The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-07-09
A LONG CAREER ENDED
Senator Harris Passes Away Full of Years
and With an Honorable Record.
MORE THAN FIFTY YEARS IN PUBLIC LIFE
WAS In Congress Before Amy Member
of Either Hoay Now a.iving-Gov-
crnor OF ofTcnneasce Kerorc thu War
Served iM the Southern Army
IHonorcd by tho Senate.
Washington. Julq s, 1897

Washington, Julq s. 1897.
Senator Ishan G.. Harris, OF Tcnnes-
see, died ut his residence here a few
minutes before 5 o'clock this afternoon.
The Senator had been growing con-
stantly weaker for several days pust,
the intense summer heat which has pre-
vailed greatly debilit,tting him, and no
doubt Fastening lis end There were
times when he would rally slightly,
which gave his family hopes that he
would be able TO regain sufficient
strength to be removed from the city.
| but his vitality had become too much
exhausted to withstand the strain
'Nhis morning the Senator revived some
what, but only temporarily. During the
| afternoon lie sank rapidly, and passed
away peacefully.
| There were present at his bedside
when death came his son, MIR. Edward
Is. Harris. and the latter's wife; Rep
rcscntativc Benton McMillin, Of Tcnnes-
see; Miss Polk. from his native State
| and the members OF the household
| whore the Senator had lived for some
time. Another son, Charles f. Harris.
| not realizing the end was so near, had
| left the house a short while before death
| came. y third son, James Il. Harris,
residing In Tennessee. is expected TO
arrive In the city tomorrow. and n
| fourth lsham c. Harris, 1r., is now on
| his fathers ranch and stock farm at
| Abilene. Texas, and will probably meet
the funeral train when it reaches Mem
phis, where the intermcnt will be made.
| Senator Harris was last in the Senate
chamber about ten days ago. but he
| was unable to stay for any length OF
| time. and had to be taken home in q
carriage. During the past SIX months
'the Senator has been able to attend 10
his duties only at intervals, having
| been away from tho city several times
cndeavoring to recuperate.
| Feshahly no man IN public life has
| bcei. identified with more OF the history
ofithis country than had Senator Harris.
| He had almost completed his seventy
ninth year having been born in Febru-
| ary, 1878 and first became d member Of
Congress In lS49. His Congressional ca
reer thus began earlier than that OF any
| member of either house, untc-dating
Scnatons Morrill, and Sherman by seven
years, and Hon. Galusha a. Grow, now
a member of the House. from Pennsyl-
vanta. by one year Mr.. Harris had,
when he was elected to the National
House of Representatives, already be-
come man Of State reputation in Ten
ncssee having the year previously scrv-
ed as presidential elector on the Demo-
cratic ticket and two years before been
| elected member Of the Legislature OF
| the State.
Mr.. Harris represented the Ninth Ton
nessee district in Congress for the two
terms ending in 1853, when he declined
q rcnomination He then moved to
! Memphis, where he has since resided
| Here he was engaged in the practice OF
| law until 1857, with the interruption ne
cessary to allow him TO become a pres!-
| dental clector In 1856. He was three
| times In succession before the war, be
ginning in 1857, elected Governor OF his
| state and was serving IN that capacity
| when the war broke out He took pro-
! nounced stand for the Southern Confede-
racy. and was known as one OF the
Southern war governors. The vicissi-
| tudcs Of conflict rendered a frequent
| change Of residence necessary, and he
was often with the army IN the ncld
lie a,ttached himself at different times
| to the staffs OF Generals Albert Sidne,
| johnston, Joseph T.. Johnston. Bcallrc-
| gard and Bragg. Albert Sidney John
| ston fell from his horse into Senator
| Harris arms when he received his delti,
| wound.
After Lees surrender Mr.. Harris was
| one OF a small party Of political reru-
| gees who escaped to Mexico, going
across country on horseback. Parson
Browlow, who had become the military
| Governor of Tennessee, offered n large
reward In a charactc tcvisticaly wordad
poster for the capture OF his predeccss snr,
but the latter remained absent from the
| country until his return was safe. He
| remained in Mexico for several months.
| going thence 10 England. where he rasid-
| cd until 1867, when he returned to Mem
phis and resumed his practice Of the law
Mr.. Harris was allowed to follow The
| pursuits of the private citizen until 1877.
when he was elected to the United States
Senate. defeating Hon. l.. l.. Hawkins.
Republican,
| He remained a member OF the Senate
| ever since and would have completed
| his twentieth consecutive year in that
| body on the 4th OF March If he ha "a lived
! TO tnat date lie had been four times
elected TO the Sena. .e. the last time in
| 1895, and his term would not have OK
| Dircd un.il 1901.
! Senator Harris had received almost>nil
| INC honons tha, the Senate could bcatow.
| lie was President pro tcmpore during
! the Fifty-thrd Congress, 4 1cadin.
member OF the Committee on Rules, AMI
| niSo Of The Democratic Advisory or
| Steering Committee. He has long bccn
| awarded BY common consent The fron;
| place on both sides Of the chamber in
| parliamentary questions. and III recent
| years. he had been more frequently
| heard in eXpoundinG these questions
! than in the eluclda tiun OF ether subjects
| he vas possessed OF a very positive
manner, and never failed to throw into
| ms statements concerning parliamentary
| practice the fullest force OF which he
was capable
| Senator Harris had not been especially
! active in the Senate since the passage or
| the W!Ison-Gorman tariff act in 1904
| rio was one of the three democrat tic SEN
| atorS intrusted with the arduous si,,;y or
| putting the bill in shape IN COMMITTEES
ana 10 him was delegated the control Of
| me parliamentary work OF getting the
| pill through the Senate. Although then
fnGYer seemed to flag. He was at l,;s
: post of duty-dny-and nirht ,j5IHE'71 S7IF@3