Evening star., 1939-10-21
The Political Mill
House Pays Tribute to Thomus Reed,
Who Broke House Of Endless FiIibusterino

Then a Republican member died
and the Republicans had less than
quorom. On an historic day, only
1853 members answered their names
on quorom roll call. Speaker Reed
directed the clerk to record the
names of a number of Democrats
present who had refused to vote.
The storm broke and ragged for
three days. But Mr.. Reeds ruling
stuck, and later was upheld by the
Supreme Court.
In the next two succeeding Con-
crosses, the Democrats controlled
the House and went back to the old
rule. Tom Reed, as minority leader.
organized a Republican f1libuster
which tied the House up tighter
than drum. In the end the Demo-
Gratis presented a rule providing
for present" quorum instead of
the voting quorum, and it was
adopted and has been in effect ever
since.
Mr.. Reed was colossus, weigh
ing 300 pounds and standing 6 feet
3 inches. He had a slow, down.
cast drawl and the quickest and
most pointed tongue in the House.
The epigrams he coined have be-
come famous with the rapier-like
thrusts he aimed at his adversaries.
Once Representative Springer Of
Illinois concluded speech with the
words that have been attributed
to Henry Clay-"I would rather be
right than be President" Mr.. Reeds
immediate comment was: "The
gentleman need not worry; he'll
never be either"
When he was once asked if he
thought he would be nominated for
President by the Republicans, his
response was: "They could go far
ther and do worse, and I think they
will On one occasion, alluding to
two fellow members of the House,
Mr.. Reed said: They never open
their mouths without subtracting
from the sum of human knowledge"
At one time when Reed needed the
presence of an absent member to
make quorum in the House, the
member telegraphed: "Washout on
line: cant-eome" Reeds reply was:
Buy another shirt and come on the
next train
All Words Not Sharp.
Not all of Mr.. Reeds sayings were
sharp and sarcastic. For example,
he said: "If we ever learn to treat
the living with the tenderness with
which We instinctively treat the
dead, We shall then have civiliza-
ton we'll worth distributing" Also
he was ahead of his times in de-
manding that women be accorded
suffrage. He not only commented:
After all, women are people, are
they not?" but he gave his views as
follows: The equal rights of women
have just reached the region of pos
sibilities. Men have only just left
of sneering and have just begun to
consider. Every step from the
harem and the veil to free society
and property holding has been
steadily fought by the vanity, self
ishness and Incidence, not only of
mankind but of womenkind also"
Mr.. Reed opposed the entry of the
United States into the war with
Spain and opposed the acquisition
OF the Philippine Islands by the
United States. So bitterly did he
feel about the Philippine issue that
he finally resigned from the House
and went to New York to practice
law. He came back to Washington
in December, 1902. to attend a din
ner of the Gridiron Club, became i'll
and died at midnight the night of
the dinner. When word of his death
was brought to the BANQUET hall.
where the President and Vice Presi-
dent and many other leaders in pub
lie life were gathered, the president
OF the club Immediately announced
that Mr.. Reed had died. He asked
the members of the club and guests
to join in singing a song that had
been a favorite of Mr.. Reed, and at
Its conclusion the dinner was ad-
journed.