E 664 n MEMORIAL ADDRESSES ON THE LIFE AND CHARACTER 01? Thomas Brackett Reed DELIVERED IN JOINT ASSEMBLY OF THE TWO BRANCHES OF THE LEGISLATURE. Wednesday, January 28, 1903. AUCxUSTA KENNEBEC JOURNAL PRINT 1903 <\ £T6T 'PJ2 qoj^w a-. Oh '^^^qM eqi. jejsuea:). Ag STATE OF MAINE. In Senate, January 30, 1903. Ordered, That the resolutions adopted by the Senate and House of Representatives in joint assembly, on Wednesday, January 28, and the remarks made by the several senators and representatives, together with a steel plate engraving of the late Thomas B. Reed, be issued in pamphlet form, and that 3,000 copies of the same be furnished to the members of the legislature. In Senate Chamber, Januar} 30, 1903. Read and passed. Sent down for concurrence. KENDALL M. DUNBAR, Secretary. House of Representatives, January 30, 1903. Read and passed in concurrence. A true copy, Attest : W. S. COTTON, Clerk. KENDALL M. DUNBAR, Secretary. L STATE OF MAINE. In Hoi'SE 01' Representatives, January 14, 1903. Ordered, The Senate concurring, that a committee consisting of the Governor, President of the Senate and such members of the Senate as may be jomed on the part of the Senate, and seven members of the House of Representatives, of which number the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall be one, be appointed to arrange for suitable memorial exercises to be held in the Hall of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, January 28, 1903, in order that the Executive Department and members of the Legislature may pay a just tribute of respect to the memory of the late Thomas B. Reed. In House of Representatives, January 14, 1903. Read and passed. Sent up for concurrence. W. S. COTTON, Clerk. In Senate Chamber, January 15, 1903. Read and passed in concurrence. KENDALL M. DUNBAR, Secretary. COMMITTEE TO ARRANGE MEMORIAL EXERCISES FOR THE LATE HON. THOMAS B. REED. His Excellency, the Governor, Hon. John F. Hill, The President ot the Senate, Hon. Harry R. Virgin, The Speaker of the House, Hon. Oscar F. Fellows, Messrs. Randall of Cumberland, Wing of Androscoggin, Goodwin of Somerset, — of the Senate, Messrs. SwETT of Portland, Davis of Waterville, Allan of Portland, Smith of Presque Isle, Weeks of Fairfield, Oakes of Auburn, — of the House. REMARKS OF PAGE The Governor, Hon. John F. Hill 13 Senator Randall of Cumberland 14 Representative Smith of Presque Isle 16 Senator Wing of Androscoggin 18 Representative Davis of Waterville 20 Representative Smith of Hartland 22 Senator Stetson of Penobscot 24 Representative Perkins of Wilton 26 Representative Sewall of Bath 28 Senator Goodwin of Somerset 31 Representative Swett of Portland 35 REMARKS OF PAGE The Governor, Hon. John F. Hill 13 Senator Randall of Cumberland 14 Representative Smith of Presque Isle 16 Senator Wing of Androscoggin 18 Representative Davis of Waterville 20 Representative Smith of Hartland 22 Senator Stetson of Penobscot 24 Representative Perkins of Wilton 26 Representative Sewall of Bath 28 Senator Goodwin of Somerset 31 Representative Swett of Portland 35 STATE OF MAINE. In Joint Assembly of the Two Branches of the Legislature. In the Hall of the House of Representatives, Augusta, Wednesday, January 28, 1903. This being the day designated by joint order of the two branches of the Legislature for holding memorial exercises for the late Hon. Thomas B. Reed, the members of the Senate and House of Representatives convened in the Hall of the House of Representatives at 10.15 o'clock, A. M. The President of the Senate, Hon. Harry R. Virgin, called the Assembly to order and said : '"'This Assembly has been formed to pay our tribute of respect to the memory of the late Hon. Thomas B. Reed, and the Chair awaits the pleasure of the Assembly." On motion by Mr. Burns of Cumberland, Messrs. Burns of Cumberland, Staples of Knox, — of the Senate, Messrs. Drew of Portland, Shaw of Bath, Blake of Sidney, Buzzell of Old Town, Knowlton of Camden, — of the House, were appointed committee to wait upon the Honorable Governor and Council, and inform them that the two branches of the Legislature were in joint assembly in the Hall of the House of 12 MEMORIAL ADDRESSES. Representatives, for the purpose of holding memorial exercises for the late Hon. Thomas B. Reed, and to extend an in\'itation to tliem to attend. Mr. Burns subsequently reported that the committee had attended to tlie duty assigned it. and the Governor was pleased to make answer, that he would forthwith attend in this hall, accompanied by the Executive Council, for the purpose of join- ing in the exercises. Thereupon the Governor, attended by the Council and Heads of Departments, entered the hall. The Governor assimied the chair and addressed the assembly as follows : i REM.\RKS OF THE GOVERXOR, HON. JOHN F. HILL. Gentlemen of the Assembly: Vv e unite tCKiay in commemorating the life and public services of one of Maine's most noble and illustrious sons, Thomas Brackett Reed. In ever>- sense of the word Mr. Reed was a statesman: and his brilliant career excited the respect and admiration of even.- true American. It is an honor and privilege to join in this tribute to his memor}-. The Chair will now recognize the senator from Cumberland, Mr. Randall, as the first speaker. THE RESOLUTIONS. Senator Randall of Ciunberland count}-, offered the following resolutions : The Sevent}--first Legislature of Maine, by joint resolution, unanimously adopted, ha-s-ing set aside this day and fixed this place as the occasion tor memorial exercises for our late distin- guished citizen, Thomas B. Reed, therefore Resolved, That we as representatives of the people of the great State which was the birthplace of Thomas B. Reed, unitedly and publicly give voice to the universal sorrow which the news of his untimely death caused to per\'ade ever}- portion of our domain. Resolved, That the entire public and private career of Mr. Reed is a source of tlie greatest satisfaction and pride to all our citizens, and that his high character. loft\- aspirations, command- ing ability-, and valuable public sen-ices rendered our State and nation will ever be held in affectionate and grateful remem- brance by all the people in his native State. Resolved, That these resolutions be extended upon the records of the convention and that as e\ndence of the sincere s\Tnpathy and condolence of all the people of ]Maine. an engrossed copy thereof, be sent to his familv. REMARKS OF HON. CHARLES H. RANDALL OF PORTLAND, SENATOR FROM CUMBERLAND COUNTY. Your Excellency and Gentlemen of the Assembly: In support of the resolutions, I desire to say a few words. In the year 1861 I was a student in the old High School for boys in Portland. In that year there came to us an assistant teacher, a young man just graduated from Bowdoin College — a rather tall, smooth faced jolly fellow — whom we boys soon learned to love ana respect, a young man who all unforeseen by us, was destined in after years to become one of the master- minds of the republic, and one of the greatest statesmen this country has produced — teacher, lawyer. State senator, attorney general of Maine, city solicitor of Portland and for twenty-two years representing with distiiiguished ability, the first district of Maine in the Congress of the United States, — standing there during all that time, without a peer among the giants of that body. Three times elected Speaker of the National House — a great, honest, brainy, manly man — Thomas Brackett Reed. And w^e are assembled here to-day to pay a last fond tribute to his memory, who but a few short weeks ago, his life work but half accomplished, was taken from among us, and lay down, as we do hope to pleasant dreams, and it is especially fitting that the Legislature of the State that gave him birth, and which he did so honor in later years, should pause in the midst of its duties, and lay a wreath of love, honor and approbation upon his grave. Every page of the historv^ of Maine is bright with deeds of her distinguished sons, and such names as Fessenden, Hamlin and Blaine, Chamberlain and Berry, Drummond, Webb, THOMAS BRACKETT REED. 1 5 Dingley and Reed, will ever shine as bright particular stars among a host of eminent men. Mr. Reed needs no eulogy from me. Long after all of us who participate in these exercises to-day shall have passed to the great unknown and be forgotten, his name and services will be remembered, and he will be spoken of as the "Great Speaker" — the ablest statesman of his time. I knew him for many years ; — he v/as my tutor in my boyhood days, and he honored me with his friendship in later years ; and therefore it is with deep feelings of love and respect that I to-day offer this slight tribute to his memory. REMARKS OF HON. GEORGE H. SMITH, REPRE- SENTATIVE FROM PRESQUE ISLE. Your Excellency and Gentlemen of the Assembly: There is an old Arabian proverb which says that death is a camel that kneels at every man's door. And we have met to-day in joint assembly for the purpose of paying our tribute of respect and esteem to the memorv of one of the distinguished sons of Maine, before whose door the camel has recently knelt. Within the personal recollection of many of us, several of the able and distinguished men of Maine, men who have left a deep and lasting impress upon the histor)-- of our State and Nation, have been borne away by this same camel — Fessenden, Hamlin, Blaine, Dingley, Boutelle, Milliken — names as familiar as house- hold words. Thomas B. Reed stood in the front rank of men such as these, and in power, ability, mtegrity and strength of character, he was their peer and their equal. Like them, he was not only endowed with great intellectual pov/er, but like them also he was honest and upright in all his dealings with his fellow men. The smell of fire was never upon his garments. He never prostituted his great power and ability. Neither love for friend, nor fear of foe ever caused him to swerv^e the breadth of a single hair from what he believed to be right. His superb honesty and high conception of right, is strikingly evidenced by the fact that he was poor when he entered Congress, he remained poor while in Congress and he was poor when he left Congress. Yet his high position as the great Speaker of the National House of Repre- sentatives, together with the mighty influence and power which his exalted position gave him, must have opened before him THOMAS BRACKETT mS,D. 17 many questionable avenues of wealth, but with his strong sense of honor, he scorned to enter the golden doors so invitingly held open — a temptation to which a weaker man than he might have yielded. And the fact that he did not use his position and power for his own private gain, is one of the brightest gems in the crown of his great fame. When occasion required, he could strike mighty blows, but they were always struck on the side of what he believed to be right. And when he struck, he made himself felt. To be sure his blows were not like those of Salad in v/ho with a single deft stroke of his cimiter severed in twain the gossamer handkerchief floating in mid air, but rather they were like the blows of Richard, the lion-hearted, who with one stroke of his mighty sword cleft the ingot of iron. The State of Mame, without regard to party or creed, rejoices in his great fame which is a part of her glory. His name is written in letters of burnished gold, high in the list of her many illustrious sons and many long generations will pass away before Speaker Reed is forgotten by his State and country. REMARKS OF HON. GEORGE C. WING OF AUBURN, SENATOR FROM ANDROSCOGGIN COUNTY. Your Excellency and Gentlemen of the Assembly: Nearly nineteen hundred years ago the Divine Man, our Savior, pronounced an eulogium upon an absent friend in less than three lines, the burning words of which have outlived and outshone all contemporaneous panegyrics. "Among them that are born of women, there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist." These words, few and simple though they be, will last while time endures. When all the applause created by the fulsome praises spoken of the living and the dead during all the centuries which have intervened are forgotten, and the voices which gave utterance thereto and the echoes thereof are still and lost, this simple tribute will stand out boldly and grandly as the treasured expression of Him w^ho spoke as never man spake. The State of Maine, though less than a century old, has upon her roll the names of most distinguished and honorable sons, w^hose lives, characters and deeds are interwoven with the history of our country, and the management of its most important con- cerns ; statesmen of w^orldwide celebrity, with wise discrimina- tion and broad-minded integrity, who have paid obedience to no command but the will of heaven ; clergymen whose pious minis- trations in the quiet and peaceful circles of life have elevated the standard of public and private morals, and have been a solace and benediction ; heroes whose deeds of valor, performed in the line of duty for the cause of their country, are preserved in song and story, and whose names will ever be held in tenderest remembrance by a proud and grateful people; and poets, too, with felicity of thought and grace and charm of expression, THOMAS BRACKE;TT REI^D. I9 whose songs and verse are '^nng with pleasure and delight the world around — but no name among them all is more highly honored, and no memory more deeply treasured than that of my friend and your friend, our own citizen, the great commoner, Thomas B. Reed. He was to the manner born; he was our great representative citizen, bom, bred and educated in Maine, and during all that illustrious career which gave him a worldwide name and fame, he hailed from Maine, our own State, and his death was and is irreparable, not only to the world and the great city, that great metiopolis which he had made his business home, but to Maine, who claimed him as her own, her son. When the history of our own day and time is finally written, the name of Reed will occupy a full page, and when thereafter that page is read, a sigh of deep regret will ever express lament that the world was too early deprived of the originality, the mental vigor and prowess, and the positive character of this great man, while he was yet in the full enjoyment of complete .'Strength of mind and intellectual power. Let us not permit his name and fame to be forgotten. Let us cherish his noble and manly virtues and endeavor to kindle the fires of ambition within the hearts and minds of our youth to emulate his example, and may v/e set aside a place in our public archives where the memory of this great citizen shall be kept forever green. His was a busy life — a constant struggle, but a succession of most brilliant victories. When the end came and the light went out, all classes and conditions of men, representing all shades of opinion, at once paused to reverently and with uncovered head, give united expression of sincere sorrow at his death, to pay solemn tribute to his greatness, and sign the universal verdict of mankind throughout the world, that Thomas Brackett Reed was a Christian gentleman, a great and incorruptible statesman, an eminent, resourceful and accomplished lawyer, and an honest man. REMARKS OF HON. CYRQS W. DAVIS, REPRESENTA- TIVE FROM W/^TERVILLE. Vour Excellency and Gentlemen of the Assembly: This aug-ust assemblage, this hour this place echoing yet with the statesmanship of that distinguished citizen whose memory we cherish, admonishes us that the emotions of our hearts and not our spoken words, are the sincerest endorsement of the reso- lutions now before this Convention. In the words of Daniel Webster, "If there be anything in asso- ciations fit to affect the mind of man, we need not strive to repress the emotions which agitate us here." Your Excellency, a gigantic pine has fallen — reared in the grand old State of Maine, where excellence in statesmanship has ever been an object lesson to our youth; where in the light of the constitution is taught the fundamental doctrine that the nation rests in the cottage; that morality is the enduring basis of true greatness, Thomas Brackett Reed was a natural product ; and his inheritance of courage, of manliness, of independence, of adherence to principle, was but a logical sequence. These environs, these mental and moral furnishings, made his pathway from the obscure advocate in his native town in 1865, to membership in the House in 1868, to the Senate in 1870, to attorney general in 1871 and 1872, to the National House in 1877 and to the Speakership in 1889 and again in 1897, a royal highwav without crook or turn. Speaker Reed was too broad an American to adhere unfalter- ingly to party usage or yield to party pressure against his per- sonal convictions. He never subscribed to the toast: "Our country always right, but right or wrong, our country." THOMAS ERACIv3TT R^ED. 21 On the 27th of February, 1882, in that memorable Garfield memorial address in Congress, James G. Blaine made the asser- tion, that the three distinguished parliamentary leaders hitlierto developed in this country were, Clay, Douglass and Stevens. To this distinguished list must now be added the illustrious name of Reed; for while Clay at 64 took the control of the Whig Party from the President who had received their suffrages — with Webster and Choate opposed and while Douglass forced Con- gress into a repeal of the Missouri Compromise, and while Stevens advanced his parliamentary leadership until Congress tied the hands of the President, Mr. Reed against entrenched precedent and usage, compelled a reluctant House to legislate; and thus inaugurated a new departure from established parlia- mentary proceedings in the American Congress. W^ords faintly express our admiration for such a son of the Pine Tree State, or our loss in his departure from us. Did I say a gigantic pine had fallen? Let us change the shnile. A new fixed star shines in the Maine constellation; a star shines with lustre undimmed upon the pathway of duty and devotion to state and country which stretches before us. W"e have a truer conception of loyalty to high ideals because of this illustrious citizen. His niche in the Hall of Fame and his place on the illumined page of history are both secure. May the day never come when these stah\'art types of true American greatness under a Democracy cease to be a Maine product. Your Excellency, I heartily endorse the resolutions now before this joint convention. REMARKS OF HON. C. H. SMITH, REPRESENTA- TIVE FROM HARTLAND. Your Excellency and Gentlemen of the Assembly: It is not my purpose to attempt any extended eulogy on the illustrious life work of this illustrious statesman. It is not for me to seek to penetrate tlie veil and speak of him in that sphere as husband and father, as neighbor or townsman. More eloquent lips than mine can tell that which was his noblest calling and highest attainment. His love and affection for family and home. Others are here to tell the story of his kindness and loyalty to friend and kinsman. It is sufficient for me to con- tribute but a word, to bring a single flower of tender memory to add my little wreath of affectionate admiration in behalf of his sacred memory. W'ho of us, that have not observed while scan- ning the blue heavens above, with her millions of sparkling worlds, scattered sparingly here and there, a majestic star, pour- ing forth her richer and more radiant rays, surpassing all others. How true we find this of mankind. The laws of creation, having heir to us now and then a great and natural leader, towering far above his fellow beings, conspicuous among the distinguished sons reared from the rugged hills of the old Pine Tree State, is one whose name is not only familiar to the children of our every village, hamlet and town but of our South beneath her sunny skies, in distant California amid her fields of golden rocks, and yea, in far away New Zealand the name of Thomas Brackett Reed is written there. A soldier has fallen. A hero is dead. Not while on the battlefield, amid the rush of contending parties; nor while in gallant leadership, leading his party onward and onward in her THOMAS BRACKETT RE;ED. 23 every charge, with victor}' ever in hand, for he had laid down the gavel, and ceased to participate in the great political arena of his life. But we can never forget how we have known of him in this very hall, a leader of leaders, champion of champions. How we have known of him at Washington, confronted with the fiery blasts of jealousy and a divided house. How we have known of him as emancipating his people from the shackles of a filibustering contingent in the National House of Representa- tives. How we have known of him when our very hearts were beating that he might be selected as our standard bearer and chief miagistrate over the grandest Nation ever visited by man- kind. But he had met his final conqueror, and sank beneath his icy breath. Though silent is the grave, death can claim no victory. For that master mind, the handy work of the eternal God, will shine brighter day by day, while all others may grow dim with the space of time. His works are ended. No man can tell the results of his labors. But from memories shrine his name can never be effaced. The dreams of childhood and visions of old age vanish. Flowers bloom, blush and fade away. Stars fall from heaven and leave no trace behind them. But a life like Thomas Brackett Reed can never run its course and be for- gotten, and when the fettered fangs of eternity were bearing his soul away, his life was just beginning. REMARKS OF HON. ISAIAH K. STETSON OF BAN- GOR, SENATOR FROM PENOBSCOT COUNTY. Your Excellency and Gentlemen of the Assembly: I have been requested to add a few words to the noble thoughts which have been spoken to-day, expressing as they have, the sorrow we feel for the death of our illustrious statesman, Thomas B. Reed. We have listened to the history of his life, including as it has, his great services to our State and nation, and while the narra- tive was being told, we were conscious of a proud feeling for the man, who had made the name of our good old State illustrious in the legislative hall of our country, and as we listened, we pondered on the source and strength of his character, which indeed made him stand out as a man among men. It is worthy that our first thoughts should be given to grief, as we realize the loss our State and nation have sustained. A strong man has departed and those who have preceded me have given their estimate of his character, of his life and of his genius. They have expressed their sense of the great loss to our coun- try and to his friends. A loss incapable of repair, but a loss that fills us with patriotic pride and fondness, and one which we will cherish, and consign to historv, in the memory of a strong and great man. It was in this hall that he first promised to maintain the laws of our State, and it was here while a representative for two terms, that his voice was heard in defense of our State and her rights. THOMAS BRACKliTT REKD. 25 It IS well for US all, in the busy struggles and ambitions of life, when death has taken away a leader among men, to pause and to take one's thoughts away from worldly affairs, and bid the departed a farewell, before the "ranks close up and the column presses on." In this room, where we may almost fancy there may still linger some echo of his familiar voice, it is most appropriate that we pay our fond, just tribute to his virtues and his memory. We all realized his great mental attainments, and were con- scious of the great strength and breadth of his mind, for it is v/ell known that he was a lover of learning and he had that union of acuteness, judgment, and human feeling that makes a success- ful lawyer, and at the time of his death, he stood as one of the •'oremost jurists of our countrv. As wc review his life, the strong points in his character, which are hrmly impressed on my mind, are his great administrative ability, his snnplicity of personal qualities and his honesty and steadfastness of purpose. These characteristics, to me, stamped him as one of the strong- est of men, and what the greatest of the Greek historians said of Pericles, might equally well be said of our lamented friend : "He did not so much follow as lead the people, because he framed not his words to please them, like one who is gaining power by unworthy means, but was able and dared, on the strength of his high character, even to brave their anger by contradicting their will." In closing, I will add, that his name stands the highest in the lir^t of distinguished men who have occupied the great office of Speaker of the National House, and that to-day we mourn the loss of a distiiiR-uislied official and an honest man. REMARKS OF HON. JOSEPH W. PERKINS, REPRE- SENTATIVE FROM WILTON. Your Excellency and Gentlemen of the Assembly: I hope I shall not be considered obtrusive, if on this occasion for a brief momcnL, I mingle my humble voice with those whose ability I shall neither attempt or hope to equal, who have sought to do justice to the worth and memory of the deceased. There is a lesson taught no less in the death than in the life of every man — eminently so in the case of one who has filled a large space and occupied a distinguished position in the thoughts and regard of his fellow-men. Thomas Brackett Reed, born in Port- land, in 1839, received the advantages of an early school train- ing, and was graduated from Bowdoin College in i860. In succession he was twice a member of this House, a State senator, and attorney general. In 1876 he was elected a member of the National House of Representatives, and for twenty-two years, either as Speaker of the House or leader of the Republican forces, he was the central figure of that body. In 1899 he laid aside the cares, anxieties and honors of a political life and returned to the practice of law in the city of New York. By his death our coun- try has lost one of its most eminent citizens and statesmen. His distinguished services as representative. State senator and attor- ney general in his native State, and as representative and Speaker of the National House of Representatives, are inseparably con- nected with the history of his country. He has in all these positions, exhibited a wisdom and patriotism which have made a deep and lasting impression upon the grateful hearts of his countrymen. His character was formed and developed by the influence of our free institutions. That the physical, mental and THOMAS BRACKETT RIJEJD. 27 moral faculties of Mr. Reed were superior to those of most men, cannot be questioned. They were not cultivated, improved and directed by any influence or circumstances wholly outside him- self. The road to wealth, to honor and to fame was open to him only through his own efforts ; but he very soon made a deep and favorable impression upon the people of his native State, and upon the nation at large. His integrity, and his public and piivatc life were absolutely spotless, his habits -vvere temperate and his life simple. He loved hi. old Portland home and his friends in that city above all else. At the bar and in his legislative services, he manifested those high qualities as a public speaker, which have secured for him so much popular applause and admiration. His physical and mental organization eminently qualified him to become a great and impressive speaker. These personal advantages won the prepossessions of an audi- ence, even before lus intellectual powers began to move his hearers; and when his strong common sense, his profound reasoning, his clear conceptions of his subject in all its bearings, and his striking and beautiful illustrations, united with such per- sonal qualities were brought to the discussion of any question, hiS audience was enraptured and convinced. His voice is silent on earth forever. The darkness of death has obscured the luster of his eye. But the memory of his services, not only in the State of Maine, not only to the United States, but for the cause of right and progress throughout the world, will live through future ages, as a bright example, stimulating and encouraging his own coun- trymen and the people of all nations in their patriotic devotions to country and humanit>. REMARKS OF HON. HAROLD M. SEWALL, REPRE- SENTATIVE FROM BATH. Your Bxcellency and Gentlemen of the Assembly: Sagadahoc can la} claim to none of the pecuHar relations which existed between other constituencies represented here, and that leader and master of men who is gone. We were of his political household, but our seat was not at his table. Not even from the abundant surplus of our endorsement of the principles of his part}'- which we never failed to give, were we permitted to contribute to the suffrage which maintained him in that position his genius was so to exalt. He was educated, it IS true, in the classic shades just beyond our borders, and some of the chosen friends of his youth Vv'ere from our city. But these w ere ancient ties long since dissolved. He had become to us, in the vernacular of the coast, as a craft with whose build we were once familiar, but which had, since leaving us, acquired such breadth of beam, and draft of water, that w^e could no longer expect to see her navigate in our vicinity. Mr. President, eulogy, eulogy of the sort common to these occasions, eulogv without discrimination, seems out of place here. He would not have had it. It was distasteful to the living. It were scarcely less than disloyalty to the dead. Even this ceremony, so natural and gratifying to us, would not have been of his choosing. He believed that public servants v/ere trustees of the people's time, and that these ceremonies were wasteful of that time. He used to cite with approbation, you will remember, the instance of the death of that other great Commoner, John Bright, and the action of the British House Thomas brackett reed. 29 of Commons, which, when he died, decided it would best honor his memory by proceeding with the country's business. Speakmg, then, with the frankness which he demanded from others if they were to have his respect, we may not conceal the fact tl.at we did not always agree with him. But if he differed, he did not dissemble. And our troubles in life, whether in poli- tics or any otiier relation, come not from such men as he, but from such as he was not, from those who being all things to all men, end in the final analysis in being but one thing to all men, and that falsity itself. And this was his greatest service, that he made sincerity a jewel to be prized even in politics, and that he wrote down in the lexicon of politics, so that he who runs may read and read forever, the lack of sincerity as the basest and most unpardonable of sins. It cost him dear, it cost him success as a politician in the popular acceptation of the term, it cost him — who that knows will sa> what it did not cost him ? But all this was not to be in vain. Reed hastened the coming of another day, a day when public service shall be emancipated from the stigma too often attaching to it, the stigma of selfish- ness, of unworthy motives and corrupt methods, when public service shall stand for what he stood ^for, devotion to country, without fear and without reproach, for comparative poverty, too, if in this poverty it shall have been begun. And when that day comes, as come it must and will, men shall dare to proclaim themselves what they are, and not profess to be what they are not, to catch the passing fancy. It will be a day of intrepidity of intellect which will refuse, as his refused, to take on "the harness of routine and obsequiousness." Partisan- ship there shall be in that day, warm and ardent as was his own, but it shall be a partisanship which will elevate, as he elevated, political discussion to the plane of philosophy. A partisanship too v^hich shall recognize the truth as he recognized and declared it. that thrice in a century the time comes when it is the duty 30 MEMORIAL ADDRESSES. of every honest man "to reconsider his situation and to see if his party means what he means." Reed did this for j^osterity, if not for us, and posterity will account him great. The world did so while he was yet of it, and such a verdict history does not set aside. REMARKS OF HON. FORREST GOODWIN OF SKOW- HEGAN, SENATOR FROM SOMERSET COUNTY. Yotir Excellency and Gcntiemeii of the Assembly: I hold It one of the gieatest privileges of my life, in my humble way, to bring ihe tribute of one flower of love to lay upon the grave of him, whose death we mourn today ; and if every friend of his, throughout the length and breadth of this fair land, should bring but one flower to his grave, that grave would be a very v.'ilderness of flowers, wherein the odor of the orange blossoms of the South, and the roses of the West would mingle with the perfume oi the pine. For Mr. Reed had "troops" of friends. He was not, as has often been written, cold and cynical. He was a kind and lovable man ; genial and generous, sympathetic and loyal ; and those who were once admitted to the magic circle of his friendship, were bound to him by hooks of steel. He was smgularly pure in his private life, his habits, his thoughts and associates. I ne\er heard him utter a profane or improper word, or voice a sentiment that the purest lady in the land might not have heard. Mr. Reed was mlensely independent, absolutely self-reliant. Brave and courageous, he never weakened in the face of oppo- sition. Honest and incorruptible, he never "crooked the preg- nant knee, that thrift might follow fawning." After twenty years of public service, he laid down the gavel of the House, and, like Cincinnatus of old, returned to his early vocation to earn a competency for himself and family, as poor as when he entered the puolic service. A splendid commentary on the native integrity and honesty of a great statesman. An honorable 32 MEMORIAL ADDRE:SSES. example for the illustrious youth who would follow in his foot- steps. He never hurried, yet he was always prepared. He never did a great act but that he seemed capable of doing a greater. He was possessed to a wonderful degree of reserve power. The Speaker's room at Washington, during his rule, was the rendezvous of the brightest minds of our country. Eminent scientists, famous writers, powerful financial magnates, and great social leaders, all found in him a receptive mind and a sympa- thetic listener. He was a philosopher, accurate in his judgment of his fellow man. In a single sentence he could sum up the foibles and weak- ness of mankmd. Once, in the Speaker's room, during the quorum fight, a Southern Congressman came into the room, and told Mr. Reed, with extravagant praise, what a great man he was, that his ruling wab right, and only the stress of party politics made him oppose the same. Mr. Reed received it all with his usual politeness, and when the Congressman had retired, he turned in his chair and said, "You want to beware of a statesman, wuen he begins to exude molasses." He grasped a situation quickly, and at once perceived the weak points of his adversary's case. At one time after he had made his quorum ruling, he counted as present, those who refused to vote ; and his opponents rising from their seats, and wildly ges- ticulating, surged down the aisles, crying out "Czar! Usurper! Tyrant!" As soon as he could make himself heard his voice rang out m that inimitable drawl of his : "Will the gentlemen, who say they are not present, please resume their seats?" The sarcasm of that single sentence brought them to a realizing sense of the absurdity of their position, as nothing else could do. Before Mr. Reed, we had two great Speakers of the House of Representatives, Mr. Clay and Mr. Blaine. Both were aggres- sive, eager, earnest and quick to strike when the opportunity THOMAS BRACKETT REED. 33 offered. In sill this. Mr. Reed was their equal. But he was their superior in his abiUty to command and. lead his followers on to victory. He was the greatest parliamentarian our tountry has ever known. He dominated the House of Representatives. He ruled it with a master hand. 1 always think of Mr. Reed presiding over the House of Rep- resentatives, as some colossal god of mythology, dispensing justice to humanity, adored and loved by his followers; feared, yet admired by his enemies. Sir, the mystery of death has never yet been solved. We do not know, when we wrap the mantle of the grave about us, whether we shall lie down to dreamless sleep through all eternity, or shall awaken with the coming of another dawn in a new world, where the flowers always bloom and the birds forever sing. But, bir, if there is anything that teaches me to believe in immortality, and makes me think there is a life beyond the grave, it is the fact that the great mind, the comprehensive intellect, the loving heart and infinite genius of Thomas Brackett Reed cannot be lost and gone forever. Somewhere, in the great mystery of the future, that mighty spirit must be Vvorking out the problems of eternity, and waiting upon the other shore, with loving eagerness, for the coming of the loved ones, whom he left behind. The star that sets must rise again. In this legislative hall, Mr. Reed began his career, which cul- minated in so much honor and renown. It is eminently fitting, that, in this same hall, the people of the State he loved so well, should pay to him the last sad rites of mortality. His life work is o'er, but his influence will be felt as long as legislative bodies convene, or governments of, for and by the people endure. 34 MEMORIAL ADDRESSES. "Were a star quenched on high, For ages wouM its light. Still travelling downward from the sky, Shine on our mortal sight. So when a great man dies, For years beyond our ken, The light he leaves behind him, lies Upon the paths of men." I b PvEMARKS OF HOX. EDWARD C. SWETT, REPRE- SENTATIVE FRO^I PORTLAND. Your Excellency and Gentlemen of the Assembly: Whoever has visited die vSmithsonian Institute in Washington and looked upon the leHcs and mementoes of our great men, the arms and accoutrements of Grant, the desk of Lincohi, the pen of Webster, the uniform and equipments of Jackson, the stafif of FrankHn and the sword of Washington, has felt the natural impulse to take some of these objects in his hands, to poise and weigh and measure them, but has been deterred by the caution- ary placard "Not to be handled," placed there lest some too curious or careless hand should disturb the careful arrangement or expose some flaw or weakness which might damage or destroy the sacred relic. And often as we contemplate the lives and records of the dead, "de mortuis ml nisi bonum,'^ reminds us like the cautionary placard not to investigate or scrutinize too closely. But no such charitable precaution is necessary as we review the life of Thomas B. Reed. His bitterest enemy might write the record of his lite and if he set down nothing but the truth, his dearest friend would not desire to expurgate a page or para- graph. Ilis character, like virgin gold, withstands the acid of all criticism. He was not typical. He was unique. He suggests no other statesman whom the English-speaking world has produced. He coxubined the brilliant power of leadership of James G. Blaine, the rugged honesty of Hannibal Hamlin, the puritan integrity of purpose of William Pitt Fessenden, the simple modesty of Grant, the wit and humor of Lincoln, the profound k 36 MEMORIAL ADDRESSE;S. v/isdom of Webster, the dauntless determination of Jackson, the Iveen philosophy of Franklin, and the pure patriotism of Wash- ington, with a body, brain, heart, soul and mind of equal titanic stature. "The front of Jove himself, An eye Hke Mars, to threaten and command ; A combination and a form indeed, Where every god did seem to set his seal To give the world assurance of a man." And from the Canada line to the Rio Grande, from the Atlantic to the Paciiic ocean, in all the length and breadth of our fair land, there '.vas nothing that was more American than he. It has been said that no man of our times in Congress, has been less understood, outside of Washington. Two comments frequently made show how superficial and uninformed was thel general opmion of him throughout the country. One was that he was not a constructi've statesman, and the other that he could not mai^ as Speaker of the House. He was a? easily pre-eminent in private life as in public office. He was welcomed to the highest circles of literature and art ; and hou ever numerous or distinguished was the company, "where the Alacgregor sat. Avas the head of the table." As Speaker of the House of Representa.tives of the United States he towered m the vanguard of a line of brilliant statesmen. ^ ifO