The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-04-16
p1-DLrc cHARACTERs At flashing TON
WILLIAM II. MORRISON.

| Perhaps no man in Congress is uo'hB
such thoroughly good work as tue onan
man of the Ways and Means LII Iia saams
and doing it 30 unostentatiousiy; ne seems
instipctively to take the right slne OF eseiy
question that comes up, anu no lauois III
| his convictions quietly but s.eaatas.tS 10
has risen to the requirements OF Jug poe
ton in which he was placed by his friend,
~. sneaker and put aside all merely per-
| sonal and local considerations, actlng al
ways with the design of making far re-
cord for the party and securing such leeis-
! Iatiop as will he for the good of the coun-
try. The bane OF Congress 10 that men are
always anxious to advocate measures
which will secure them popularity In their
own section, though ruinous to the people
MT large. and they seldom dare to cast a
VOC without first finding out how 1T Will
be taken at home. They are not so much
representatives as puppets played upon oy
every variation Of local sentiment. MorTi-
son has adopted Burke's theory as to the
dutiea of a representative, and holds that
his people sent him to Congress, trusting to
his wisdom and honesty, and he acts &C
cordng to the dictates of his own Judgment
| for the general welfare, acknowledging
final responsibility to his constituents, In
| whose power it lies to approve or disap-
prove Of his conduct at the next election.
His greatest trouble comes from dealing
with men who appear to have no business
in the Forty fourth Congress, except to Sc
cure nomination for the Forty fifth; and
he has come to regard with whimsical
sort of horror those of his colleagues who
are afraid to help him in any measure be-
cause they are "looking out for their own
'districts.'"
MIR. Morrison is about fifty years Of age
and bears his years we'll. He is rather be.
low the middle size, senderiy built and
slightly round shouldered. He is of dark
com piexion, and his hair and full long
heard are intensely black. There is no
J | 10 in
or another. Your first impression is that
he is not an able looking man, but you are
not long in coming to the conclusion That
he is an able man, no matter whether ne
looks like one or not. His manner is earn
est, simple and unpretentious. He puts
D on none of the graces of person in author
ity. He preteuds to no superior know
lege and although few things going on in
Congress are hidden from him, he affects
no airs of mystery. His name indicates
that he is of Scotch DESCENT and there Is
G something peculiarly Scottish in bis dry,
Il incisive accent and his keen insight into
c character. The shrewdness with which
I he measures men and weighs their mo
tivcs is perhaps the strong point of his
character ; ts best point is his persistency
k in doing what he believes is right.
J. AS Chairman of the Committee of Ways
at and Means he is the leader of the House
N and he admirably maintains his authority
- although no man occupies the open ses
II sions of Congress in debate lees than ht
20 does. Whether it is because he has q con
A. tempt for the power of oratory or Is diff
in dent in regard to his own abilities as {
r. speaker, it is not easy to say, but he sci
a dom rises to address the House. TIL
IL result ia that other men assume before th'
" public the appearance of leadership, and II
"a sudden emergencies fill that role with cue
"a Morrison. Holman, Randall and Coz
re spring to the front at such times, NEE
- their opponents with arguments and shap
the party policy. But in shaping tn
~ deliberations of the House and directing il
q, Legislation, no man could be more affective
in He works zealously at the practical publ
r. business, and labors necessarily to promul
n. gate his views among his colleagues. II
ia knows who are to be the opponents of an.
of measure and who are to be its friends, On
"a deliberately arranges beforehand for vic
he tory OF defeat. 1t can be said confidently
Ma therefore, that as general thing, whatsO
or ever measure he approves and labors IL
he will pass, and whatsoever measure he dis
In trusts and works against will be delicate
,Iv The value of his Influence, however, ma
mr. best be illustrated by mentioning some
w the things which he has done. The schem
In tor investigation into the affairs OF II
inc Government by the regular ConGresslont
n. committees and without undue expense
fuI formal accusations, was his, and for I'll
40 first time in years the committees on e,
a. r.
rm which formerly existed merely to afol
Mo nominal honors to Congressman AT
IAN sinecure places for clerks, had duties a
1 a sigRed to them. 1t wac one of these con
ner mIttees, which in Republican days new
,est met, that discovered the utter rOttenne
is of Belknap's administration. Hardly lie
I'VE to MOrrison's honor is the statesman1i
ma course which he has taken in the reform
lam ton of the tariff and the wise measu
nil which with the aid of the ablest spet
and alists in the country he has matured,
has enough in itself, if adopted, as it undout
as eddy will be, to give HIM a reputatio
lips More characteristic, however, has been
few stubborn fight in Congress and in par
ser caucus in favor of sound legislation on t
1t currency question. With q full appreci
, or ton of the strength of the paper mon
sentiment in the West, he did not hesitate
ries moment, but placed himself squarely
that opposition to it, and has thus far succet
the fully held his own and maintained the co
ltbs sletency OF the party
our In conclusion it may be said that Nor