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Show DEATH OF SPEAKER REED DISTlNdUISIIKlI STAT II H MAN HUC cuams Arij:u Niioitr u.i.Nr.ss. ( Former Wpmlinr of tlm llnuir r lleirraen- latUeii Wu Oiinlliiril In Ilia lied Hut Keren 1y When tin I'linaeil lVnrernlly to thn (Ireut llennil. Thomas Brackett rtccd, formoi speaker of the houso of rcprosenta tlves, and for many years ono of tho most prominent characters In public life, is dead, his death occurring in Washington, D. C, at ,12:10 o'clock Sunday morning, after a short Illness, tho Immediate cause of death being uraemia. At tho bedside when ho died wero Mrs. Bccd and Miss Kathorlno Uced, Doctoia Gardner, .McDonald, Hlshop and Goodnow, and tho nurses. Mr. Uced passed awny peacefully and ipparontly without pain. Thomns Brnckctt Heed wos born October Oc-tober 18, 1839, in Portland, Mo., and rocclvcd his cnily education In tho common schools of that city. In 18C0 ho was graduated from Ilowdoln col lego, winning ono of tho highest honors hon-ors tho prlzo for excellence In ling llsh composition, The next four years woro spent by Mr. Iteed In tenching nnd tho study ot lnw. Bcforo his admission ad-mission to tho bar ho was appointed acting assistant paymaster in tho United States navy. After his dlschnrgo In 18C5 Mr. Hood returned to Portland, passed tho bar and entered on tho practice of his profession. Threo years later he was elected as a Republican In tho legislature of tho state of Maine. In 18C9 ho was re-elected to tho houso nnd In 1870 nindo state senator, passing pass-ing from tho lnttor position to that of nttorncy goncrnl of the stato tho same year. Retiring from this ofTtco nftor Cffectlvo sorvlco In 1873, ho wns then mado solicitor of the city of Port-I Port-I land. In Soptember, 187G, ho was elected to tho Forty-fifth congress of tho United Unit-ed States, which assembled In December, De-cember, 1877. Ho immediately be-enmo be-enmo prominent through n speech, one of tho few formal ones over delivered by him, In which ho argued against tho paylment of damages bv tho United Unit-ed States for Injuries received by William nnd Mary collego at the hands of United States troops durlnii the wnr. Tho subsequent policy ot the government In relation to wai claims wns largely determined by tho defeat of this measure, to which Mr. Reed signally contributed. Ho wnn also ono of tho minority members appointed ap-pointed to Investigate tho election of President Hayes In the famous Hayes-Tlldon Hayes-Tlldon controversy. Ills skill as n debater de-bater was at onco recognized, and his lnfluonco becoming more strongly marked each year, tho leadership of his party was finally conceded to him, and In tho Forty-ninth and Fiftieth congresses tho complimentary Bare nation to tho spenkerBhlp was tendered ten-dered him by the nepubllcnns. In tho Fifty-first congress, that party par-ty having obtained tho uBccndancy, ho was elected speaker on tho flrst ballot. bal-lot. In tho first days of his administration adminis-tration of tho offlco much opposition wns mado by tho minority to the enforcement en-forcement of what Mr. Uoed belloved his constitutional power, to count members present In tho houso as participating par-ticipating In a vote, dosplto their ro-fusal ro-fusal to uso their privilege. Tho ques tlon of silence on such occnslon constituting con-stituting legal absence, and tho destruction de-struction thereby of a quorum, was, however, set at rest by tho adoption of now rules by tho house, Februnry 14, 1890. In September of tho snme year Mr. Rood wob re-elected to th Fifty-second cc -ess by a largo majority. ma-jority. Mr. Heed proved himself an lndefntlgablo worker, oven whllo In oongH8, nnd nsldo from his duties ns enngrcsBinnn and speaker ho found tlmo to contribute to sovornl magazines maga-zines of tho tiny articles pertinent to tho various political and econ. nilc questions which wero from time to tlmo ngltntlng tho country. |
