The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-04-14
Washington

IolI Sio.
New stories about the late Thomas
B.. Reed are still appearing in Wash
ington. Here is a characteristic letter
he wrote to Il member Of the Gridiron
Club several days before sending his
resignation as q member of the Fifty
sixth congress to the Governor of
Maine. The person to whom the note
was sent had written to Mr.. Reed to
suggest that he ought to make Il pub
lie statement of his intentions. Tho
letter is in Mr.. Reeds own handwrit-
ing and is as follows:
Pine Point. Me-, Is Aug, 1899.
Dear Mr.. Stofer: I shall miss the
"water-million'' on the vine and off
the vine, and the good boys Of the
GridirOn who always let me talk and
never reported what 1 said unless it
helped; the results of which I am
gathering in good paragraphs which
show that I am a better man than l
ever admitted.
But the die is cast. There has, how
ever, been no Rubicon passed, be-
cause, Notwithstanding the talk of
some misguided persons, there never
was any Caesar. I hope I am going
into better business. but whether I am
or not, 1 am going.
This should be a warning to you. Sto-
fer to sing the ''Watermillion on the
Vine" that when you change it Tor
even ID hymn of praise and thanksgiv-
ing there will be those who will regret
the luscious redness of the dead n
gone ttwatermillion'' of long ago, and
think hat Stofer and his banjo made
a great mistake in being translated.
But the blessed hereafter would
make a distinct gain which I hope will
be long deferred.
Truly yours.
T. B. REED.
Another story also has to do with
the Gridiron Club. AS is known the
ex-speaker was severe in his COM
ments upon the administration of
President Harrison, and called only
once Il session and that officially at
the White hOuse during the term of the
Indiana statesman. Only upon one oc-
casion at Washington was Mr.. Reed
ever known to compliment President
Harrison and that was after the lat
ter's speech at an annual dinner of
the Gridiron Club
Mr.. Reed was seated at an arm OF
the table not far from the chief ex-
ecutiNe and had an oblique view of
his head He rested his elbows; upon
the table and ixed his gaze upon the
president as if he expected a speech
entirely devoid of humor. He Was dis
appointed. for the president was ia
mously witty that evening, much 10
the surprise of guests and members,
and the speaker laughed heartily with
the rest of the company and joined in
the ringing applause that followed.
The next day at the capitol n said
TO one of the members of the club that
he did not know before hat there was
so much good fun in "Old Ben,' as he
called the president.
When at Washington the other day
Private" Allen, of Mississippi. in conf
menting upon Reeds lack of tact as a
legislator and politician. said:
Speaker Reed always said what he
thought and he didn't care when ana
where it was said. just so he relieved
his iii and sent a shot at the man
intended. republican, democrat, or
populist. Just after his first tenn as
speaker. and when he had resumed in
the succeeding congress his position as
eader of the minority on the floor, he
actually locked horns with the brilliant
Ben Butterworth, one of the biggest
men in his own party. That was GER
tainly & case of Intellectual giants
taCkling each other"
Il remember also" Allen continued,
hat just after the report of the war
Investigating commission was made
public Mr.. Reed PASSED by the desk of
Congressman Lacey, of Iowa. The
speaker was lot in sympathy with the
policy Of the Mckinley administration
with regard to the Spanish-American
war. and especially was he severe upon
the war department, who's head was
then Senator Alger.
"LaCey.' he said to the 1owan, you
look so much like Alger that you ought
10 be WhiteWashed, too
Nov such u~tterances as that inva-
riably reach the prominent men at
whom they are aimed, and quite natur-
ally they are bitterly resented.
THE day l poked fun and nonsense
at President Harrison's celebrated bel
ligerent Chilean imbrOglio Mr.. Reed
| came over to my side Of the house
about an hour after I had taken my
seat, and paid me a compliment that 1
do not think 1 deserved, but as l can