The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-12-08
THE MAN AND HIS WORK.
Life and Character of the American
Gar

Thomas Bracket Reed was born
October IS, 1885, in Portland Me, in the
common schools of which city he re-
ceived his early education. In 1860 he
was graduated at Bowdoin, winning one
of the highest hOnorS of the college, the
prize for excellence in English compost
ton. The next four years was spent by
Mr.. Reed in teaching under study of the
law. Before his admission to the bar,
however, he was appointed acting as
sistant paymaster in the United States
navy, serving on the Tennessee, Cum
berland and Mississippi rivers. After
his discharge, in 1865, Mr.. Reed returned
to Portland, passed the bar, and entered
on the practice of his profession. Three
years later he was elected as a Repub-
lfcan to the legislature of the state of
Maine. In 1869 he was reelected to the
house and in 1870 made state senator,
of attorney general of the state the same
year. In September. 1876, he was elect
ed to the forty-nfth congress of the
United States. He took a conspicuous
part in the proceedings of the commit
tee appointed to Investigate the election
of President Hayes, of which he was
one of the minority members In the
fOrty-sixth congress his skill as a de-
batter was recognized, his influence each
year becoming more strongly marked.
The leadership Of his party was finally
conceded to him, and in the fortynintb
and fiftieth congresses the compliment
rendered him by the Republicans. In
the fifty first congress he was elected
speaker on the first ballot. In the fifty
second congress he was reelected
speaker. In the first days of his admin
istratiOn of the office much opposition
was made by the minority to the en-
fOrcement of what Mr.. Reed believed his
constitutional power to count members
present in the house as participating in
a. vote, despite their refusal to use their
privilege. A question of silence on such
occasion constituting legal absence and
the destruction thereby of a quorum
was, however, set at rest by the adoption
of new rules by the house on February
IA, 1880. Mr.. Reed was a candidate for
the Republican nomination for president
before the st. Louis convention in 1896.
Thomas B. Reed served eleven terms
in the national house of representatives
and voluntarily retired from public life
after he had been designated for the
twelfth time to sit in the grand inquest
of the nation. His letter resigning his
seat contains a pregnant sentence, and
one. shame to say, the American elec
torate do not sufficiently appreciate:
office as a ribbon to wear in your coat
is not worthy of consideration, but office
as opportunity is worthy all considera-
ton" That is not the language of a
vain man; no small man could have
uttered it
Party spirit was high in the Forty
fifth congress-it was that bitter day of
/
seated in the White House after a SER
les of circumstances cruelty unfortuit-
Gus from the Democratic standpoint
Randall was speaker; Fernando Wood
was his chief staff-chairman of ways
and means and tttu1ar leader on the
floor. Blaine had entered the senate
and Garfield had succeeded to the actual
/ leadership of the minority though Kel-
/ ley was the nominal leader Nathaniel p
! Banks was on the Democratic side and
| with him were Alexander H Stephens
/ William r. Morrison, S. S. Cox, 7. Proc
tor Knott. Ro@er Q. Mills. Clarkson N.
Potter, John Randolph Tucker. Abram
S Hewitt and others Across the aisle
were Benjamin F. Butler. Omar D. Con-
ger. Joseph G. Cannon Dudley c. Has
kell, Jacob D. Cox. and William Nc
Kinley John G. Carlisle came in the
same day Reed first appeared in that
body. and of the Forty-fifth congress
but four members are on the roll of the
Fifty-seventh congress.
It was during this congress that
Maine contributed the statue of Gov
ernor William King to the National
Nalhalla. Mr. Blaine made a speech in
the severest attack on Massachusetts
since Garrett Davis discussed that sub
ject and gave Henry Wilson a skinning
and 1t may be said for Massachusetts
that Mr. Hoar replied to Mr.. Blaine In
speech that must have been arrinent-
" satisfactory to every son of the old
Bay state. Mr.. Blaine was a great man;
but he was human. Massachusetts
could have given him the nomination
for president in 1876 and maybe it was
/ a somewhat bitter memory of the result
Of the Cincinnati convention that occe-
stoned the speech of the Plumed Knight
in the Forty-ffth congress.
Mr.. Reed made speech in the house
presenting the statue, and it was a
model Like nearly all his public ad-
4 dresses it was short but this was un-
usually br.ef # was said of William
Pitt Fessenden, as it was said of James
Guthrie, that he never consumed more
4 than an hour in the delivery of {
speech a. the bar. in the senate or or
the hustings, and perhaps Reed admire:
Fessenden more than any other Dublit
man he ever met. Perha9s Reed never