Page:The American Magazine (1906-1956) - volume 73.pdf/161



From the collection of F.H. Meserve, New YorkCopyright by A. Dupont

THOMAS B. REED

"Reed impressed one with his power. He was rough and sharp and strong. He was one of the ablest men in either house of Congress- next to Sherman, who was a broader statesman, perhaps the ablest"

until one by one they dropped back into their places.

Reed appointed me a member of the Ways and Means Committee, which was then as now the leading committee of the House. Among its members were an unusually talented group of men. On the Republican side were McKindley, the chairman, who afterwards became President' McKenna, now a member of the Supreme Court; Burrows of Michigan, who went to the Senate; Dingley of Maine, and Payne of New York, both of whom afterwards became leaders of the House; Bayne of Pennsylvania; Gear of Iowa, afterwards United States Senator. On the Democratic side were Carlisle of Kentucky, afterwards Senator and Secretary of the Treasury; Flower of New York who served as governor of his State; Roger Q. Mills of Texas, author of the Mills bill, and afterwards United States Senator; Breckenridge of Arkansas, afterwards Minister to Russia, and McMillan of Tennessee, afterwards governor of his State.

I was younger than any of the other members. I think my appointment came largely as the result of a speech I made on the tariff 145