The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-12-08
" A Great Man Gone.

It is probable that the first thought that
came to the minds of most Intelligent
readers Of news when they saw: that
Thomas 8. Reed was dead was that a
really great man had been gathered to- his
fathers. The central figure of the great
struggle for the adoption of Reed rules in
the house of representatives and the stern
administrator Of those rules, no man ever
accused Tom Reed of lack Of ability. 1t
was the mans impressive greatness that
inspired much of the bitterness against
him. There was something about his
calm, massive and vigorous nature that
was intensely exasperating to all who
came in conflict with it.. >.. b.. .:9.-.'a,
Tom Reed will have a great place in
American history as a constructive states
man. His work in making the house
business body instead of the deliberative
body it once was will stand for all time.
There may be and doubtless should be
some reaction against the abuse of his
rules to the point Of practical suppression
Of debate and the RELOCATION Of the deter
nina ton Of legislation to committee of
jority party will not long submit to such
autocratic rule. We may expect in the
future to see the party caucus play a
larger part in determining the course of
legislation. But this Reed did, and it
will never be undone:. He made majority
rule in the lower house Of congress a vital
fact. Since his time such rule has been
no vague theory, but a stubborn condition
He took a long step forward in locating
responsibility in congress- Now, ifcon-
gress fails to act in response to party
pledges or the popular will, the respon-
sibility can be located. 1t may be i'm
possible to place it at the door of in
dividuals, but that 1t lies with the ma
jority party there can be no question:.
With the Reed rules business can be
transacted rapidly with the smallest Of
majorities. H
| Without Reed we might have had the
Reed rules or their equivalent, but again
we might not. The personality of such
man in such turbulent struggle as
| that which gave us the rules counts for
| much. We can not recall that there was
then or has been since any member who
was Reeds equal in GOODNESS, precision of
Judgment, amiliarity with parliamentary
procedure and inflexibility of will.
Mr.. Reeds resignation from the speak
ship has always been much Of a mys-
terry. Perhaps he felt that the time was
coming when he might have to fight
for the place, for he was not always a
fair man, and was gradually accumula-
ting in his party a mass Of enemies who
had felt the sting of his sarcasm or the
bludgeon Of his contemptuous opposition.
Perhaps he felt himself out Of joint with
4 the times; it is well known that he was
utterly out Of sympathy with the expan-
sion policy that the republic has pur-
sued since the war with Spain. A
/ theory that has a pathetic interest is
that he knew that he was in the coils
Of deadly disease and heroically with
drew from the public. life that must have
been SO fascinating to :, man Of his parts
to the humber task OF earning a little
money to provide for his family against
the evil day that was coming.
This explanation reminds us of Reeds
stern integrity. Twenty years in con.
gress had left him a poor man, and nc
breath Of suspicion was ever cast upor
{, his reputation for integrity. With :