The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-28
FATHER OF THE SENATE DEAD.
JUSTIN MORRILL, sUCCUMBS TO AN
AT TACK OF PNEUMONIA.


SenatOr-His Work in Behalf of the
Congressional Iibrary-Had Great
Determination of Character.
Washington, Dec. 8.-Hon. Justin S.
Morrill,, the senior United States senator
from Vermont. died at 1:25 o'clock this
morning in the 89th year of his age, after
an illness of less than a week.
With him when the end came were his
sister-in-aw, Miss Louise Swan; his son,
James Mr.. Benjamin Durfee, for long
time associated with the senator in finance
committee work at the capitol and Col
S. E. Chamberlain, an intimate friend.
Senator Proctor was in the house at the
time, as were also several other friends.
The senator never recovered from the un-
conscious state into which ne lapsed early
in the day, and his death was calm and
peaceful.
The immediate cause of death was pneu-
monia, which developed from an attack CT
grip, contracted about a week ago. The
venerable senator was confined to his home
but seven days. Despite his advanced
age ne attended his senatorial duties taitn-
fully and regularly went to the capitol
About ten days ago the weather here was
cold, raw and foggy, and his physician
thinks that exposure to it's rigors brought
on the attack of grip
The day before Congress adjourned Tor
the Christmas holidays the senator was
unable to leave his residence. He grew no
better as the days went on, his low vital
ity, due to advanced age, being unable
10 resist the disease. On Christmas night
it developed pneumonia and from that unie
until the end, he sank steadily.
No definite funeral arrangements have
yet been made. Il is altogether likely that
public services viii be held in the Senate
chamber. but just when cannot now be
stated. The remains Of Mrs, Morrill,, who
died during the present year, are in
vault at Rock Creek Cemetery, near this
city, and it may be that the senator's
body win be deposited there, pending re-
moval to STAFFORD, VT, where a mause-
leum is now in course of construction.
The Senate's Senior Member.
In the death OF Hon. Justin Smith Nor
rill, the Senate lost its senior member IN
point of service, and its oldest in age. He
had served continuously in the Senate for
more tran 4hirtX-one years, and he was SS
years of age April IA last. With the single
exception of Hon. Galusha Grow Of the
House of Representatives, he was the only
man in Congress- whose congressional ca
reer began prior to the beginning of the
civil war, and he had the honor over Mr.
Grow in that his congressional service had
been continuous, covering in the Senate
and House combined almost forty-four
years.
Mr.. Morrill, was a native of Vermont. He
was first selected to the House from that
rftI.f
Congress, taking his seat at the first as
sembling of that body after March 4, 1850
He was reelected 90 the Thirty-ffth
Thirty-sixth. Thirty-seventh Thirty
eighth and Thirty-ninth Congresses and
was, in 1857 elected 10 the Senate to sue
ceed Hon. Luke p. Poland. He held his
seat in the Senate since that date without
interruption, having been e.ected six times
successfully. His present term, 10 which
he was chosen in 1896 would not have ex-
pired until 1903
Previous to entering Congress, Mr.. Nor
rill had been engaged in mercantile and
agricultural pursuits, and much of the
his public life has been devoted to the up
lifting of interests dependent upon these
fines Of business. He had received in his
youth an academic education, and was
from his early days a close reader and
careful analyst of public affairs.
Ahc ACT.
1t was at the beginning of the war that
Mr.. Morrlfs practical business training
first brought him forward as a man or ma
tional reputation. He was the author of the
morrill, tariff act' of 1861, which was the
basis OF al! tariff legislation of war times
In 1864 he became chairman Of the COM
mittee on ways and means, the principal
committee of the House, and at that criti-
cal time, of especial importance
After entering the Senate Mr.. MorriFl
continued TO give his attention largely to
financial aud commercial questions, and
during the greater part of his term of SER
vice he was identified as a member of the
committee on finance, which committee
deals especially with these subjects. He
first became chairman of this committee in
1877, succeeding Senator Sherman. when
the latter entered the cabinet of President
Hayes, and he held this position contin-
uously after that date, except during the
Forty y-siXth and Fffty-third Congresses.
when the Democratic party controlled The
Senate, and during these intervals he CON
tinued at the head OF the Republican rem
resentation on the committee. In recent
years he delegated the greater share Of the
details of the committee work 10 the
younger members Of the committee.
Library "A Monument to Him.
During his long career, MIR. Morrill, gave
MS dlitutlOH - manly questions. no man
In public life was more given than he to
taking up subject and holding on 10 it
for years until consummated. lie was the
real father of the scheme for the CON
struction Of a building for the congress
sional library, and 10 him and Senator
Voorhees, who early Joined him in press
ing this question upon Congress. is the
splendid library building a monument
Very near to his heart also was the plan
for the erection of a sister building for the
United States Supreme Court He had
been pressing a measure looking to the
construction of such building for many
years, ana had on three different occas-
ions prevailed upon the Senate to pass
his bin for this purpose His last appear
ance in the Senate was on the 18th inst,
when ne made a speech Of half an hours
duration IN advocacy OF the Supreme
Court building bin. he at the same time
prevailed upon the Senate to pass the bill
in the face OF some opposition
Aid TO state Colleges.
To Senator Morrill,. probably more than