New-York tribune., 1911-01-01
Anglo-AmeriCan Memories
W.. THOMAS 3. REED AS spsAkE r AND AS MR. REED.
Ccopyrisht, 1910. By George W. sn.n.y)

voted 10 writing desk two chairs and
tumbled mass OF House bills and other
official papers. apparently all in confu-
sion. u was not a cell 10 which the
/ Speaker should ever have been con-
demned Everybody knew that Air.
Reed had no fortune and that as Speaker
he was stingily paid. as all great officers
Of State are In America from the Presi-
dent down. l don't put It as personal
question, nor is the chief fault OF such
Il system the vexation to- which it sub
jects distinguished servants Of the State.
II Is the dignity Of the State Itself
which is in question. 1t is the state
which suffers when they suffer. They
are representative, and the State. out Of
it's S6o0,0o0,oO0 of yearly revenue. could
perhaps afford to pay them well enough
TO maintain in the eyes OF the world
the dignity OF one Of the greatest powers
in the world. But Il does not.
do not know that Mr.. Reed cared.
He was not the sort OF man TO whom
money cones first. Disappointed ambi-
tiOn--a Just ambition which It was the
interest OF the country to gratify-was
the real burden on his life at the end.
suppose he could have had the Pres3-
dency if he would hal made certain
concessions. But he would make none
which he deemed dishnnorable, or incon-
sistent with principles which all men
knew he held.
But was saying that he had original
views. and nor views only, but coneep-
t.ons Of public life. He was the first man
whom I ever heard point out the decay
cf Irish influence in America. II Hus'
have been about midway in the 90s that
lie announced this discovery. He ssla:
The Irish in the United States are no
longer a political force. Time has been
as yeu well know. when the effort 70
secure the Irish vote was one or the
chief anXieties Of politicians on both
sides. This anxiety showed Itself IN Con-
gress. in the Press. in State Legislatures
| in political contests all over the COUNTY,
That day is past You must nave
/ noticed the change in the Press The
/ Press Is free again, and We here in
, Washington are free, and Americans ana
not Irish now govern this country.
| There are exceptions. but they are few
] 90 not think there are half dozen
districts throughout the land where the
Irish vote now turns the scale or where
/ the bosses arrange their campaign with
view TO capturing IT.
( I asked Why there had been such
change. He answered:
Il cannot tell you WHY; or II I could II
would be a long and complex statement
/ What is vital TO US is not the reason, but
I the fact. and you may take the fact from
ne
YES, and II you like TO tell your
[ friends in England, do SO. It may help
/ 10 improve the rela tons between Eng
/ land and US, and ii is for the interest Of
| both countries that they should be i'm
proved; and they will be improved at no
/ distant date"
/ 1t is not my business 10 offer any opin-
/ ion on this declaration. But the fact
! that IL was made, and made at least
/ fifteen years ago, has a great signif-
cance. Since 1898, when England put
| her veto on the proposed European
! coalition in favor Of Spain-a proof OF
/ goodwill which convinced the American
Z reople that England was their friend
and not their enemy, as they had so
/ long been taught 10 believe-it may seem
/ less remarkable than il did at the time
/ it was uttered. But as an Illustration
Z 4~ & -,
/ more remarkable because IT was made so
early. ! DO not know that he had many
/ English sympathies When he came 10
( England. shortly before his death, he
had planned 10 spend two months here.
But he vent home long before that short
/ period had expired. He had come too
( late. He could not all at once open his
mind 10 new interests or new impress
sions
| I end with an anecdote, Of which the
scene was Eilerslie. Governor Morton's
delightful place on the Hudson. where
/ you may form some notion Of what an
English park is like without crossing the
/ Atlantic Mr. Reed and Dir. Choate
were two of the guests. We were in the
I thick Of our troubles IN the Philippines.
( Mr. Reed, as everybody knew, had op-
I posed the acquisition OF the islands. One
night after dinner, the whole house party
present, ne and Mr.. Choate debated the
matter at length. and with great free
/ dom. Mr.. Choate gave us in his forcible
/ and forensic way-and no man could
state a case better-the reasons for keep
/ ing the Philippines and reducing the re
bellious" Filipinos 10 order. We ell
listened. Nobody interrupted the flow
Of Mr. Choate's argument Mr. Reed did
not interrupt. at the end Mr.. Choate,
urging that surrender was impossible.
asked triumphantly:
what do you suppose the Filipinos
would do II we withdrew the American
trOops?"
We'll" drawled Mr.. Reed, Il don't
suppose they would pursue US further
than San Francisco"
And that discussion came to an end.
g. W. s