The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1902-12-16
COMMON SENSE

On another occasion while in the full
tide of eloquence Mr.. Reed was inter-
rupted by the late Amos Cummings Of
New York. Reed looked at him in a
fatherly sort of way for moment and
then, with mock pathos, asked, Now,
Amos, must you-must you really get
| your name into my speech-must your"
The theatrical pose and injured ex-
preston set the house in broad grin
at the expense of the New York mem
| Der.
One day when a discussion on pen
sions was dragging its slow length
along Mr.. Reed. who was the very pic
ture of health, amused a coterie of
friends in the cloakroom by giving a
reason why he should have a pension.
1t ran something as follows: 81 had
never been able to make more than
| $500 or 5000 a year. said he, with a
chuckle, It'll | was appointed acting
assistant paymaster of the United
States navy at a salary of $1,40O, with
board, lodgings, uniform and two serv-
aulS " wait OlI nat lu0QCcu ill
extravagant style of living, which l
have kept up ever since and which has
cost me thousands and thousands of
dollars, for which the government
ought in good conscience to compen-
safe me-"
A man of national reputation had oc-
casion some months ago to employ the
services of Mr.. Thomas B. Reed in a
case before the United States supreme
court, says the Saturday Evening Post.
| He met the ex-speaker in New York
and, after concluding the arrangements
for presenting the case for the corpora
ton which he represented, said to him:
And now, Mr.. Reed. should like to
pay you a retaining fee at once"
"Oh. never mind that now" was the
reply. wait until think it over, and
shall write to you"
The man was in Washington when he
received Mr.. Reeds letter. The ex-
speaker began by saying that he was
"a young fellow in the law business
and was afraid of charging too much
0A0 NOhNiuNSN W thot II P4tVOO
wasn't too high he might send that
amount. The rest of the letter was
written in Mr.. Reeds characteristic
style of droll humor
81 wouldn't have baked for a mo-
ment at paying fee of $25, 000," said
the corporation man in telling Of it aft
erward. but | drew a check and wrote
a letter about like this:
Dear Mr. Reed-If the young fellows in
the profession are going to be such bears
in the market, how are the older ones GO
ing to make a living? / have taken the
liberty of tampering with your bill by in
closing check for s., 500.
The next morning the man received
the following telegram:
Washington, D C.-You are altogether
too good for this world. T. B. REED.
Mr.. Reed won the case for the corpo
ration.
A good story is told in West Virginia.
says Cyrus Patterson Jones, involving
two of the former congressman from
the snug little state and Thomas B.
Reed the gigantic ex-speaker The two
West Virginians are Hon. Blackburn
B. Dovener and Hon Romeo Hoyt
Freer Both are small in stature and
wonderfully alike in their. appearance.
Together they went up to the ponder
Gus Maine man to be introduced.
"Humphp said Mr. Reed. is that
the best the Persimmon State can do?''
What do you mean? asked Mr.
Freer.
Nothing" drawled the elephantine
speaker. II was only wondering at the
uniformity of things down your way
/ suppose the horses are all ponies and
the persirnmons all dwarfs''-
"Well" interrupted Mr. Freer there
Is one thing in our favor-the persim-
mon has more taste than the pumpkin
The laugh was ON the speaker. and
he acknowledged 1t by cordially grasp
ing the hands of the Lilliputians and
joining In the merriment.
The speech which opened Mr. Reeds
way to fame was short 1t was deliv-
red not long after he began his career
m congress. He had not up to that
time taken much part in debate, but
one day while he was making a some
what labored argument an older mem
Der tried to break him UP by putting a
question to him suddenly and demand
ing an immediate answer. Reed gave
the answer readily. Then he paused,
turned toward the speakers desk and
drawled out:
And now. having embalmed that fly
in the liquid amber of my remarks, l
will go on again."
The house roared. The galleries took
It up. The newspaper correspondents
sent 1t flying all over the country, and
to his own surprise more than any
one else's Reed found himself man of
note from that hour.
If ex-Speaker Reeds epigrams and
scattered witticisms thrown off In the
rough and tumble debates In the house
or at dinners or in chats at the club
could be compiled. they would make
a unique and valuable collection. He
has coined many phrases which will
live forever In our political nomencla-
ture, and here are two of the best
known of them:
"a statesman is a politician who is
dead"
''Fhe senate is place that good rep
resentatives go TO when they die"
One of Reeds replies to the late Rep
resentatfve Springer of Illinois, who |
received many sharp thrust from |
him, is also celebrated. Springer had |
retorted to Reed on one occasion that |
he would rather be right than be
nrasidant"