The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-07-05

p. congress IN the same district IN 1879
n and this time was elected, receiving
: majority that exceeded the whole vot
! of his opponent.
5 Mr.. Morton went to Congress as
l. diversion, but he found that the office
if conscientiously administed, was full
= of hard work and responsibility. He haC
one of the largest and richest districti
in New York, and once in public life hC
} felt that he could not neglect his dutie:
any more than he could neglect his own
, private business when it needed atten.
ton. So we find this great capitalist
working quite as hard for $4,000 a yeaI
as he would for twenty times that
sum in his own business, but then he
was rewarded by the confidence of his
con tituents and his own knowledge
that he was doing some good for the
great public,
4 As member of Congress, he took
commanding position whenever financial
Questions were under consideration. He
strongly opposed the bill providing for
the unlimited coinage of silver dollars,
and his influence had great effect in
defeating it. On such subjects his
opinions were sought by his associates,
who regarded them as authority. He
made few notable speeches in the
House, stating his opinions in the
straightforward style of business man.
But Mr.. Morton made an impression
and was always listened to. Personally,
he was one OF the most popular men in
Congress on both sides of the Chamber.
His social position in Washington was a
brilliant one.
In 1880 members of the Ohio delega
tiOn at the National Republican Conven.
ton, after General Garfield had been
nominated for President, urged Mr..
Morton to accept the nomination for
Vice President. He declined, and
General Arthur was nominated for the
office. President Garfield offered Mr..
Morton the office of Secretary of the
Navy, which the latter declined He
did accept from President Garfield,
however, the appointment of Minister to
France, These honOrs President Gar
field desired to confer as reward for
Mr.. MOrton's faithful and effective work
for himself while the contest for the
Presidency was in progress. Mr.. Nor
tons business relations had taken him
many times to Europe. He was well &C.
quainted with Paris.
Very soon after he was appointed
Minister to France, Dartmouth College
made him doctor of Laws" and the
next year Middlebury College also added
LID. to his name. Early in the sum
mer of 1881, he arrived in Paris, pre-
sentCd his credentials and entered upon
his official duties, replacing General
Noyes, who had just been recalled. His
first good act was to move the United
States legation from the third floor of a
small house in the rue Chaillot, next
door to laundry and where the ground
floor was occupied by grocery, into
big, stylish mansion situated in hand
some square, the name of which was
almost Immediately changed into that of
Place des Etats Unis. With the en-
trance of Mr.. and Mrs. Morton into their
new home commenced one of the most
striking features that have characteriz
ed his mission, the generous and grace
full hospitality of which the legation has
been the almost constant scene.
The house was in good neighbor-
hood and it quickly became the one
place in Paris where the leading poll
ticians of France, Royalist, Republican
and Radical, could socially meet. The
diplomacy of the United States was
much smoothed by il. Mr.. Morton was
able to secure from the French Cabinet.
resembling of the prohibiory edict
against the American hog, but the
House of Deputies insisted upon the re-
tention of the law. Mr.. Morton ham
mered the first nail in the construction
of the Statue of Liberty recently erected
IN New York, and delivered a speech on
lima In 1884 nj iner tho OF q in ha
half of the American Government. He
was present at the unveiling of the
statue of Lafayette at lie Pui, the birth.
place of the French patriot Through
Mr.. Morton's acquaintance with bankers
and manufacturers, the commercial re-
lations of France and the United States
were made to run smoothly throughout
his term. With the coming into power
OF Democratic Administration at
Washington, he, of course, returned
home, his departure from France being
the occasion of most sincere and hearty
expressions of appreciation by the
officials of that country; and it was
made manifest that the office which had
been honored by such names as Frank
lin, Adams and Monroe, had well sus-
tanned its standard during his term.
Subsequently he bought 200 acres of
land on the Hudson River, near Rhine
beck, and erected upon it a summer
residence. He has another fine place,
Fair Lawn" at Newport.
A sketch of this notable financier and
legislator would be incomplete without
word to his OPEN handed charities.
When Congress placed the United States
ship Constellation at the disposal of those
desiring to send stores for the relief of
starving Ireland. and when the project
of sending the goods seemed likely to
fail, Mr.. Morton, (refusing to allow his
name to be made public) paid large
proportion of the cost. Another case in
which Mr.. Morton's bounty was most
timely was that of the sufferers by the
RocBaway Beach Improvement Com
pany, for whom he subscribed $50, 900 to
save the suffering families. In June
1886. in order to display his affection for
his native State and his interest in Mid
dlebury College, where his father, brother
and uncle were educated, he contributed
SIC, 900 to the College.
In personal appearance and vigor Mr..
Morton appears younger than his years
would imply. He is tall and thin, with
an immense head that falls forward
from the shoulders like full head OF
wheat. His forehead is high, his ex
preston thoughtful. He wears NOUS
tache and side whiskers--brown,l like his
hair, and slightly sprlnkled with gray.
He dresses in extreme good taste, and is
beyond question distinguished looking
man.