he had
always a public Office of some kind to
fill. Two terms in the Legislature were
followed by term in the Senate, and
three years as Attorney General of the
State. He then became solicitor for the
city of Portland
His twenty-five years of continuous
service in Congress began in 1877 The
preceding year after a hot struggle in
the party convention. he had secured the
nomination and had won his district by
1,200 votes. His denomination for term
after term was always unanimous, ard
only once did he have real fight for
election, and that was in 1880, when
the neutrality-suspicious. movement
was exceedingly strong in Maine.
The next three Congresses were all
Democratic. and Mr. Reed became the
recognized leader of the minority, twice
receiving the Republican caucus nopli-
nation for Speaker In 1889, however,
the political whir had come, and Mr..
Reed was elected Speaker for the House
in the Fifty first Congress.
Faces Hard Problem.
His situation Mas riost perplexing
one. His party was in control by a mar
row majority. and the opposition was
strong and determined. The difficulties
might well have seemed insurmountable.
but Mr.. Reed had the knowledge and
the courage combined TO enable him to
become master. Democratic obstruc-
ton was the thing that he had first TO
throttle. He did it to start with by his
famous reversal of the long-standing rule
of the House in regard to quoruns.
The custom had heen to make use of
the fiction that Congressman present
in the room was not present at roll call
unless he chose to answer. In this way
the opposition could block action, al
though its members we're present watch
ing every move in the game.
Gear" Reed simply ordered the clerl,
one day to record as present all the
Democrats who were in the room and
who had refused to answer to roll call.
Then pandemonium began.
The Democratic side of the House
was in an uproar but Speaker Reed,
gavel in hand, did not lose his temper.
Il deny your right, Mr.. Speaker, to
tive McCreary of Kentucky
Mr.. Reed answered: THE chair is
merely making n statement of the fact
that the gentlemen is present. Does be
deny it,
For two days he refused to permit an
appeal to the House from his decision,
but when the appeal came he was Sis
tanned, and SO thoroughly did he make
his point that in succeeding Congresses
with the Democrats III power his rule
was maintained.
The victory on this point Established
the right of the majority to transact
business, and more than that, it nnde
the majority assume full responsibility
for the way in which it exercised its
power.
Mr. Reed was one Of the noted figures
Of American politics If his name not
enrolled on the list Of the q untry's great
statesmen there viii certainly be no one
to dispute his claim to a place among
those who in their day and generation
exercised powerful influence over their
fniI.t,v.