Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1903-01-23

DIPLOMAS BRACKETT REED at the time of his death was only So years
u Hdi hi. He s.s nas a he powerful y. sS, senstassd Io res ms T ,a fs unu' " ~ s, ts%ps s1ss
eight or nine hours every night and was in the habit of taking a MONDAY
eal miles a day. Few men have ever taken better arr of themselves o r
n ose,V e 'e rues Oh neaa,n 30 careiuny as me- M Re "a laom H. Mr.
gance and not only saved a good part of his salary, but made a n extra $4,000
lecture o contribute an article for publication without pay, charging $500
for a lecture; 5000 ws his lowest price fr a literary production, 10 matter
how short.
Mr.. Reed "a unique in character, writes William Z. Curtis in the
Chicago Record-Herald. There was never any like him in public life
and he has no imitators He was SO original his individuality was SO pro-
the Presidential nomination It St. Louis embttered his life and intensified
those qualities which caused his unpopularty He had none Of the arts Of
the politician. He was imperious and intohrant autocratc and uncompro-
missing, andsgiven to the most cruel satire Men feared him lore than they
respected or loved him. although he had many warwf friends and devoted
admirers and a n afectionate disposition toward a few persons of whom he
Reed and Mckinley ever got along we'll together. His jealous dispos,.
ton seemed to detect rivalry in the early days of their acquaintance, and
when both became candidates for the Presidential nomination. Reeds COM
ments upon Mckinley were always severe and often unkind. He did not
at the beginning of the first Congressional session after the Inauguration.
when Mckinley invited him to a conference ove the message, and the Re
publican legislative program; again when he was invited to a state dinner.
war to assure Mckinley Of his cordial support
White House during the last three years that Harrison ws President. be.
cause the latter refused to recognize him as entitled to equal consideration
ever friendly with Mr.. Blaine and fell out entirely with him while he was
Kev'e aSt,Ja was anonymous but Mr. Reed Gould OF be convince IN IN ~ House
Blaine did not write it. although the latter positively denied the authorship.
Reed a a great admrer of Roosevelt although the latter did not escspe
He seldom made a set speech, but had no equal in his generation in rough
and tumble debate. Hiss singing retorts, his quick wit keen power of anaiy.
sis and merciess force IN attack made MN feared o the floor, and woe
unto the man who attempted to interrupt or answer him. 1t a his moral
courage that enabled him to crush fnbustering in the House of Representa.
tves.
Those we're exciting times. Under the rules of the House, as interpreted
by his predecessors. business could be indefinitely suspended and the princt
pe of representative government violated IL a sufficient number II members
refused to answer to their names when the roll was called to break a Uorum
THAT became the favOrte way of preventing the majority of the House from
enacting laws. The minority a thus enabled to control Legislation which
Mr. Reed and every ne else realized ws wrong, but this trick a resorted
to the passage Of a bill Mr.. Reed decided to stop the practice, and whenever
a roll call showed the lack o a quorum counted n sufficient number Of 81.
lent members upon the floor to make one
The minority made violent protest against Reeds rulings and on moro
than one occasion a personal assault OF the Speaker was prevented only bv
the timely interference Of cool heads from both sides of the House. On
these occasions Mr.. Reed was always the coolest maj in the House. and the
famUiar Yankee draw The gpntemaD Will be enough to tka hi,
seat" oen relieved a tense situation.
Reeds rules were sustained and indicated by the Supreme Court and
all of his successors in the House of Representatives have followed his o..
ample. He va n VI and a tyrant however He would not permit the
House to consider legislation that he did not approve, and could pass almost
n bill he liked, because members who opposed him knew what to meet
No ia eve exercised such a n arbitrary influence upon legislation.