The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-12-28
SENIOR SENATOR DEAD
PASSING OF THE VENERABLE JUS
TIN s. MORRILL,, OF THE STATE
OF VERMONT
ILL LESS THAN A WEEK

Contracts Grip, Which DeveIoped
Int Pneumonia, and HIS Low Vi
taIity, Due to Old Age, Could Not
Resist the Disease - Eminent
Services of the Venerable Sem
atOr From Vermont
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2S.-Hon. JUS
TIN ). Morrill,, the senior United States
senator from Vermont, died at twenty
minutes past l o'clock this morning. in
the e1ghty-ninth year of his age, after
an illness Of less than a week. With
MIN at the time of of his death were
his stster-in-law, Miss Louise Swan,
his son James, Mr.. Bentley Durfee. for
long time associated with the senator
in the finance committee work at the
capitol and Col. E. S. 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
unconscious state into which he lapsed
early In the day, and his death was
calm and peaceful. The Immediate
cause of death was pneumonia, which
developed from an attack of grippe,
contracted about a week ago.
The venerable senator was confined
to his home but seven days. Despite
his advanced age he attended his SEN
atorial duties faithfully and regularly
went to the capitol. About ten days
ago the weather was cold raw and
foggy and his physician thinks that
exposure to the rigors brought on the
attack of grippe. The day before con-
gress adjourned for the holidays the
senator was unable to leave his resi-
dence. He grew no better as the days
went on, his low vitality, due to ad-
vancing age, being unable to resist the
disease. On Christmas night it devel-
oped into pneumonia, and from that
time until the end he sank steadily.
No definite funeral arrangements
have been made. 1t is altogether like
ly that public services will be held in
the senate chamber, but just when
cannot be stated.
The remains of Mrs. Morrill,, who
died during the present year.
are now In vault in Rock Creek GEM
etery, near this city, and it may be
that the senator's body may be depos-
tied there pending removal for STRAIT
ford, VT, where a vault is now in the
course Of construction.
In the death of Hon. Justin Smith Morrill,
the senate lost its senior member in point
OF service and its oldest in age He has
served continuously in the senate for more
than thirty-one years, and he was eighty
eight years of age the 18th of April last
With the single exception of Hon. Galusha
Grow, Of the house of Representatives he
was the only man in congress whose con-
gressional career began prior to the begin
ming of the civil war, and he had the honor
over Mr.. Grow in that his congressional serv-
ice had been continuous covering in the
senate and house combined nearly forty
four years. Mr.. Morrill, a native Of Yer
mont. He was first elected & member of
the house from that state as a member of
the Thirty-fourth congress, taking his seat
at the first assembling of that body after
March 4, 1855. He was reelected to the
Thirty-ffth Thirty-siXth, Thirty-seventh
Thirty-eighth and Thirty-ninth congresses,
and was, in 1857, elected to the senate to
succeed Hon Luke P. Poland. He held his
seat in the senate from that date without
interruption, having been elected six terms
successfully. His present term, to which
he chosen in 1896, would not have ex-
pired until 1903.
Previous to entering congress Mr.. Morrill,
had been engaged in mercantile and agri-
cultural pursuits, and much of his public
life has been devoted to the uplifting of in
terests dependent upon these lines of bus
iness. He had received in his youth an
academic education, and was from his early
days a close reader and careful analyst Of
public questions. 1t was at the beginning Of
the war that Mr.. Morrills practical bus
mess training brought him forward as a man
of national reputation. He the author
Of the Morrill, tariff act of 1851, which wes
the basis of all the tariff legislation 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, con-
tinued to give his attention largely to inan-
cial and commercial questions. and during
the greater part Of his term of service he
was identified as a member Of the COMMITTEES
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
continuously after that date, except during
the forty-siXth and fifty-thrd congresses,
when the Democratic party controlled the
SeHdteJ duu uuTluB InOSS intervals ne CUlI-
tinued at the head of the Republican repre-
sentation in the committee. During recent
years he detailed the greater share of the
committee work to younger members, but
/ there was never a time when he has lot
been a regular attendant on committee meet
ings, and many instances have been related
Of his surprising activity in directing the
affairs of the committee up to the last. He
had at his finger ends wealth Of inforna>
tion concerning the tariff and financial uues-
tions which were always useful in the eluci-
dation Of problems then under consideration
| During his long career Mr.. Morrill, gave his
attention TO many questions, and no man in
pubic life was more given than he to the
taking up of subject and hanging on to it
for years and years. until consummated. He
was the real feature Of the scheme for the
! construction of a building for the congress
sional library. and to him and Senator Voor,
hees, who early joined him in pressing this
| question upon congress, is the splendid
! library building a monument. Very dear TO
| his heart was also the plan for the erection
| of sister building for the supreme court. He
| had been pressing measure looking to the
| construction of such a building for many
| years. and had on three different occasions
prevailed upon the senate to pass his bill
| for this purpose. His last appearance in
the senate was on the 18th instant when he
made speech of half an hours duration, in
! advocacy of the supreme court building bill.
! He, at the same time, prevailed upon the
senate to pass the bill, in face of some cp-
position.
To Senator Morrill,. probably more than
any one else, was the splendid endowment
of most OF the agricultural colleges due He
| was the author of the original bill giving
| aid To these colleges from the proceeds NJ