Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-21

Speakers chair
at different times tx
during Mr. Clark
service in the
House John G. Carlisle of Kentucky, for
mer Speaker, was Secretary OF the Treasury
when Mr. Clark came to Congress. Galusha
A. Grow of Pennsylvania, and ]. Warren
Keller OF Ohio, former Speakers, were mem
bers of the House part of the time when Mr..
Clark was making the reputation as a mem
Der that placed him in the chair they once
occupied. Speaker Clark is careful not to dis
cuss the merits of his predecessors as presid-
ing officers; but he does say that Reed was
a man with wonderful mind and perhaps
the superior of all intellectually. 1t is an
interesting fact that Reed as Speaker and
Clark as a member became attracted to each
other, not SO much in a personal way, but IN
mutual admiration of each others abilities.
When Reed became Speaker in the Fifty
fourth Congress, Clark wanted to become a
member OF the Ways and Means Committee.
Il could put you there, said Reed; "but
you wouldn't have an opportunity to do
yourself much good nor me any harm. am
going to put you on Foreign Affairs, where
you can help me to prevent the annexation
of Hawaii.
But the Spanish War followed, and in the
"lust for land that was created the annexa-
ton of Hawaii was mere incident in the
acquisition of islands in the sea. Both Reed
and Clark were bitterly opposed to the pol
icy, and that was one reason why Reed re-
tired from public life.
1--WE are buying Malays at two dollars
head he sarcastically remarked when the
Philippines were taken over from Spain at a
purchase price Of twenty million dollars.
by many observers Reed is now considered
to have been the greatest man in Con-
gress at his time. Such is the opinion Of
James L. Slayden of Texas, who relates the
following:
1T was when Reed was Speaker and
Bailey was minority leader, said the Texas
Congressman. after one of the parlia-
mentary battles and on one of the few occa-
sions that it happened, Reed had been un-
questionably wrong in his ruling, and Bailey
had him in a tight place. Reed, in one OF
those clever little speeches from the chair
for which he was famous, told the House
that the Speaker was but the servant OF the
House and not its master (Which was not
true in any particular when Reed was
Speaker; for he ruled the House as no other
man has before or since), and wound up by
saying that everything was within the power
of the House; that if his ruling was wrong
it was in the power of the House 10 reverse
him by an appeal. One OF his lieutenants,
taking the cue, made the. appeal. The Re
publican majority promptly sustained tie
Speaker, as Reed knew it would.
"A few minutes afterward Fleming Of
Georgia, very conscientious man, strict
and able parliamentarian, and myself hap
pened to be at the Speakers desk together.
"'Mr. Speaker said Fleming, | think
you were wrong in that ruling, and | have
something here that should like to read to
you to prove my assertion
Read it, said the Speaker.
Fleming read the paragraph, which
showed conclusively that he was right and
Reed was wrong
"'What book is that?' asked Reed.
"A book on parliamentary law by
Thomas B. Reed, replied Fleming.
"The books wrong, sententiously re-
marked Reed
THE quickest reputation ever made in the
House OF Representatives in my time, :
said Speaker Champ Clark, "was by LATE
Pence of Colorado. He was elected as a
Populist by Democratic votes in 1892 and
was member Of the Fifty-third Congress.
Soon after the first session began cleveland
called an extra session of that Congress to
repeal the Sherman Silver Purchase Act)