Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 December 1902 — DEATH STRIKES REED [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

DEATH STRIKES REED

At the National Capital, Where He Gained His Fame, the Summons Comes. "OZAR" SPEAKER PASSES TO REST Story of His Illness Which Lasted Less Than a Week. Brief Notes on the Salient Points of a Life That Helped Make History—His Celebrated Ruling. Portland Me., Dec. 0. —In the parish house of the Unitarian church lies the body of Hon. Thomas Brackett Reed. This forenoon his friends, who Include every man. woman and child In the city of Portland, were permitted to gaze for the laist time upon his face. Later the funeral ceremonies will be held. Washington, Dec. 8. Thomas B. Reed, former speaker of the house of representatives and for many years prominent in public life, died here yesterday at 12:10 a. m. In his apartments In the Arlington hoteL The Immediate cause of death was uraemia. A change for the worse was noted In Reed’s condition early Saturday morning. At 9:30 a. m. he was given a subcutaneous saline transfusion, in or-

der to stimulate his kidneys, which were falling to perform their proper function. At 5 p. m. the saline solution again was administered. The heart became weaker and weaker, but the patient retained consciousness until 11 p. m. Saturday, when a complete coma came on. lk(tanlS| of Hta Fatal Illness. Reed reached Washington Nov. 30, having come to attend to some matters In the United States supreme court. He was at the Capitol Dec. 1 visiting with friends. Apparently he was enjoying good health, but that same day he called on Dr. F. A. Gardner and complained of gastric distress. The following day his physician compelled him to remain in bed. Reed was strongly adverse to staying in bed, but a rise In temperature made it imperative that he remain quiet. Symptoms of appendicitis appeared, though his condition was not considered as alarming. On Thursday the physicians announced the appendical symptoms abating, but that kidney trouble bad developed, giving a more serious aspect to the case, these symptoms increased until an acute attack of Bright’s disease developed. FORTY YEARS HE WAS PROMINENT Epitome of His Career—Retirement in 1809 to Resume the Law. Thomas B. Reed, the Maine statesman who was given the title of “czar” when he was speaker of the national house of representatives, was born Oct. 18, 1839, in Portland, Me. For almost forty years he was prominent iu the affairs of his state or the nation. He began public life as a paymaster In the navy during the civil war. Later he served his state In the legislature and as attorney general. When he was elected to congress In 1870 he began the first of twelve terms in that liody. He retired from public life In 1.599 and resumed the practice of law iu New York city. Following la an epitome of his career: Graduated from Bowden college. Maine, 1800; was law student, 18011803; acting assistant paymaster. United States navy, 1804-1805; udmltted to the bar, 1865; began the practice of law at Portland, 1805; memt>er of the state legislature, 1808-1801); member of the state senate, 1879; attorney general of Maine, 1870-1871-1872; city solicitor of Portland, 1874-1875-1870-1877; elected to congress, 1870, and re-elected every two years thereafter until and including 1898; first elected speaker of the house in 1889. Hnd re-elected in 1896 and 1897. He resigned from congress In 1899, and was a prominent candidate for president of the United States In 1890. It was as speaker of the Fifty-first congress, which l>ody assembled Dec. 2, 1889, that Reed made his greatest reputation nnd performed his most Important work. During nil the years tbnt he hnd been In congress he had observed the growing disposition of the minority to defeat those constitutional provisions by which the majority Is to rule In the land. He found that a habit hnd grown up iu congress by which

members of ibe minority party by sitting silent In their seats and refusing to vote could block legislation. He did not agree with such a system and set himself about to change It. His study of this question led him to believe that on constitutional grounds and broad parliamentary law it was not only the right but the duty of the speaker to determine whether there was or there was not really a quorum present In considering a measure, even though the call of the roll failed to show a quorum answering to the demand for Votes upon the measure in question. APPLICATION OF THE PRINCIPLE How Ha Got the Title of “Cmer," and How He Wore the Same. The scene In the house of representatives when Heed announced this principle of parliamentary law,that a member who was physically present could not be constructively absent, will never be forgotten by those who witnessed It He had thoroughly digested the question, which he was about to announce as his determination, and was entirely calm and judicial In his attitude. Few, If any, of the members knew his Intention and when, on Jan. 29, 1890, after days of filibustering, in which the Democrats had refused to make a quorum by voting, he directed the clerk to record the names of those present and refusing to vote a storm of rage burst Yells, hisses and shouts of “Tyrant,” "Usurper” and “Czar" arose from the Democratic side, while Republicans applauded. In the midst of It all Reed stood calm, self-poised, confident. Not only did his purty sustain him, but the highest tribunal of the land, the supreme courL supported him with a judicial decision, and finally the very men who were denouncing him for that action themselves, two congresses later, adopted those principles. During the uproar resulting from the “counting” of the first quorum, this Incident occurred: “I deny your right, Mr. Speaker, to count me present,” shouted Representative McCreary, of Kentucky. Reed answered: “The chair Is merely making a statement of the fact that the gentleman Is present Does he deny It?”, Remarkable Tribute by the House. Washington, Dec. 9.—The house paid a remarkable tribute to the memory of ex-Speaker Thomas B. Reed. His death had created a profound Impression and there wns a universal desire among the memlters that the house 6how a signal mark of respect to his memory- For the house to take action on the death of a former member had only three precedents in its history, namely, on the occasions of the death of Benton, Blaine and Alexander Stephens, when the house adopted resolutions and adjourned out of respect to their memories. It was decided to follow these precedents in the cose of Mr. Reed. THOMAS NAST IS DEAD Famous Cartoonist, Stricken by Yellow Fever, Passes Away. Guayaquil, Ecuador. Dec. B.—Consul General Thomas Nast died yesterday at noon, after three days’ illness from yellow fever. He was interred at 5

p. m. yesterday. The funeral was attended by the governor, the consular corps, the United States colony and by many friends. The coffin was wrapped in the stars and stripes. The British consul recited a prayer in the cemetery. The death of Nast is deeply lamented by the natives who held him In high esteem.

Photo by A. Dupont. THOMAS B. REED.

THOMAS NAST.