The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-01-04
Justin SmiihM~fril


which occurred early Wednesday morning |
at his home In Washington, after a briet Ill- |
ness with pneumonia, superinduced by the
grip. J
senator is full OF interest He was tYorn
at STAFFORD, April IA, 1910. and thet town
has always been his home, He Yves son
of Nathanial and Mary (HunD Morrill, He
received his early education IL the public
schools OF his native town 9nd at Thetford
aud Randolph academies. AT the age Of
fifteen he entered u local. store az clerk aud
in 1928 entered the eI1lploy of merchant IN
Portland Me. In 1881 he returned to Straf-
ford and became The partner OF Judge Je.
dediab Harris, Stafford merchant, the
partnership, continuing until the latter's
death in 1855, although Mr. MorrilPs active
come ction with the firm ceased in 1848,
when he devoted himself to agriculture and
horticulture.
In 1854 the late Andrew Tracy of Wood.
I stock, representative from the second con-
gressional district declined to be candi-
date Tor Reelection. Mr.. Morrill,, though
not prominent politically in the State, was
nominated for the office and elected, taking
his seat in the thirty.fourth Congress in De-
cember, 1855 He had been elected az an
snti-savery whig, but the wing party was
then in the throes Of diss Jlution, and when
| he appeared in Washington it was az re-
preventative Of the new Republican party,
| in the organization OF which in Verm mt he
had taken pat and of whose principles he
became the earnest advocate H carried
through the House the first bill against Nor.
mon p1lygamy. He introduced the first bill
to gi ant public lands for agricultural, scienti.
ic and industrial colleges, W ich was vetoed
| by President Buchanan. In 1862 NJ. Nor
rill again introduced such bill, which
under hs management became Il law
Mr.. Morrill, was five times rec eCted to the
House and IN the thirty Congress was
chairman OF ways and means comm ttee,and
was one of the most Influential members.
| Among the important speeches made by
HIM during tue critical period before the
civil WA was one in support of a report, al
80 made by him, in opposition to the adj
mission OF Kansas with pro-slavery con
stituuun. During the war he had charge of
all tariff and tax bills in the House of Rep
resentatives. The morrill, tariff" of 1861,
! and the in ernal revenue tax system OF 1862,
were two important measures which he los
tered. Ia 1866 Mr.. Morrill, was elected to
| the Univou Svates Senate, where he has
since served.
On entering the Senate Mr. Morrill, de-
voted his attention largely to financial and
CON mercal questions; and during the
greater part of his term OF service he was a
member of the committee on finance. He
became chairman of this committee in 1877,
succeeding Senator Sherman when the lat
| ter entered the cabinet of President Hayes,
and he held this position continuously after
| that date, except during the forty-sixth and
fifty-third Congresses, when the Demo-
cratic party controlled the Senate, and dur
ing those intervals he continued at the head
of the Republican representation on the
committee. In recent years he delegated
the greater share of committee work to the
younger members of the committee, but
there had bee but few times when he was
not a regular attendant upon the committee
meetings. and many instances are related
OF his surprising activity in directing the
aft airs of the country up to the last.
lie had at his command "A wealth OF n
| formation concerning the tariff and fnan-
cial questions, which were always useful
on the calculation of problems then under
consideration. During his long career Mr..
! Molrill gave his attention to many ques-
lions, and no man in public life was more
| given than he to taking up subject and
! holding to it years al years, until Cousum-
ma ed. He was the real father Of the
/ scheme for the construction Of builG ng
/ for ths congressional library, and 10 hun
and Senator Voorhees,, who early joined
| him in pressing this question upon Con-
gttss, is The splendid library building a
monument. Very near his heart also was
| the pan for the erection OF sister build
! ing for the United States Supreme Court.
He had been pressing a measure looking TO
the construction of such building for
many years and finally prevailed upon the
Senate to pass his bill for this purpose. His
last appearance in the Senate was on De-
Gem Der 49, " hen he made a speech of half
an hours dun alton in advocating the Su-
prone Court building bill. He at the same
time prevailed upon the Senate to pass the
bill IN the face OF some opposition. 10 Sem
ator Morrill, probably more Than any one
else was the present splendid endowment
of most of the State agricultural colleges
due. He was the author of the original bill
giving aid to these co leges from the pro-
ceeds of the sales of the public lands, and
he never refused hem the encouragement
of his assistance. He opposed the annexa-
IiOu of Tnt4 III "A Altar islands the laAt. and
he was understood to be averse to the exer-
else of any American sovereignty over the
Philippines.
Although not regarded as an orator he
spoke gracefully aud forcibly and always
commanded the attention of the Senate and
galleries. His great age and high position
caused him to be universally esteemed by
the other members of the Senate. He was
he oldest member of the Senate and senior
member in point Of service. With the sim
gle exception of Galusha Grow of the House
OF Representatives, he was the only man in
Congress whose congressional career 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 COM
bined, almost forty -four years. He has long
been one of the most striking figures in the
Senate. His great height was scarcely di-
minished by slight stoop Of his shoulders,
bowed by the weight OF years. His luxu-
lures were suggestive of Charles Sumner,
and always attracted the attention of strang-
ers.
His public career has been absolutely
spOtless. No act Of dishonor or word of
discourtesy has ever been charged against
him. He ever held the respect OF his fellow
legislators, as well as the confidence and az
lection OF his constituents.
Senator Morrill, was married in 1851 to
Ruth, daughter OF DR.. Caleb Swan of
EastOp, Mass. She died last May, and the
venerable Senator never recovered from the
blow. Mr.. Morrill, has been for thirty years
a member of rhe board OF trustees OF the
University Of Vermont and Safe Agricul
tural College and one of the regents of the
Smithsonian institute.
Funeral services we're held last Saturday
afternoon in the Senate chamber at WASH |
ington. The attendance included the Pres
ident and his cabinet, and nearly every
man of prominence at the nations capital. |
A report of the funeral services at Mont
pelier on Monday may be found elsewhere
in this paper.