PEN PICTURE OF KEED ] He Is an Autocrat, But a Very Pleasant Man to Mest. tt hrn Xot KxeroUluir III* Function* «» Speaker He IN l.ovnble, lull of fan, Uriiinl nnil I iiimuull)' Fitter culnl uu. [Special Washington Letter.] Thotiias Brackett Keed, speaker of the national house of representatives. Is possessed of autocratic power. Politicians and editors throughout the country have made all manner of comment concerning him and his meth ods; but only those who are perfectly familiar with congressional affairs can understand the real situation. It is true that the speaker has com plete mastery of the house of repre sentatives, and that he exercises his au- THOMAS B. REED. (How He Looked at the Beginning of His Congressional Career.) thority as ruthlessly as the czar of Rus sia controls his broad domain. Speaker lieed has often been called the czar because of his determined character; but there is a vast difference between the real czar and the man who rules our bouse of representatives. The czar of Kussia was born to pow er; and by divine right wields that power as long as he lives. The speaker of the house of representatives exer cises complete power within his legisla tive domain; but that powerisconferred upon him by a majority of the house of representatives. Whenever at any time the speaker goes beyond that which is deemed right and proper by the majority he may be deposed and another representative be elected in his place. Therefore must be under stood that so long as Speaker Keed ex erts such wonderful power in the na tional house of representatives he is'' simply the mouthpiece of the majority And his every act has their sanction. The people are apt to form erroneous opinions concerning men whose names are seen in print. If half the stories in criticism of big Tom Keed were true, the people might well believe him to be a sort of hobgoblin or other fearsome creature. But, as a matter of fact, his individuality is such that he .j really a lovable character. This great limn from the Pine Tree state is not an accident, but a growth. When he first came to congress he was on a par with every other representa tive of the people. At that time he at tracted attention only because he was a Jarf-e man physically, ilis large round head was covered with a crop of silky auburn hair, and on his upper lip there grew a delicate little boyish mustache. To-day he is bald, without a mustache, and his general appearance in some de gree warranted the jocular appellation which was given him by Amos Cum in ings, "the moon-faced czar." During all tire years of his continu ous service Mr. Keed increased in strength, and every year he more and more commanded attention for his in tellectual abilities. As he grew in knowledge of parliamentary law and legislative procedures he assumed prominence in ail debates. Moreover, it became apparent to all of his asso ciates that he was a grow ing man and a strong man, whose arguments usually demonstrated that he was reaching cor rect conclusions. Bis fellow repre sentatives Degan to consult him and seek his advice on all important occa sions, so that alter a lapse of years he gradually grew into the confidence of the strong men of his party, until lead ership was gtvea him by election to the speakership. As the leading republican member of the committee on ways and means, in the Forty-ninth and Fifty-first con presses, Mr. Keed was recognized as the lloor leader of his party. When the Fifty-first congress convened, with a small republican majority, Mr. Keed was a candidate for the speakership. The other candidates were Mr. Burrows, of Michigan; Mr. Henderson, of lowa, and Maj. McKinley, of Ohio. The con test was a warm one for about ten days, and when the republican caucus met Mr. Keed had a majority over all, and was elected speaker. Very soon after assuming the chair he made a rule con cerning a quorum of the house of rep resentatives which excited a bitter con troversy of a virulent partisan char acter. He claimed that under the con stitution of the United States when there was a quorum visible the house ecu id do business. Previous to that time it had been generally understood that there must be a quorum "present and voting." Mr. Keed maintained that it was only necessary to have a quorum "present." Therefore although the minority mem bers were present and declined to vote, Mr. Keed called those present by name and caused the clerk to mark them down as "present aud not voting." But Iht* mere tact that they were present made up the quorum, which is a major ity of the house, ami business proceed ed. Two or three years afterwards this interpretation of the constitution was indorsed by the supreme court of the United States, and also by the demo cratic party when it had a majority in the house of representatives. When Mr. Keed, as speaker of the houae of representatives, announced the chairmen an£ members of the cf/ n mittees of the house, he appointed Maj. McKinley chairman of the committed on ways and means. A tariff bill was passed which w:is called the McKinley bill. All bills of that character are named after the chairmen of the com mittees in which they originate. Al though Speaker lleed was the recog nized leader of his party the McKinley bill was spoken of so often in print that the reputation of Maj. McKinley be came national, and that fact was large ly instrumental in bringing about his subsequent election as governor of Ohio and president of the I"nitedStates. There are a great many "ifs" in the po litical world, andoneof them most often used by friends of 'l'om Heed goes with the expression: "If McKinley had been elected speaker of the Fifty-first con gress, and Tom Keed had been made chairman of ways and means, sis he would have been, the country would have had a tariff bill called the Keed bill, and Tom Keed might have reached the presidency as McKinley reached it." The speaker of the bouse of repre sentatives occupies an exalted position. It is very difficult to secure access to him. Strangers in Washington must have their representatives or senators goto his office room with them in order to pass the door where a sable messen ger guards the entrance. liy the way, that messenger is the son of an African- American Methodist Kpiseopal bishop. There is no assumption of authority in this official condition. Speaker Keed is obliged to he exclusive and bar the public out, because he has so much busi ness to attend to that he cannot have time to indulge in social greetings. Nevertheless, whenever a senator or member of congress goes to his office, the door is promptly opened and the I visitors are permitted to enter. Kvery ' body who calls with a right to enter his j room finds there a genial gentleman, j who is one of the most entertaining 1 men in this country; or, for that mat -1 ter, in the world. Just a few months ago, a distin guished editor in a northwestern eity , visited Washington with his daughter j in-law, and was viewing the rotunda of | the capitol when Speaker Keed passed through that spacious place. A news paper man who is well acquainted with Mr. lieed called to him and said: "Are you in very much of a hurry?" ! "I am always in a hurry," said Mr. lieed, "but I can steal a little time for ; a friend even when I am busy." | "Well, 1 want to introduce a couple of friends who are visiting Washington for the first and only time in their | lives," said the newspaper man. "Jn such a case," said Mr. Keed, "I ] will steal an hour if necessary. I am always glad to meet people who come to the capital city of their country." Then, taking the hand of the north western editor and his daughter-in-law, Mr. Keed said: "I must congratulate you on your good fortune. You are see ing the national capital on a day when the weather is good, and your sight seeing cannot be interrupted by heavy, i cloudy skies, or disagreeable fogs and ! drizzling rains. It is always a pleasure | to me to meet with visitors here." • No man in private life, in a black ! smith shop, in a carpenter shop, a clerk in a store or a worker in a machine shop could have been more affable and polite and agreeable than was this big man from Maine, when introduced to ; strangers who were viewing the capitol building in the capital eity. Jie is a THOMAS B. REED. ! (From the Latest Portrait of the Speaker of the House.) i very strong man and a very conse.-vn- I tive man, but he is, all the tini*, a | gentle man. The chief justice of the supreme court of the L'nited States, Melville W. Ful >er; the president pro tempore of the United States senate, William I*. Five; the speaker of the national house of repre sentatives, Thomas Brackett Keed, and other distinguished citizens and offi cials who are alumni of Covvdoin col lege, had a meeting here recently, and Speaker Keed, who is a graduate of that college, said: "If anyone had told me when I wis at Bowdoin that I would ever run for con gress or that I should ever be elected if 1 did run for that or any other political office, I should never have believed it." Mr. Keed said as he looked back upon his college days it was not the bright fellows who had prospered who had the largest place in his heart, but that place was given to some of the "scapegraces." That picture of Speaker Keed at a banquet among his friends show* him to very good advantage. Nevertheless he is entirely human and just like lots of people whom you know, and who may be possessed of similar ability, but have not had political opportunities. SMITH I). FRY. Sincere rrlcmUliip. This is what Mrs. Kivers said to her husband: "Tell your friend Brooks to come to our little V'ogner musacale next Tues day evening." This is what Kivers said to his friend: "Brooks, the club my wife belongs to has arranged to have a Wagner dis turbance at our house next Tuesday night. Trump up some other engage ment, old man, and send regrets."— Chicago Tribune. CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, MAY 12, 1898. UNLUCKY DONS. ■fho Cruiser Marblehead Captures the Steamer Argonaut. Several Spanish Army Officers Were on Hoard. Anion); Tliein a Colonel of Infantry Who In halt! to lie a llroth«r-ln-Law of (ien. Weyler. Key West, May 4.— The Spanish mail steamer Argonaut was convoyed into Key West harbor by the United States cruiser Marblehead yesterday. It ap pears that Col. Vineente de Cortijo, of the Third Spanish cavalry, who with 19 other army officers was taken on the prize, is a brother-in-law of (ien. Wey ler. Cortijo denies this, hut it is learned from good sources that he sus tains this relationship to the former governor general of Cuba. 11 is cap tors are elated. Cortijo and the other officers were transferred to the Guido and the privates to the Ambrosio Boli var, two other trophies of the war that are lying in the harbor. The Argonaut herself is no mean prize, being of 1,000 tons burden, but the value of the capture lies mainly in the prisoners of war and the mail mat ter going to (ien. Itlanco. Her cargo was general merchandise with a largo quantity of arms and ammunition in tended for the Spanish troops in Cuba. The gunboat Castine has proved her prowess as well as the more redoubta ble ships of the squadron. Sunday morning she went near Cabanas and anchored only about a mile from the fortifications, which are a sort of com posite of fort and block house. Then she sent her steam cutter in until it was within a thousand yards of the. fort. There the cutter made sound ings and observations for half an hour, after which she returned to ship un molested. A number of persons were clearly observed about the fort. They watched the operations with apparent interest, but offered no hostile sign. Two unfortunate accidents occurred tin the ships during the last few days. While the flagship New York was ly ing at Matanzas a sergeant of ma rines dropped his pistol, which ex ploded, the bullet striking William Taylor, an apprentice, and passing through his stomach and lungs. Tay lor's condition is serious, but he has a chance for recovery. Tuesday morning while the crew ot the cruiser Cincinnati was drilling in the harbor, t ball got mixed with dummy cartridges and.l. S. Comex, gunner's mate, was shot through the jaw. IN DESPERATE STRAITS. Thousands of Havana** Resident** are In Danger «»f Starvation —Troops in Kattteru C'nlia are Also in a Had Way. Key West, May 6. —The mail bags on the Spanish steamer Argonaut, which was brought in by the Marblehead on Wednesday, may prove a most impor tant capture. There were 1 " in all. They contained mail both to and from Havana. One letter from Havana, un der date of April -0, spoke of suffering among the poorer classes of the popu lation, who ware entirely without means of support. The writer himself said he did not known where he was to get his dinner. Another letter spoke of suffering, but apparently the gov ernment had a fair amount of supplies for the soldiers. A large amount of rice had been imported by speculators who fores iw the blockade and placed it in a warehouse. Blanco was ex pected to seize this rice. The Argonaut had a cargo chiefly of provisions in tended for Havana. The mail taken showed that the con dition of the Spanish in eastern Cuba was desperate. They were then on the point of yielding some of the smaller garrisoned cities held by them. WRECKED THE BANK. of it Concern »t Cart lii»«c, N. Y., Disappears After Stealing St IO.OIM), Carthage, X. Y., May 4.—The follow ing notice appeared on the doors of the First national bank yesterday: "No tice to depositors—The president of this bank, K. 11. Myers, has absconded and as the directors ascertained last night that his accounts are short they have ordered the bank closed for a more thorough examination. Deposi tors will doubtless be paid at an early date." The news of the defalcation of Myers, who was a leading citizen, caused a run on the Carthage Savings bank, which may be obliged to close ita doors, although that institution is un questionably sound. Mr. Myers had been defrauding the bank for eight years. The amount of the defalcation is estimated a t 8110,- 000. Myers' whereabouts are said to be unknown. Co ii rent ration of Troops at Tampa. Tampa, 11a., May 3. —Eleven regi ments of infantry, one of cavalry and ten light batteries of artillery are now concentrated at Tampa and Port Tam pa, making a force of about 7,000 men. All the troops recently ordered hero from Mobile, New Orleans and Chicka tnauga have arrived. It is generally believed in Tampa that this force will be augmented in the near future by at least two regiments of cavalry from Chickamauga, besides the artillery. Two recruiting offices were opened iu Tampa Monday for enlistment of Cu bans for Gomez' army. The specifica tions allow only young unmarried men to enlist. It is believed at least 7UU will respond to the call. A Hot. Time in l'ortn Itico. boston. May 4.- —The brig Scepter antl the schooner bravo, both British vessels from St. Johns, I'orto Kico, ar rived Tuesday. Their captains report that the excitement at I'orto Rico when they left that city was intense. The eld Spanish settlers were strong ly on the side of Spain, while the na tive element was strongly in favor of independence. Americans and En glishmen are not safe at St. Johns. Two American correspondents wero arrested and one was sent to St. Thomas on a French war vessel. A serious disturbance had taken place in the interior. CAPTURE OF PORTO BELLO. The I'lrate Morgan Forced Monks and Nnit» to I'late Settling Laddera Against the Walla. The buccaneers found Porto Bello a hard nut to crack; they landed and marched upon the town, which was de fended by several forts or castles. Even when one of these bad been cap tured by assault and blown up with all its garrison, who had been taken pris oners, still the town was not intimi dated. The governor vowed he would never surrender, but would die fight ing to the last. In vain the pirates made desperate efforts to capture the principal fort, and Morgan be gan to dispair. The garrison was strong and well commanded, and when ever the pirates attempted to scale the wall they were shot down, or fire pots full of powder mixed with stones and other missiles were hurled upon them. At last the wily Morgan had an idea. He set his men to work to make some ladders long enough to reach the top of the walls and wide enough to allow three or four togo up abreast. If he could get these properly set up, his crew of desperate tigercats could make a combined rush, and get over the walls. But it was not Morgan's plan that these men should lose their lives in getting up these ladders. He had cap tured some convents in the suburbs of the town, with a number of nuns and monks, and he now ordered these poor creatures, the women as well as the men, to place the ladders against the walls, believing that the Spanish gov ernor would not allow his soldiers to fire upon these innocent persons. But the governor was determined to defend the town, no matter who had to suffer, and so the soldiers tired at the nuns and the monks just as though they were buccaneers or any other enemies. The poor creatures cried out iu terror and begged their friends not to*fire upon them, but the soldiers obeyed the command of the governor, and the pirates were close behind them, and threatened them with their pistols, and so the poor nuns and monks had to press forward, many of them dropping dead or wounded. They continued their work until the ladders were placed and then over the wall swept the pirates with yells and howls of triumph, and it was not long after that the town was taken. The brave governor died fight ing in the principal fort, and the citi zens and soldiers all united in the most vigorous defense, but it was useless.— Frank li. Stockton, in St. Nicholas. DISCOVERS ELECTRIC FLUID. "FlectrolH** Causing a Cireat Sensation In Europe—l-atest Discovery at Tliebes. The London letter says that the week's discoveries have been most in teresting. Rychnowsky, the electri cian of Lemberg, claims to have dis covered an electric fluid which he calls "electrois." The discovery has caused a great sensation on the continent. He obtains it by electrolysis; but it is not identical with electricity. Its effects are declared to be startling, producing light and causing Geisslcr tubes to emit fluorescent rays. It works pho toeheinieally, rotates objects in midair, produces whirlpools in water and kills bacteria. Metal and glass thereby can be charged with electricity, and the magnet needle changes directly under Its influence. From Egypt came reports of the dis covery at Thebes of the tombs of Atnen ophis 11.. who reigned B. C. 1500, of Thotmes IV., of Amt-nophis 111. and Rameses IV., V.and VI. All the bod ies are said to be in a splendid state of preservation. True (areatneftft. "I am in favor of war!" shouted the politician, addressing a crowd of voters whom lie wished to give hire the benefit of their suffrages. "1 believe in a for eign policy that will be felt from Chiua to Cuba, from Moscow to Mudstock. I believe in the virtue of American arms. I worship the old Stars and Stripes. I believe in raising on high, on all occar sions—" He glanced around and saw that his audience was composed mainly of farmers—"the price of wheat." His patriotic war spirit won him the pledge of a vote from every man pres ent. —X. Y. World. A Stunning Eiamplr. Professor (to class in philosophy) —Now, Johnnie, give me examples of tne extremes of softness and hardness. Johnnie Bright—The dude and his dia mond siud.—Jewiler'g Weekly. Popular airs rnnv be catching, but it takes ■ good tire to hold tliein. —Chicago News. Harold Frederic day will yet come when Paris will repent her hasty condemna tion of M. Zola, and name a street for him. Wo suppose what Air. Frederic really means to say is that Paris will rue it. —Boston Her aid. "I hear that the crowd assailed you when vou appeared at the Plunkvilie opera house." 'False, me boy, false," replied the eminent tragedian, Mr. Barnes Torrner; "all false. There was no crowd." —Indianapolis Jour nal. Flirk—"Call him a musician! Why, he doesn't know the difference between a noc turne anil a symphony." Flack—"You don't mean it?" And they hurry to get away from one another. Each is terribly afraid that the other will n«k : "Bvthewav, what is the difference?"— Boston Transcript. A musician that can play all kinds of in struments beats the hand.—Chicago News. It is only in aeeord with the eternal fitness of things I hat miss, kiss and bliss rhyme to gether.—Chicago Daily News. The man who is domiciled in a village boarding house has no use for a local news paper.—Chicago Daily News. Some men try to accomplish great things not because they are ambitious, but because they lack sense. —Atchison Globe. The most enjoyment a woman gets out of owning a house is to be allowed to dri-e a nail wherever she pleases.—Washington Democrat. A great many are apt to judge people by their knowledge of cut glass.—Washington Democrat. When a-woman tries, she can invent more meanness than a dozen men. —Washington Democrat. The farm and the garden are the best gold diggings.—Ram's Horn. Envy bites its ke«per.—Ram's Horn. ASTHMA'S PROGRESS. From Cold to Cure. i No relief in other remedies. There are many medicine* that palliate asthma. There are few that do more than relieve for a time the oppressed breathing of the sufferer. There are few diseases more troublesome and more irritating than asthma. It interferes alike with business and with pleasure. It prevents enjoyment of the day and makes the night a terror. A remedy for asthma would be hailed by thousands as the greatest possi ble boou that could be offered them. There is a remedy for asthma. I>r. J. C. Ayer's Cherry Pectoral has cured hundreds of cases of this disease, and testimonials to its efficacy from those who have tried the remedy are multiplying with every year. The cases presented in the testimonials that follow, may be taken as exemplifying the quick and radical action of this great remedy. "About a year ago. T caught a bad cold which resulted in asthma so severe that I was threatened with suffocation whenever I attempted to lie down on my bed. A friend recommending Ayer's Cherry Pec toral, I began to take it, and soon obtained relief, and.finally, was completely cured. Since then, I have used this medicine in my family with great success for colds, coughs, and croup."— S. Hutter, Editor " Kolink " (Polish), Stevens Point, Wis. "While on the Gasconade River, Ga., I lion's Ibis? We offer One Hundred Dollars Reward for any ease of Catarrh that cannot be cured by Hall's Catarrh Cure. F. J. Cheney & Co., l'rops., Toledo, O. We, the undersigned, have known F. ,T. Cheney for the last 15 years, and believe him perfectly honorable in all business transac tions and financially able to carry out any obligations made by their firm. West & Truax, Wholesale Druggistn, To ledo, O. Walding, Kinnan & Marvin, Wholesale Druggists, Toledo, O. Hall's Catarrh Cure is taken internally, acting directly upon the blood and mucous surfaces of the system. Price 75c. per bot tle. Sold by all Druggists. Testimonials free. Hall's Family Pills are the best. Clrcntnen* Ilrragnlird, Stranger—What's going on here to-day? There seems to be a celebration of some kind in progress. Native —Yes; we're givin' Cy Simpson a little blow-out on gittin' back from the city without buyin' a gold brick. He's the first citizen of this place that ever done it. —Chi- cago Evening News. Give the Children n Drink called Grain-O. It is a delicious, appetizing, nourishing food drink to take the place of coffee. Sold by all grocers and liked by all wlic have used it, because when properly prepared it tastes like the finest coffee but is free from all its injurious properties. Grain-0 aids digestion and strengthens the nerves. It is not a stimulant but a health builder, and children, as well as adults, can drink it with great benefit. Costs about las much as coffee. 15 and 25c. Antl lie Get* It. Ted —What kind of a fellow is it that buys green goods? Ned —He must be a man who wants money bad.—X. Y r . Journal. Dropsy treated free by Dr. 11. 11. Green's Sons, of Atlanta, Ga. The greatest dropsy specialists in the world. Read their adver tisement in another column of this paper. Manhood. —Obedience, submission, dis cipline, courage—these are among the char acteristics which make a man. Samuel Smiles. I could not get along without Piso's Cure for Consumption. It always cures. —Mrs. E. C. Moulton, Xeedbam, Mass., Oct. 22, '94. ATTRACTIVE WOMEN. Fullness of Health Makes Sweet Dispositions and Happy Home a. [EXTRACTS FROM MRS. PINKHAM'S NOTE BOOK.] Woman's greatest gift is the power to inspire admiration, respect and lora> There is a beauty in health which is more attractive to men than To be a successful wife, to retain the lot* and admiration of her husband, should, be » woman's constant stud}-. At the first indict TOik tionof ill health, painful menses, painsintho V side,headacheorbackache,secure Lydi&E» eeetab i^ ompo ' nd ' a wonderful remedy has done fo* me. Without it I would by thla I mc ' l^ lTe keen dead or worm, J 112 pain in my back and head waa / \ terics and fainting spells. Mycasewason» 112 ■/ that was given up by two of the best doctors in Brooklyn. I had given up myself; as I had tried so many things, I believed nothing would ever do me any good. But, thanks toyou* medicine, I am now well and strong; in fact, another person entirely." If you are puzzled about yourself, write freely and fully to Mrs. Pinkham, Lynn, Mass., and secure the advice which she offers free of charge to all women. This is the advice ttiat has brought sunshine into many homes which nervou»* ness and irritability had nearly wrecked. L.vd'aE.Plnkliam'sVesetaMeComoonnd: a Woman's RemedyforWoman'sllte ij THE POT CALLED THE KETTLE BLACK ft BECAUSE THE HOUSEWIFE Ij DIDN'T USE , I READERS OF THIS PAPKR DKMItINU TO BUY ANYTHING AI>VKHTISKD IN ITS COLUMNS SUOUI.D INSIST UPON HA VINO WHAT THEY ASK FOR, REFUSING ALB SUBSTITUTES OR IMITATIONS. GIVENAW^w^^^ body R«ndlx»g TWO annual autoacriptiona at • 1 r»rktok WFI I MAOHINERY-The KIND that EARNS ! VVLLL MclUC'y.LuuiUdfftfUlua, Tifliu, Obld. A. N. K.-C 17Q7 |«1 CURES WHERE ALL ELSE FAILS. El |qh Best Cough Syrup. Titetes Good. Use Ptf, Cu In time. Sold br druggists. F1 7