Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1866-06-15
gglatrbman " Stair JuurnaI.
by Il p. WALTON.
MONTPELIER, JUNE Is, 1866.
non U. S. sENATOK, JUsTIN s. MORRILL,.

MONTPELIER, JUNE 10, 1866.
FOR U. S. SENATOR, JUSTIN S. MORRILL,.
Our readers will observe that Mr.. Morrill, has
declined further service in the House of Repre-
sentatyes at Washington. This may be fairly in
terpreted as his answer to those who in the inter-
est of Judge Poland have insisted that Mr.. Nor
rill's services in the House are so valuable to the
State and the nation that they cannot be dispensed
with In fact, we may 60 further without danger
of mistake, and say that Mr. Morrill, quits the
House to be a candidate for the Senate Is he
right2 Is he Just to his constituents, who have
generously and nobly sustained him; just to the
State which is proud Of him; and just to the ma
ton, which needs him We hold that any man.
who seeks public service and succeeds in it in any
considerable degree beyond his fellows, is no lon
ger bis own man, but the servant Of the public
lie may decline, as Mr.. Morrill, has done again
and again. so as to give the people full opportu-
nifty to select another without embarrassment
Any man who duly respects his constituents, or
who recognizes the deserts Of other candidates for
public favor and service, should and would do this
But if the people require his service we hold that
he cannot honorably or Justly refuse it, IT, then,
the question were to excuse Mr.. Morrill, from
further service in Congress, should say at once
that he must not be excused and ought not to ask
it. This, fortunately, is not the question, but
rather whether Mr.. MorrilI's desire to be trans
ferred from the House to the Senate is not lust
and reasonable? We have affirmed the obligation
a Mr.. Morrill, to the public. He does not deny
it he does not refuse TO serve but he desires to
continue his service in another position. In Short
he desires promotion. Is it unreasonable? Does
the public nothing to him9 Let us state a
few facts Vermont has had no man, either in
the Senate or the House, who in the same period
Of time has equalled Mr. Morrill, in the number of
important public acts he has originated and in the
uniformity Of his success in securing their enact
ment. He has not always succeeded the first time,
it is true but ultimately he has always succeeded
We recall the most important, viz the act against
polygamy in Utah the Agricultural College act
the abrogation Of the Reciprocity Treaty, and va
rious tariffs and tax acts. All are Of more than
ordinary Importance, and the two last named are
! in the most delicate, difficult and indispensable
branches Of legislation. 1--WE were beaten "
! said distinguished rebel "not by superior bra
very or skill in arms, but by fnancierng" II
and Means Committee was deyoved the duty OF
furnishing the sinews Of war, and Mr. Morrill, was
2 its leading working member. II was a hard task
TO adapt tariffs and tax-acts to the exgences OF
the times even though backed by a generous and
uncomplaining people. The money must be got
without running the business Of the country else
there would be money wherewith to pay the
taxes Easy enough 10 would have been 70 heap
, burden upon burden, tax upon tax but it was
q not easy so to do it as TO enable the people to
bear them all, aud pay more and more as the ne
cessities OF the case demanded. Anybody could
kill the goose that lay the golden egg but where
, would he get the golden eggs after that? Mr..
Morrls task was to take away our money, and
yet not impoyensh US yea, let US become the
richer for IL. And he has done it. So much for
his seryices-special services, we mean in addition
to the routine Of congressional action and debate
in which Mr.. Morrill, has also done his share and
done it we'll But, moreover. be has filed the
measure Of his glory in the House. He is the
head Of It's first committee in dignity. There is
no higher station, alone the Speakers chair,
and for that position Mr.. Morrill, lacks an ndis-
pensable quality-a clear. piercing voice, with
rapid utieraess- lie has reached, then, the high
est position Of dignity and usefulness in the House,
by his intelligence, urbanity, industry, tact and
unbending integrity. He has served his State and
country nobly. Is it unreasonable in bis friends,
or in Mr.. Morrill, himself TO feel that, when the
opportunity for fit reward comes, it would be
unjust to withhold it from him and give it to an
other who, however tit in other respects, has had
no such experience and rendered no such service ?
Surely. looking at this as a personal matter only
with Mr.. Morrill,, we must say that he is not un-
-, reasonable in desiring and expecting an election
10 the Senate Nor will il be unreasonable in the
State to put him there for another and a higher
reason; mean for the public good. The Sem
> ate needs him, Vermont and New England spe-
cially need him there The very qualities that
make him so useful and necessary in the House are
( wanted in the Senate Senators Fessenden and
Sherman are now the leading aud laboring men in
: the field in which Mr.. Morrill, is the leader and
chief laborer in the House. Mr. Fessenden, we
have reason TO know, longs for relief, at least
for assistance in labors too great for his physical
strength. Mr.. Sherman is specially bound to
Western interests. To whom, then, is New Eng
land to look TO watch her combined agricultural
manufacturing commercial and financial interests
in the Senate? Where is there New England
Senator, Mr.. Fessenden excepted, fitted for the
great task as Mr.. Morrill, is fttedP We do no in
Justice to anybody in saying there is none, because
there is certainly no Senator who has ever indi-
Gated such fitness We should do injustice doubt
less were we to charge them with hiding their tai
ent in napkin, We do but suggest this point,
to show that on the higher ground Of public in
terest, as well as the ground Of personal JUS
tice, il is fit to send Mr.. Morrill, to the Senate
One consideration more in justification Of Mr.
Morrilrs position a candidate for the Senate
1t is undoubtedly in accordance with the wishes of
by far the larger part of his constituents, We
cheeriully admit the strength of Judge Poland
in the County of Caledonia; and, were we to 20
out of the district, should also admit that his
strength is superior in some other directions. We
admit, too, that most Of the lawyers throughout
the State, from professional pride and personal
! friendship, prefer Judge Poland. It is natural in
them, but by no means just. The people of Yer
mont we believe, do not acknowledge an aristoc-
racy of lawyers, or of any other sort, with pre-