The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-06-24
THE MANNER OF MAN He Is.

deem the name and reinstate the credit
of Kansas, is man of self poise and fine
presence. Edwin n. Morrill, is physi-
cal stalwart of broad and wonderfully
even balanced mind. There Is In his
commanding presence gentieness OF
demeanor which impresses the new &C
uuaintance as being contradictory and
incompatible. The tones of his voice
comport with his characteristic kindness.
1t is only in his earnest moments, when
controlled by conviction, that his quieS-
rent but unusual power of body and
mind manifests itself in the blaze of
his eye, his COUGHING attitude and the
marvellous change of intonation. Ordi-
narily, in his everyday intercourse with
his fellow man, in his family, or among
his colleagues in congress, he is the very
soul of kindnesss He resembles the late
lamented Garfield, mentally aud physi-
cany, in many respects, particularly In
his sweep of power when aroused, in his
way of suddenly relapsing into the most
delightfully."- courteous and amiable con-
verse. The stoop or inclination OF his
massive shoulders comes of many years
of the closest application to legislative
and counting room desks, in and out of
the state. He has a long, powerful
stride and his fine impassionable face is
a perfect index to his character.
Major Ed. Morrill, is Kansan. The
fact that he was born beneath the shad
ows of the pine and within the sound of
the oceans throb and beat, away down
in Tom Reeds state, and that of Blaine,
he is, nevertheless, of the wind-swept
and sunlit prairies. Thirty eight years
ago, as a mere youth, he took his Kan
sas prairie claim and became a squatter
sovereign with few of the rest of us.
A disastrous season caught him in a
pinch and he lost his farm, but he
neither turned calamity bowler or de-
serted his state, but stuck to Kansas and
by Kansas until through his industry
and force of character he had
won back all he had lost and
a thousand times more, establishing
q home and raising family and win
ming honors and good name from his
fellow men, all within sight of his squat
ter's cabin, and in the county In which
he still lives. He is Kansas to the man
ner raised, even if Maine born.
No man who has ever been governor Of
Kansas knows the state better, and all the
elements which have gone to make it
what it is; no man better knows Kansas
people and the present and future re-
quirements of the state than Major Ed
mund n. Morrill,. lie has helped to
= make II what it is as citizen, as legis-
lator and as soldier. Soon after the
writer of this first entered public life he
found Major Morrill, seated but two
desks distant in the Kansas state senate,
he being recognized even then as both a
civil and military veteran. He was in
fact a member of the first free state leg
islature which was welcomed to Lee
compton by the ''Grim Chieftain," Jim
Lane, in an outdoor speech, with the
opening remark: "We meet the damned
roosters on their own dunghIll today"
When the incipient Confederacy sent
Its first reasonable missile crashing
through the loyal walls of Old Sumpter
and the immortal Lincoln turned his
grief stricken face to the west with an
appeal IN the name of loyalty and of
human liberty, the Hon. Ed. n. Morrill,
layed aside his civic ambition, dropped
his work and became soldier for free
dom. After Appamatox and four years
of service which had won him a majors
epaulets, he did not return to New Eng
land and its comforts, but came straight
back to Kansas and took up his life
where he had left eff for Tie sake of his
country, soon finding himself again in
the Kansas legislature helping TO make
wise and sensible laws for its then strug-
Cling people.
When Kansas in 1882 was entitled to
four congressman, all elected at large.
Morrill, was one of the four elected in
his party. Since that time the people
have kept so well posted as to his course
and work that little need be said of it. He
proved himself equal. in every respect,
TO the great honor and responsibility.
He was reelected three successive times
subsequently refusing fifth nomination
In 1890 What gave him national stand
ing and recognition, however, was his
work IN the interest of the soldier as
chairman of the pension committee. He
knew the wants and deservin~s.o f the
patriot, and became the father of the
dependent pension and disability act
whereby 100000 union veterans, their
widows and orphans, all over this broad
country, draw sixty millions of
dollars annually. nearly nine millions of
which comes TO Kansas veterans, their
widows and their orphans. Besides this
great work, which ought TO render his
hsme immortal and make him governor
half-dozen times if he should desire
he. being a member of the pension com
mittee so many years, assisted in getting
over five thousand special pension acts
through congress for deserving soldiers
who could not make their proofs or for
unusual disabilities. He took the
ground that pensions were not
gratuity but due and should be de-
manded.
This, briefly, is something OF the man.
OF his manner and history, whom the
people OF Kansas are asked 10 honor
with the chief executiveship of the
state; mere glimpse of the one whose
sterling character, breadth of experience
and natural endowmen,s render him
lmmeasurably superior and peculiarly
nj for the position at this particular
Juncture of political and financial un-
rest. That he will be elected and over
whelmingly so there does not seem the
chance for tine Admission, ~ d, 1T.