Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1902-12-16

experience. Then he went to California
| for year, and was admitted to the har,
but he found he liked Maine better He
returned home, and toward the END Of
the Civil War served d year in the navy
as Acting Assistant Paymaster
Begins Practice of Law.
lie then began to practice law In
Portland, and in the course of two years
he made himself well enough thoughE of
| TO secure for himself nominations to
the lower branch of tile Maine Legisla-
ture. He was elected, ard it is a n9ta-
BILE fact that ever after shat time until
his voluntary retirement in 1899 he dad
always a public Office of some kind to
FILL Two terms in the Legislature We're
followed by a term i'm, tie Senate, and
three years as Attorney General of sho
State. He then became solicitor for fhe
city of Portland.
His twenty-five years of continuous
service in Congress began in 1877 Che
preceding year after al hot struggle IN
the party convention, h6 had secured lbe
nomination and had wen his district by
1920 votes. His reorganization for team.
after term was always unanimous, eEd
only once did he have a real fight Cor
election, and that was ia 1880, when
the Democratic-greenback movement
was exceedingly strong in Maine.
The next three Congresses were all
Democratic, and Mr.. Reed became the
recognized leader Of tho minority, twice
receiving the Republican caucus noIli-
nation for Speaker. LII 1889, however,
the political whirl had come, and Mr..
Reed was elected Speaker for the House
in the Fifty-frst Congress.
Faces Hard Problem.
His situation was most perpiexing
one. His party was in control by a mar
row majority, and the opposition wa.i
strong and determined The difficulties
might well have seemed insurmountalde,
but dr. Reed had the knowledge and
the courage combined tD enable him to
become master. Democratic obstruc-
ton was the thing that he had first 40
throttle. He did it to start with by Els
famous reversal of the lqng-standing rule
of the House in regard 70 quorums.
The custom had been to make use 0f
the fiction that a Congressman present
in the room was not present at roll cell
unless he chose to answer. In this way
the opposition could block action, a.
though its members were present watch
ing every move in the game.
Car" Reed simply ordered the clerk
one day to record as present all the
Democrats who were IN the room ard
who had refused to answer to roll caEl
Then pandemonium began.
The Democratic side Of the House
was in an uproar, but Speaker Ree5l,
gayel in hand, did not lose his temper.
Il deny your right. Mr.. Speaker, so
count me present. shouted Represent1-
tive McCreary Of Kentucky
Mr.. Reed answered: "'rhe chair is
merely making statement Of the fact
that the gentlemen is present. Does he
deny itT'
For two days he refused TO permit "a
appeal to the House from his decisioB
but when the appeal came be was sua-
tanned, and so thoroughly lid he make
his point that in succeeding Congresses
with the Democrats in power his rule
was maintained.
The victory on this paint established
the right Of the majority to transact
business, aud more than that, it made
the majority assume fn,I responsibility
for the way IN which 1t exercised its
power.
Mr.. Reed was sae of the noted figures
Of American politics II his name n9l
enrolled on the list Of thecoantry's great
statesmen. there viii cert1inly be no one
70 dispute his claim to h place among
those who in their day and generation
exercised powerful inaliencn over theis
fellows