Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-12-08

| Congress he was chairman of the Ju-
dietary committee, his great work be-
| ing the bill distributing the balance of
1 the Geneva reward. In the 49th ana
| 50tn Congresses he was the Republican
| candidate for the Speakership, and dur
| ing the four years of their existence,
was the recognized parliamentary lead
er of the floor. There was no man VINO
could equal him in debate.
| In the 51tn Congress, the Republicans
were IN a majority, and Mr.. Reec was
| elected for his first term as speaker
1t was not questioned that ne was the
| best man for the place. His flrmhess
and his fertility of resoursc made MN
ready for all emergencies that arose IN
| that exciting session. His Speakershlp
| marked \ now era in the legislative
history of Congress. His rules made
! il possible for the majority 10 90 pusi-
ness and impossible for the. minority 10
block the wheels of legIsiaton- his
| f,r,,o,rs rulings made IL tremendous up
| roar and he was bitterly denounced ny
f, the orposition. However. he was up
| held by the supreme court, ana tlhie
has completely vindicated his course.
| His opponents when in control OF the
| uous,,, have since followed his rules.
| JIn e.,,ccccGed because he added to un-
| riy.llIed forensic ability, good common
| sense and honesty OF purpose. Always
| IN undouhted partisan and holding
! that in Republican domination lies the
safety and prosperity of the country,
he never allowed his vast influence to
| count for any move of doubtful pa
triOtsm.
| In the 52a and SD Congresses, the
| Democrats had a majority. and Mr.
| Reed again became the leader OF the
| Republican, minority. the man who
| more than any other, held the eyes of
| the country. In the 54th and 5oth
! Congresses the Republican party
! swung back into power again. where it
| has since remained. and in each he was
madz. Speaker by the unanimous vote
| of his Republican colleagues. In the
meantime. in 1896. he had been the
! candidate for the Presidential nominal
! ton of his party, but although he re-
| ceiVed q handsome vote in the conVen-
! ton, the sentiment of the country was
| too strong in favor OF William Mckin-
I lev of Ohio. who had long served in
! Congress with Mr. Reed and who owed
! his position as chairman of the ways
and means committee which framed
the famous Mckinley tariff, to the fa-
| vor of Speaker Reed. Undoubtedly the
! failure to receive the nomination in
1896 was the great disappointment of
! MI Reeds life, but he loyalty stood by
! the nominee of the party, both III the
calDDaign and later in Congress when
! great problems demanded the prompt
and hearty cooperation of the eXecu-
| tive and legislative branches of the
government.
In 1898. the First Maine District elect
ed Mr.. Reed for the 18th time. This
was to the J6th Congress, and had Mr..
Reed cared for the honor, he could
have been Speaker for a fourth and
dfth time. But he determined to retire
from public life and devote himself to
the practice of his profession, and IN
the summer of 1879. he sent his resig-
nation to Governor Powers. He at once
became member of the law firm of
Reed, Simpson. Thatcher & Carnim. ID
Wall street, New York, and in the few
years since then was busy with the
great cases entrusted to him.
In all his busy life as a lawyer and
-tatesman. Mr. Reed found time to
indulge his tastes for literary pursuits.
He was a deep student of English
literature and d great admirer of its
masterpieces. He also made himself
familiar with the literature of several
foreign lands, particularly of France.
Few names have been more familiar
than his upon the title pages of the
great reviews, particularly the North
American, and whatever he has writ
ten has commanded wide attention.
Recently he appeared as the chief
umertal work in 10 volumes.
No American has been more contin-
uously and prominently before the pub
lie for the past quarter of a century
than Mr.. Reed. but never, even in the
heat Of political passion, was word
spoken against his integrity. His pub
lie and private life was absOlut-
ly spotless. His home life was
particularly happy. His habits Were
always temperate and his life simple.
He loved his old Portland home and
ana his happiest vacations were those
passed 1T his modest little cottage al
Grand beach, near Old Orchard. His
last formal public utterances were his
centennial address at Eowdoin College,
last June, and an article in the latest
number Of the North American Review