Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-03-12
SENATOR MORRILL'S VIEWS.
HE is CONFIDENT OF A FINAL VIC
TORY FOR SOUND MONEY.
Tho Cause Making Gratifying Headway-
MIR. Morrill, Chats About Reminisoen noes
and His Present Congressional Du-
ties-His Impressions OF Lincoln.

All admirers of Senator Justin s. Nor
riIl will be interested in the following in
terview with the venerable statesman
written by the Washington correspondent
of the New York Commercial Advertiser,
under date of March 8:
| had delightful chat with Senator
Morrill, chairman of the finance commit
tee to-day The Vermont senator Will be
Sc years old next month, and in spite oil
the fact that he has seen nearly four score
and 10 years he is as hale and nearly at
present as many men are at 4O senator
Morrill, has a good many points in com
mon with that other grand old man on
the other side of the water Mr.. Gladstone.
Both men are distinguished scholars ana
statesmen, both are firm believers In chris
tianity and both have served their couh-
try with great honor.
Mr. Morrill, is the dean OF the Senate in
the matter of age and service. He is IL
years older than John Sherman, of ONO
and first made his appearance at the capl-
tai hero in the Thrty-Fourth Congress.
In 1861 he entered the Senate. During ms
public career, despite the constant de-
mands on his time, he has IN odd mo
ments pcnned articles for magazines and
periodicals. and published a book called
"sclf-consciousness." This little work
alone would be enough for an ordinary
man to do, for 1t pre-supposes great
amount OF EtutIul l'thilib' ~ -
extracts from the writers of all times
and climes in regard to the felling of self
consciousness. For example, modest Ben
iamIn Franklin wrote that he wished the
good old time would come when each
man could blow his own horn
Senator Morrill, kindly invited me into
his beautiful library, where is treasure
trove for the man of letters | happened
to see volume of John Sherman's auto
biography laying on a table. ana ASKED
the senator whether he would not write
his "reminiscences one of these days as
they would he intensely interesting.
SENATE DUTIES ENOUGH.
'I am thinking about IT," he replied,
'but have not really made mp my mind
yet what | shall do. The fact Is. my leg
islative work keeps me so busy that
don't get time for much of anything else.
But perhaps l shall take ZIP my autopl-
graphy one of these days.
"As II is | have more demands on my
time now than / can meet. Publishers of
magazines ask me to write articles that
] cannot undertake because of my work
at the Capitol
81 have sometimes wondered why some
of my friends don't give their reminiscent
ces to the world I remember teasing
Simon Cameron to do this, for he always
had such n fund of anecdotes and stories
10 tell Such n book from his pen would
have been very fascinating. But. poor fell
low. he died without attempting anything
of the kind"
/ mentioned the fact to Senator Morrill,
iust here that Senator Hoar intended to
do something in this line. The Massachus-
etts senator's public life at the national
capital dates from the Forty-First Con-
gress, and he has served as delegate to
the republican conventions of so, 81, 'SS,
and '92. when Hayes, Garfield Elaine ana
Harrison were respectively nominated so
that he could tell some very interesting
things about the doings of the delegates
in the matter of reaching choice.
Senator Morrill, did not care to enter
into a discussion of the tariff outlook, FOR
the reason that he expects to make some
remarks in the Senate one of these days.
1t can be stated here, however, that the
Vermont veteran does not expect any
thing will be done at the present session
of Congress. The announced intention OF
the silver senators to "hol1 up any ana
all legislation has cut Off the possibinty
of adjusting the nations revenues TO It's
expenditures until n year hence Never
the less. senator's on both sides are going
TO "speak their mind" on the subject pro-
baby next week. l know that Senator
Teller of Colorado is going to deliver
some hot shot on the "Asiatic peril ano
the general tariff outlook, for he himself
told me the other day, and intimatcd
that he did not want to give away his
thunder in an interview.
SOUND MONEY GAINING
Senator Morrill,. however, was willing tc
discuss the sound money outlook, and ex-
pressed himself as quite pleased that the
New York chamber of commerce intended
at last to do something.
There is n good deal of the free silver
sentiment in the country yet" said Mr.
Morrill,. But / am inclined to think that
sound money views are slowly but surely
making Roadway. The people are pretty
sound on the question east of the Ohio and
north of the Potomac.
''In the South also, the sound money
cause is gaining champions. A year and q
half ago you could not have discovered 4
single advocate for sound money there
whereas, to-day you find them in Georgia
Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, Ken
lucky and other parts of the South.
I'm the West, too, the half dollar here
sy' is not making much Roadway. OF
course, in the silver States the people will
stand by the white metal. But in othei
States of the West where there is one
convert to silver there are five to sount
money. The outlook Is certainly encour
aging and believe that sound money will
win the day at the st. Louis convention.
Senator Morrill, wrote a very able article
on the money question which appeared II
the New York Independent" last July
The editor, the late Mr.. Bowen though
that 1t was one of the best presentation
OF the subject he nad ever seen, ana n
showed his appreciation of the article b,
sending Senator Morrill, handsome checl
in several figures. The distinguished Yer
monter and Mr. Bowen were always tn
warmest of friends and when the forme
passed through New York last Decembe
on his way to Washington, he stopped OF
in the metropolis on purpose to dine wit
the editor. 1t Is needless to add that n
one mourns Mr.. Bowen's death more tha
Senator Morrill,.
/ might add here that 1t would not be
bad idea for the chamber of commerce t
circulate Mr.. Morril's able article OF
sound money through the South and Yves
instead of some of the heavy literatur
that they are now sending out which NOR
frequently than not finds its way into tn
waste basket.
AN ADMIRER OF LINCOLN.
Senator Morrill, was always a great ad
mirer of Lincoln. l asked Senator Morr
whether he was impressed at the tim
he first met Lincoln with the latter
greatness and goodness.
Yes, to certain extent" replied tn
Vermont senator, "He always struck m
rs very able efficient and especially sin
pere. had occasion to see him a humble
of times in order to discuss topics of ma
tonal legislation. and always found hir
10 be a man among men,"
Senator Morrill, was the author of til
bill introduced in Congress in the earl
sixties giving the States land grants fo
the purpose of founding agricultural co
leges Among those established under tn