The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1898-12-30

Il.
He was first elected member of the
| house from that state a member of
the Thirty-fourth congress, taking his
! seat at the first assembling of that body
after March T. 1855. He was reelected to
the Thirty-fifth. Thirty-sixth, Thirty-sev-
enth, Thirty-eighth and Thirty-ninth con-
senate to succeed Luke p. Poland He
had held his seat in the senate since that
day without interruption, having been
elected six terms SUCCESSFULLY His pres
emf term, to which he was chosen in 1896
would not have expired until 1903.
9rert3us to entering congress, Mr.. Nor
rill had been engaged In mercantile and
agricultural pursuits, and much of his
public life had been devoted to the up
lifting of interests dependent upon these
lines OF business. He had received in his
youth an academic education and was
from his early days a close reader and
was at the beginning of the war that Mr.
Morrilrs practical business training
brought him forward as man of nation
Morrill, tariff act of 1851 which was the
basis of all the tariff legislat ton of war
times. In 1864 he became chairman of
the committee on ways and means the
principal committee of the house. and at
that critical time of especial Importance
after 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
service ne. was identified as member OF
the committee on finance, which commit
tee deals especially with these subjects
He first became chairman of this COM
mittee in 1877, succeeding Senator Sher-
man when the latter entered the cabinet
OK President Hayes, and he held this po-
sition continuously after that date ex-
cept during the Forty-sixth and Fifty
third congresses, when the democratic
party controlled the senate, and during
these intervals he continued at the head
OF the republican representation on the
committee.
n recent years he delegated the great
er share OF the details of the committee
work to the younger members of the
committee, but there had been but few
times when he was not a regular attend
ant upon the committee meetings, and
many instances are related of his slrpris-
Ing activity in directing the affairs of the
committee up to the last. He had at his
fingers end wealth of Information con-
ferning the tariff and financial questions
which were always useful in the elucida-
ton of problems then under considera-
ton.
During his long career, Mr. Morrill, gave
his attention to many questions, and no
man in public life was more given than
he to taking up a subject and holding on
10 II through years and years until con-
summated. He was the real father of the
scheme for the construction of a building
for the Congressional library, ana to him
and Senator voorhees,, who early joined
MIN in pressing this question upon con-
gress. is the splendid library building a
monument
Very near to his heart also was the
plan for the erection of a sister building
Tor the supreme court. He had been
Pi'SSiliS a measure LOOKING 10 the con-
Etruction of such building for many
years, and had on three different occa-
sions prevailed upon ,..e senate to pass
his bill for this purpose
His last appearance in the senate was
on the 18th inst, when he made a speech
OF half an hours duration In advocacy
or the supreme court building bill. He at
the same time prevailed upon the senate
10 pass the bill in the face of some oppo-
sition.
To Senator Morrill, probably more than
anyone else was the present splendid en-
iowment of most of the state agricultural
colleges due. He was the author of the
original bill giving aid to these colleges
from the proceeds of the sales of the pub
lie lands, and he had never refused them
the announcement of his assistance He
| opposed the annexation of the Hawaiian
Islands TO the last, and he was understood
to be averse to the exercise of any sort
OF American sovereignty over the Philip
pines.
Mr.. Morrill, was an indefatigable work.
er, and while not an orator, he spoke
gracefully and forcibly, and was ALWAYS
/ listened to attentively. His great age and
high position caused him to be universally
esteemed by the other members of the
senate.