Reed, Thomas Brackett

Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)

Thomas Brackett (1839-1902), an American congressman. He was born at Portland, Maine. He was graduated from Bowdoin in 1860, a prize winner in English composition. During the early years of the Civil War he opened a law office in California, but later served as a paymaster in the Army of the Tennessee. At the close of the war he located in his native city, and soon entered state politics. After serving various terms in the state legislature he was sent to Congress, in which body he represented his district from 1876 to 1899. He was a ready debater, a cool, determined partisan. He became the acknowledged leader of the Republicans, and in 1889 he was chosen speaker of the House. In order to prevent the delay of business by filibustering tactics on the part of the opposition, and also to discipline and punish members of his own party who showed independence, he secured a quorum by counting all members present who were in sight, whether they chose to answer roll call or not. Another arbitrary rule required a member desiring to speak or to offer a resolution to obtain previous consent. In this way a member obnoxious to the presiding officer was effectually suppressed. The chief argument advanced in favor of such a procedure is that the lower house is now so large that discipline is requisite in order to transact business. In 1896 Reed was defeated by McKinley for the presidential nomination. He retired from Congress soon after and engaged in the practice of law in New York City. He is best known to librarians as the compiler of a series of volumes of modern oratory; to school boys he is the compiler of Reed's Rules of Parliamentary Procedure.