Evening journal., 1915-01-18
New News Of Yesterday
How Speaker Reed I'M
pressed Samuel ]. Tilden
By Holland.

By HOlldnu'
In the recently published life OF
Thomas b. Reed-better known as
Speaker Reed"-which was written
by his longtime friend and political
associate. Samuel W. Mccall, one
chapter is devoted to Mr.. Reeds prom
inent association with the investiga-
ting committee, commonly known as
the Potter committee, which was au-
thorized by the Lower House of Con-
gress to make the investigation into
the Presidential election of 1876.
II is now forgotten by many VINO
were associated with Mr.. Reed, ana
il is unknown to the present genera
ton. that Reed clinched a reputation
which he gained in the Lower House
of Congress by what he said and dld
AT the sessions of this committee, sup
plemented by the minority report
which he wrote.
This committee of which the late
Clarkson n. Potter, brother of Bishop
Potter, of New York, was the chalI-
man. held many sessions in New YORK
CITY. There was no member of the
committee whose name was less IA
miliar to the public than was that OF
MIR. Reed. He was appointed Dy
Speaker Samuel J. Randall, one OF the
minority or Republican members OF
the committee, and such appoint
ment of a member then serving his
first term is good proof of the rep
utation which AIr Reed had gained III
the House of Representatives.
It was my duty to attend the ses-
sions of this committee in New YORK
and upon the morning of the tlrst
meeting l was especially interested IN
the Democratic members. Among
l.them was Col. William R. Morrison
afterward chairman of the ways and
means committee; Judge MacMahon
of Ohio. now an unfamiliar name, bul
in those days esteemed as one of the
keenest and ablest lawyers in the
House: Joseph c. S. Blackburn, the
eccentric and magnanimous Repre-
sentative of one OF the Kentucky dis
tricts. and Gen Benjamin F. Butler
These were all men of national in
| nuence and reputation. II was moi
until the second session of the COM
mittee that / began to take notice Ol
the young Republican from Name
/ Thomas B. Reed. He was the young
est member of the committee and all
of his associates on that committee
had served several terms in the House
| of Representatives
This young man from Maine began
TO dominate the committee. He had
! the advantage which the right oi
! cross-examination of witnesses gave
He pilloried two of the most import
ant witnesses, one of whom was the
nephew and confidential secretary oi
| Samuel ]. Tilden. This crOss-examin.
alton was intensely interesting, made
all the more so by Mr.. Reeds man
ner his drawing and nasal voice anC
4 by the wit and irony which he inject
ed into his questions.
Il was not, however, until Mr. Til
den, himself. appeared before tho
committee that the most impressive
! lOng-to-be-remembered scene occur
red. There stood the Democracy
candidate for President who was de
cared by the electoral commission Z
have lost the Presidency by one vot
and who at that time was the grea
personal and intellectual force il
the party He stood at the head of tn
. table near the chairman, Mr.. Potter
/ His face was like that of a gravei
image. There was not an emotion ex
pressed upon his countenance excep
severity. He slowly looked at one an,
another of the members of the com
mittee until at last his glance fel
upon Mr.. Reed, who sat the other en'
of the table.
Reeds posture and the expression
of his face were worthy of a painter
He leaned forward upon the table
resting his forearms upon it. Part o
the time his chin was supported b,
his right hand. His eyes were par
TALLY closed. There was an indescrib
able expression of curiosity, oi
searching study and a quaint move
ment of his lips, while, not withstand
ing these manifestations, he shower
by his manner that he recognized tn
intellectual greatness of Tilden. Thu
these two men faced one another
Governor Tilden scarcely took nj
eyes away from Mr.. Reed, while tn
latter maintained his position and hi
scrutinizing glance until the examina
tion was over The examina
tion was not prolonged. Governo
Tilden simply testified that he ha
had no completely in the cipher dis
patches, or in the transaction T.
which they related. Each of thes
two men after the session was ovel
spoke with a curious mixture of ad
miration and reserve Of the othe
and Mr.. Tilden was reported after
ward to have indicated Reed as tn
future leader of his party.
/ Copyright. 1915, by E. J. Edward.
All rights reserved.l