Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-01-19
UNITED STATES SENATOR,

The Legislature went into the election
of a United States Senator yesterday to
fill out the remaining part of MIR. Fessen-
denis term. The act of Congress provides
that the Legislature, in an election OF
Senator must go into IL ballot on the Sec
ond Tuesday after the organization Is
completed Each branch votes by itself.
and the following day "Wednesday they
must meet in joint convention and declare
their votes If the same person shall
have received IA majority of the votes cast
in each House he shall be declared elect
ed. Yesterday being the second Tuesday
after the completion of the organization
of the Legislature, the vote of each House
was taken. The result was that Lot NJ.
Morrill, received one hundred votes in the
House and twenty-seven in the Senate,
and Isaac Reed received twenty in the
House and three in the Senate To-day,
in Joint convention, Mr.. Morrill, will be
declared elected United States Senator.
MIR. Reed was once the wing candidate
for governor, but since the breaking up
of the wing party has acted with the demo
cratic party, and is member of the
present Legislature from the democratic
town of Waldoboro'.
Lot NJ Morrill, was born in the town of
Belgrade in 1870 and is now in the Doth
wear of his age He studied at Watervillc
College, and upon graduating commenced
the study of Law, and entered upon its
practice rs the business of his life. Like
the most of our lawyers he was tempted
into politics. He acted with the demo-
cratic party until the formation of the
republican party, in which he took an ac-
tive and leading part, from its very start.
In 1854 he was member of the Legisla-
ture, in the House In 1856 he was elect
ed to the Senate, over which body he was
chosen and served as President. He was
elected Governor of Maine in 1858, and
rejected in so and 60, filling the office
with ability and to the satisfaction of the
people. In 1860, Hannibal Hamlin hay
ing been elected Vice President of the
United States and resigned his seat in the
Senate, Mr. Morrill, was chosen by the
Legislature to fill the vacancy, and took
his seat at Washington, January II, 1861.
At the expiration of that term, in 1868, he
was again elected for a full term and
served until last March. A contest be-
tween him and Mr.. Hamlin took. place
last winter for the seat he was defeated
in the republican caucus by single blank
vote, and Mr.. Hamlin was elected. Upon
the death of Mr. Fessenden he was APP
pointed by Governor Chamberlain to ill
the vacant seat in the Senate until the
Legislature should meet and elect. The
term for which he will now liz elected Will
expire March 3, 1871.
The period which Mr.. Morrill, has served
in the Senate of the United States is that
in which the republican party had control
of the government. and in which its
strength was tested to the utmost. In all
the measures to subdue the rebellion, en-
franchise the blacks and save the Union,
he had voice and used it potentially on
the side of right In heart as well as deed
he was thorough anti-slavery man. In
war he went for vigorous and radical
measures as the surest, quickest, most
humane and cheapest way to obtain peace.
The people of the State again entrust their
interests in his hands with perfect conf
dence in his tried honesty and ability.