The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1899-01-05


Chamneria lain. an intimate friend.
The immediate cause of death was
pneumonia. which developed from an
attack Of grip contracted about a week
ago. The venerable senator was con-
fined tt his home but seven days.
In the death of Hon. Justin Smith
Morrill, the senate lost its senior MEM
Der in point of service and its oldest in
age. He had served continuously in the
senate for more than 81 years, and he
was IS years old on the 14th of April
last. With the single exception Of Hon.
Galusha Grow of the house of repre-
sentatives. he was the only man in con-
gress 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 combined almost A years. Mr..
Morrill, was native OF Vermont. He
was first elected member Of the
Thirtyfourth congress. taking his seat
at the first assembling of that body aft
er the 4th of March, 1855. He was re-
elected to the Thirty fifth, Thirty sixth,
Thirty-seventh. Thirty-eight and Thir-
ty-ninth congresses and was in 1867
elected to the senate to succeed Hon.
Luke p. Poland. He held his seat in the
senate since that date without Interrupt
ton, having been elected six times sue
cessively. His present term, to which
he was chosen in 1896, would not have
expired until 1903.
1t was at the beginning Of the war
| that Mr.. MOrrilPs practical business
training. first brought him forward as
| a man of national reputation. He was
| the author of the Morrill, tariff act of
| 1861. which was the basis Of all tariff
| legislation of war times. In 1864 he be-
! came chairman Of the committee on
ways and means, the principal commit
| tee 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 he was identified as men,
/! ber Of the committee Oh finance, which
committee deals especially with these
subjects. He 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-third congresses, when the Demo-
cratic party controlled the senate, and
| during those intervals he continued at
the head of the Republican representa-
ton on the committee.
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 to 1t through years and
years until consummated. He was the
real father of the scheme for the con-
struction of a building for the Con-
gressfonal library, and to him and Sen
ator Voorhees,, who early Joined him ir
pressing this question upon congress, il
the splendid library building a monu-
ment. 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 q
} building for many years and had or
three different occasions prevailed up.
on the senate to pass his bill for thi.
purpose. His last appearance in thu
| senate was on the 18th inst, when HI
} made a speech Of half an hours dura
! ton in advocacy Of the supreme cour
building. He at the same time prevail
ed upon the senate to pass the bill IL
the face Of some opposition. To Sena
tor Morrill, probably more than an!
one else was the present splendid en-
dowment of most of the state agricul
!. tural colleges due. He was the autho
Of the original bill giving aid to thes
colleges from the proceeds of the sale
Of the public lands, and he had neve
refused them the encouragement of hi
assistance.
Mr.. Morrill, was an indefatigabl
worker, and, while not an orator, h
! spoke gracefully and forcibly and wa
always listened to attentively. Hi
great age and high position caused hin
: to be universally esteemed by the othe
= | members Of the senate.