Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-01-29

| to believe in Immortality and makes IA
| think there is life beyond the grave i
is the fact that the great mind, the com
| prehensive intellect, the laving5heart an,
! Infinite genius Of Thomas Brackett Rec,
cannot be lost and gone forever Soma
! where. in the great mystery ofithe future
| that mighty spirit must be working on
! the problems Of eternity and Waitins
4 upon the other shore With lo7sip;s asef
l;ness fir the coming of the loved one.
| whom he left behind. The star that Set
| must rise again. % Hr
I Ia this Legislative hail, Mr. Recd .bcs+s;l
| his career which eillniniittedsiH so Eucf
| honor and fcnown. 1T lis cIninentlE lit
| ting that in this same h1ll The people o
| the State he loved so,sweiii should pay Il
him the last sad rites Of mortality.
| His work is Ger but ms Influence viii
| be felt as hong as legislative budies con
I vehe. or governments of, for and by IT,,
people endure.
! rWere a star quenthed Oh high
For ages would its light, fTg
stiil travelling idoWnwsard from the Sky,
So when q great man dies,
/ For Years beyond our ken,
The light he leaves behindl him. lies
| Upon the paths of mem y
MR.. SWETT of Portland said You
ENcelency and Gentleman of the Assem-
bly,:
W HocNer mas NlSlttd@ inc Smithsonian
Institute in Washington afd booked upor
the relics and mementoes of Jour, great
men. the arms. and Announcements ot
Grant. the desktNof iLine6ln. the pen Of
Webster, the uniform and equipments Of
Jackson. the staff of Franklin and thu
sword of Washington, have felt tlt
natural Impulse 80 take some of those
objects in his hands. to poisel and weigh
and measure them. but has been de-
I.terred by the cautionaTyN placard Not
ITO be handled placed there lest some
too curious or careless hand slfouldi dis
;turb the careful ARRANGEMENT or expose
somc'fiaw or weakness Witch might dam
age or destroy the sacred relic
/ And often as We contemplate the life
and records of the dead, de mortuis I'LL
nisi bonum." reminds s,4ike the caution
arg pacard not to iinSestignte or scruti-
nize too closely. - 4tAsSN '''t-.ts
But no such charitahla pl.eeeauti22n il
Thomas. 3. Reed His gbitterest enemy
he set down nothing but the truth, his
dearest friend would not desire 10 e.;-
purSate q page or paragraph. His char
acter, like virgin gold, wristbands the
acid of all criticism.
He was not typicak lie WAS unique,
He suggests no Other statesman WHOM
the English-speaking world have pro
duced.
leadership of James G. Blaine, the rugged
honesty of bal-Hamlin. the Puritan
Integrity of purpose OF William Pit
Fcssenden the simple dsaW1esty of Grant,
the wit and fumor of I,incolns the pro-
found wisdom of Webster. the dauntless
determination Of Jackson. the Keen phil
osophy of Franklin. and the pure patfi-
otiSm of Washington. with q body. bra I'M
heart soul ana mind Of equal titanic
stature. 5- i'ft
.'The front of Jove himself -.
IN csc like Mars, to threaten and COM
mand; IA
4 combination and form indeed,
" here every god did seem to set his seal
To give the world assurance of Il man ~
And from the Canada line to the Rio
Glande, from the Atlantic. to, the Pacific
ocean. in al the length and breadth of
our fair land, there was nothing that was
more American than he.
1t has been said that not man of oar
times i'll Congress. has been less under
stood. outside Of Washington. Two COM
ments frequently made show how super
fetal ana uniformed was the general
opinion of him throughout the country.
One was that he was not a constructiy;.
statesman and the other ith;r he could
mot make successful long speech. In
+ the twenty-five Years Of his service in
the House. he had no opportunity to
|, fasten his name on any important meas
'ure. For all but eight Years Df'tlie time,
his party was in the majority, ,waile for
six. out of the eight Years he was in the
chair. Yet no, man living or dead had
more to do with constructing the legisz
lation passed by the House, when his
.itarty was in the majority. While He
was Speaker ne made the Legislation Of
the party besides making it possible lie
WAS the master OF His own side before
be was the master of the House,
Whew he began his parliamentary I'd
form in the tiety-fffst Congress, with a
narrow Republican majority. enough Re
publicans, disagreed. With him TO have
defeated his purpoSc,; If tiiey9 had opposed
him openly. lie thought out then what
he would do. if his Republican opponents
united with the Democrats against him.
lie would have announced his resgna-
ton and retired from Congress. But. all
though SOM strong men on the. RepGb-
lean side differed WITH him, they did not
Venture to oppose him publicly. After
the great shout of triumph that went up
Lrcn the Republicans when be began 80
suddenly to count a quorum. from that
time he was the constructive statesman
OF the House. for six YEARS and until hn
lcft it. 1t is true that he did not often
make long speeches. but rhalf waH becauss,
he did not life long -speeehes,ssand never
made them if he gould help it. He
thought that a man ought to bc able to
say all that was worth saying in a short
speech, unless the circumstances were
veiy exceptional. and that, as a rule.
long speeches were artificial, and ne hated
anything that was Artificial ,7D
A striking Illustration of this point oc-
CURED i'm. the debate upohfi the4 quorum
rule. A distinguished Democrat n former
speaker of the House, had made an able
and elaborate argument AGAINST the right
and power OF the presiding officer. to
CONT him as present If he. declined to an
swer to the roll-o4lli: 'Jilt his argument
was swept away. and destroyed by Mr..
Reeds comment THE gentleman has
consumed an hour and a malt in endea%oi-
! ing to prove TO the House that ne is not
| here. $3.50
There was no tleatrleals in his states
manship. no posing for Popularity, SIC
catering for applause, ~
lie would bot flattere Nepbtne for his
trident,
Nor Jove fors power TO ttiupders'
! AT tie supreme 1rierfeiitz of his public
life, when he esnancipated parliamentary
procedure by the boidest bravest and
the presiding officer Of the greatest leg