Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-12-11

ley. Jr., of Ohio and Joseph G. cannon
OF Illinois. republicans; and James n.
Blount Of Georgia and Benton McMillin
of Tennessee, democrats
! Reed. Mckinley and Cannon, heina a
majority OF the committee, always met
in the speakers room alone and drew up
the special orders. The House met at
noon. At Ave minutes before 1, they
would send for the minority members
and record their votes.
One day q messenger was sent for Mr..
McMillin. 1t was a hot day In July. The
speaker sat hanked by Mckinley and
Cannon. All had fans, and Mr.. Reed was
in ncgligee. As NcMillin entered, the
speaker turned to him. saying:
Good morning, Mac: how do you do,
Take a seat Are you feeling pretty we'll
| this morning? ] sent for you Just now to
tell you that Bill, Joe and are going
to perpetrate tho following outrage upon
| you and jim"
Thereupon he read the new special or
der. The reading was hardly concluded
before his messenger opened the door
saying :"It is IL o'clock Mr. Speaker"
Mr.. Reed left the room, numbered along
the corridor. entered the chamber Of the
House and mounted the rostrum. At the
conclusion OF the reading Of the journ al
the new special order under the Reed
rules was brought up and adopted after
20 minutes discussion, all diatory mo-
tons being debarrcd.
After adjournment one day the speaker
sat down at q members desk and became
absorbed in The Amber Witch" q
translation from the German 1t con-
tanned a Biblical reference MIR. Reed
clapped his hands and an old employe
of the House ambled to his side.
What do you WISH Mr.. Speaker" he
asked.
Bring me a copy Of the Sacred Writ
ings." Mr.. Reed grsvely replied. without
raising his eyes from the book.
The venerable employe. not compre-
hending the request. did not stir. He
evidently fancisd that the speaker wanted
Some public document, ana finally re-
peated his question.
Bring me a copy Of the Sacred Writ
ings," said the speaker in the same
monotonous tone of voice. still intently
regarding the prses of his book.
Are there majority and minority re-
asked.
At this Mr.. Reed looked him suuarely
in the face, as though duinfoundea.
II want the Holy Bible, and il there is
a dissenting report you can bring 1t
along he said, and the messenger Ned
TO the library.
His .peakcrshp marked a new era in
the legislative history Of Congress. Be
fore his accession to power in the chair
1t was in the power OF a strong and
determined minority to stop any legis-
lation, and minorities never failed to
use that power.
1t was Mr.. Reeds work to abolish
this usage. but his famous rulings
caused tremendous uprosr in the
House and vigorous applause and pro-
test all over the country.
He was denounced in unm.asureH
terms by opposition papers and speak
ers but the L. S. Supreme Court sus-
A. r,,1t
enunciated in and through them have
been followed by his political opponents,
although with such change In details as
not 70 appear to be an Endorsement Of
the Reed rules" and now no minority
is allowed TO thwart the will of the
majority.
Mr.. Reed was given a complimentary
nomination for the speakorship by the
republicans of the 18th and 5Oth Con
crosses, and when the swing Of the
pendulum brought his party back into
power he was elected speaker on the
first ballot in the 51st Congress
In the first daYs of his administration
of the office great opposition was mani
Tested by the minority to the enforce
n1cnt Of what he insisted was his con-
ettutionaI pover-to count members
who were present in the House as par
tcipatns in 4 vote despite their re-
fussl ia use the pfivilesc.
In February, 1900. the new rules Of
the House sustained him. and set aside
the previous prevailing theory that
silence on The occasion OF vote con-
stituted legal absence and thereby de-
stroyed a quorum.
But even before these rules were
adopted he raised a storm of indiyna-
ton and astounded the democrats by
his extraordinary rulings under gem
eral parliamentary law by which. for
the first time in the history Of the
house, member WAS unseated before
the adoption of the rule. This act was
termed tyranny, usurpAtion and dicta
torship, and ii was charged that Mr.
give the Republican party a working
ma jority.
Mr. Reed was once asked by friend
how he felt wh~n the entire democratic
press Of the country had bounced upon
him, when he was held up as the c4ar"
who was crushing out American popular
government.
"O.' he replied, you mean what
were my feelings while the uproar
about the rules Of the 5lst Congress was
going on, and while the question was in
doubt? We'll. I had no feeling except
that of entire serenity. because I knew
Just what l was going to do if the
House did not sustain me. When a man
has decided upon plan Of action for
either contingency there is no need for
him TO be disturbed. you know"
Asked what he had determined to do
II the House had acted adversely. he re-
piled.
II would simply have loft the chair.
resgning the speakership, and left the
House, resigning my seat in Congress.
There were things that could he done
outside OF political life and ! had mad.
up my mind that II political life consist
ed in sitting helplesslv in the speakers
chair and seeing the majority powerle-s
to pass legislation I had had enough ~
1t and was ready to step down and out"
Mr., Reed deserved the title, the great
more than any other AM
erican, for he exerted all his great powers
TO maintain and extend the authority and
influence of the body Immediately repre-
senting the people, and withstood the en-
greater encroachments of the executive.
HIS STERLING QUALITIES
In private life Thomas Bracket Reed
was one OF the most genial of fellows:
in public life none was more feared for
his powers OF sarcasm and ridicule Still
he was the essence of good nature in
almost everything he said or did. As a
consequence no man in Congress had
more friends on the democratic side and
few had more in the whole House. He
was not overawed by any ridiculous
idea of his own importance, but met the
plainest and most unassuming of men
with as hearty a greeting as he did a /
millionaire senator.
When he rose to his full height. planted
his left foot in his chair, turned hi.
face and bia oh to