The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-04-12
AN INDUSTRIOUS 1LL1NoIsAN
The Services in the National House
of Representatives of hon.
w. r. Morrison.
From tie NeW York World.

Perhaps no man IL congress is doing
such thoroughly good work as the chairman
OF the ways and means committee, and
dong 1t so unostentatiously. He seems
lnstinctiyely to take the right side of every
question that comes up, and be labors for
his convictions quietly but steadtastly.-
lie has risen to the requirements Of the
position in which he was placed by his
friend, the speaker, and put aside all
merely personal and local considerations,
acting always with the desire of making a
fair record for the party and securing
such legislation as will be for the good Of
the country. The bane of congress is that
men are always anxious to advocate
measures which will secure them popu-
larity in their own section, though ruinOus
to the people at large, and they seldom
dare to Cast a vote without first finding
out how it will be taken at home. They
area not so much representatives as
puppets played upon by every variation of
local sentiment. Morrison has adopted
Burke's theory as to the duties Of a
Representative, aud holds that his people
sent him to congress, trusting to his wis
dCm and honesty, and he acts according 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 disapprove 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 secure a
nomination for tie forty fifth; and he has
come to regard with a whimsical sort of
| horror those of his colleagues who are
afraid to help him in any measure because
they are looking out for their own does
tricts."
Mr.. Morrison is about fifty years of age
and bears his years we'll lie is rather be-
low the middle size, slenderly built and
| slightly round shouldered. He is Of a
dark complexion, and his hair aud full,
! long beard are intensely black. There is
nothing noticeable in his appearance one
way 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
| he looks like one or not. His manner is
earnest, simple and unpretentious. He
puts on none of the graces Of person in
authority. He pretcnds to no superior
knowledge, 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 something peculiarly Scottish in
his dry, inciSive accent and his keen in
sight into character. The shrewdness
with which he measures men and weighs
their motives is perhaps the strong point
OF his character; its best point is his per
sistency in doing what he believes is right
AS chairman Of the committee on ways
and means he is the leader of the house
and he admirably maintains his authority
although no man occupies the open sessions
OF congress in debate less than he does
Whether it is because he has a contempt
for the power OF oratory or is dj.ident il
regard to his own abilities as a speaker, il
is not easy to say. but he seldom rises tt
address the house. The result is that
other men assume before the public the
appearance Of leadership, and in sudder
emergcncie Gil that role with success, Civ
Ing no one more pleasure than Mr. Nor
rison, Holman, Randall, and Cox spring tC
the front at such times, meet their oppon
Continued on third Uagel