The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1902-12-12
Ex-sPEAKER REED DEAD.

: atives, and for many years prom
nent in public life, died in Wash
ington Sunday morning at 1Oo'cloc
: IL his apartments at the Arlington
hctt |.
Mr. Reed went to Washington OF
+his oecas. on to attend to some mat
ters in the Omitted States Supreme
Court. He was at the capitol Mon
day visiting withfriends and former
associates in Congress, and wit
messed the converting of the second
session. Apparently he was enjoy
ing good health, but later in the
day he called on DIR. f. A. Gardner
and complained of gastric distress.
The following day he remained in
bed while diagnosis was made OF
his condition. He was strongly
averse to staying in bed, but rise
in temperature made it imperative
that he remain quiet. Symptoms
of appendicitis appeared, and later
kidney trouble developed and ensu-
ed in his death.
Thomas B. Reed was Speaker for
six years and Congressman from
the Portland district of Maine from
1877 until 1899, for many years of
which he was the leader of the Re-
publicans in the House. AS Speaker
he made his great reputation, for
by his parliamentary methods,
which became known as the Creed
rules, he was able to make the will
Of the majority effective.
He was born in Portland, Me-,
where his ancestors lived for eight
generations, on October 13, 1889; at
tended the public schools and work
ed his way through college by teach
ing in vacation time. He was grad
uated from Bowdoin college in 1860,
ranking among the six honor men
OF his class, and spent the next two
years in teaching and studying law.
One phase of his college course
troubled him. He was an earnest
worker in the State Street Con-
gregational Church, and his father
wished him to study to enter the
ministry. The women of the
church raised money to help him
through college. The acceptance
of this aid bothered him after he
had graduated, as the ministry
was distasteful and he wanted to
become lawyer.
By teaching school he managed
to make money enough to pay
back the money given him by the
women OF the church, but they
misunderstood the motive which
prompted him and his name
was dropped from the church.
That action stung Mr.. Reed to
such an extent that he never joined
another church, though both in
Portland and Washington he at
tended services regularly.
General Francis Fessenden be-
came interested in Reed, and had
him placed in the law Office of
Judge Strout. But before Reed
finished his study of law he went
to California, spent year there,
and was admitted to the bar.
At the time when he took his
bar examination, in 1864, the legal
tender act was much discussed,
in California, where a
gold basis was maintained in spite
of legal tenders. Of Mr.. Reeds
examination this story is told;
Judge Wallace, afterward chief |
justice of California, was the COM
mittee who examined him for
admission, and while Reed was
studying Wallace dropped in one
day and said:
"Mr. 8fed, I understand that
you w to be admitted to the
bar"
Reed said that was so.
"Well,' said Wallace, 81 have
one question to ask you. Is the
legal tender act constitutional"
Yes, sir" was the answer.
you're admitted" said the
Judge. Tom Bodley answered
mo to the same question today. |
but we shall admit you both. Any
one who can answer offhand a
question like that ought to practice
law in this country.
Early in 1864 Mr.. Reed returned |
to Portland, and in April he
entered the navy as assistant pay
master. He was assigned to duty
on the ''tinclad" Sybil, which did
duty on the Tennessee, Cumberland