Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1898-12-30
sen. MORRILL, DEAD.
VERMoNT's DISTINGUISHED SON SUC-
CUMBS TO PNEUMONIA.

Nearly Forty-Five Years in Public
Service RecOunted.
Washington, Dec. Ex-senator Justin
Morrill, of Vermont died at 1925 o'clock
this morning. He had been suffering
with grip, complicated with heart and
lung trouble.
Justin Smith Morrill, was born at
Stafford, Vt, April II, 1910, and is the son
of Nathaniel and Mary (Hunt) Morrill,.
He received his early education in the
public schools of his native town and at
Thetford aud Randolph academies. At
the age of 10 he entered local store as
clerk and in 1928 entered the employ of
a merchant in Portland, Me.
In 1881 he returned to Stafford and be-
came the partner of Judge Jededlah
Harris, Strafford merchant the part
nership continuing until the latter's
death in 1866, although Mr.. Morrill's ac-
tive connection with the firm ceased in
1S4S, when he devoted himself to agri-
culture.
In 1854 the late Andrew Tracy of
Woodstock, representative of the I'd
congressional district, declined to be
candidate for reelection. Mr.. Morrill,,
though not prominent politically in the
state, was nominated for the office and
elected, taking his seat in the 34th con-
gress in December, 1850 He had been
elected as an anti-slavery whig, but the
whig party was then in the throes of
dissolution, and when he appeared in
Washington it was as a representative of
the new republican party, in the organ
ization of which in Vermont he had taken
part and of whose principles lie became
the earnest advocate.
He carried through the house the first
bill against Mormon pOlygamy. He in
troduced the first bill to grant public
lands for agricultural, scientific and in
dustria colleges, which was voted by
President Buchanan. In 1862 Mr.. Nor
rill again introduced such bill, which
under his management became law.
Mr.. Morrill, was five times reelected to
the house and in the 39th congress was
chairman of the committee of ways and
means and was one of the most influential
members. Among the important speech
es made by him during the critical period
before the civil war was one in support
of report, also made by him, in opposi-
tion to the admission of Kansas with a
pro-slavery constitution. During the
war he had charge of all tariff and tax
bills in the house of representatives, and
the "Morrlll tariff of 1861 and the inter-
nal revenue tax system of 1862 were two
important measures which he fOstered.
In 1866 Mr.. Morrill, was elected to the
United States senate, where he has since
served.
On entering the senate Mr.. Morrill,
continued to give his attention largely to
financial and commercial questions and
during the greater part of his term of ser
vice he was identified as a member of the
committee on finance. He became chair
man of this committee in 1887, succeeding
senator Sherman, when the latter entered
the cabinet of President Hayes, and he
held this position continuously after that
date, except during the 10th and 53d
congresses. when the democratic party
controlled the senate, and during those
intervals he continued at the head of the
republican representation on the com.
mittee. In recent years he delegated the
greater share of committee work to the
younger members of the committee, but
there had been but few times when he
was not regular attendant upon the
committee meetings, and many instances
are related of his surprising activity in
directing the affairs of the country up tC
the last.
He had at his fingers ends a wealth
of information concerning the tariff and
financial questions, which were Away:
useful in the elucidation of problem;
then under consideration. During hi:
long career Mr.. Morrill, gave his atten.
tion to many questions and no man in pub
lie life was more given than he to taking
up subject and holding TO 1t years ant
years until cOnsummated. He was the
real father of the scheme for the con
structiOn of a building for the congress
ional library, and to him and Senator
Voorhees,, who early joined him in press
ing this question upon congress, is thC
splendid library building a monument
Very near his heart also was the plaI
for the erection of a sister building fO
the United States supreme court. HI
had been pressing measure looking t
the construction of such a building fo
many years and finally prevailed upOl
the senate to pass his bill for that pur
pose. HIS last appearance in the senate
was on the 10th instant, when he made q
speech of half an hours duration in ad
vOcating the supreme court building
bill. lie at the same time prevailed up
on the senate to pass the bill In the fac
of some opposition. To senator MOrrll
probably more than anyone else was tn
present splendid endowment of most o
the state agricultural colleges due. II
was the author Of the original bill Civ
ing aid to these colleges from the pro
ceeds of the sales of the public lands
and he never refused them the encOuI
agement of his assistance. He Opposes
the annexation of the Hawaiian island
to the last, and he was understood to b