Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1899-02-24
HOWARD ON MORRILL,
TRIBUTE TO THE MEMORY OF THE
DEAD STATESMAN.

Their Fifth Annual Banquet-Professor
Howard the Guest of the Evening and
the Principal Speaker.
Buffalo, n. Y, has a society of Yer
monters, and it Is in a very flourlshing
condition Attorney Thomas H. Noonan
of the class of 81, Middlebury college, is
its secretary. Last Friday evening the
society gave its fifth annual banqet at
the Ellcott club, and about 12O were
seated $roupa the boards. Prof. Walter
e. Howard Of NIiddlebury college was
the guest of the society and the principal
speaker. The Buffalo Express, in its ac-
count of the banquet, contains the
following;
Professor Howard has good presence
and pleasing manner of speaking. He
was in thorough sympathy with his
subject and elaborately sketched the life
of Justin Morrill,. He portrayed graphi-
cally the sterling qualities of the dead
senator, his uns werving steadfastness,
his rugged honesty and his devotion to
the interests of the commonwealth
Professor Towards speech in part
follows:
AS one who goes at nightfall weared to
mis- home, yet thankful in his long days toll,
so Justin Morrill, came to life's glad end. He
was an old man. For half his life he bad
given his country the best he had to give.
He had served her with all the courage of
Roman senator and with all the fidelity of
Christian priest. For nearly half century
he had helped to make her history. In that
time he had seen the tragedy of the civil
war and borne his manful part. He had seen
the renaissance of unity. The men of his
early years In congress have long since
passed away. when John sherman went in.
10 the cabinet, Mr.. Morrill, was alone left to
represent the statesmen of the last generation
and welcome in the new. And it was hail ana
farewell.
The richest legacy to any people is the
life of good man. Ana senator Morrill,,
TO the full measure of a man in wisdom,
strength and that beauty of character that
we call virtue, easily street.-the himself.
This country in the long reach of its event.
ful history may have pro uced some man
wise, some man as strong, a man rs
good, but rarely if ever have we seen
among wise ana strong and good
man as Mr. Morrill, In him, manhood
not American, not English, not German
but simple manhood, was at its best.
If search the annals of our political
history through we could find no other
man who has made so strong an impress
upon his time at so little expense of those
finer graces of character which greatly make
the charm of life and make ii possible for
strong man to number among his warm
est personal friends his bitterest po itical
enemies. And yet Mr.. Morrill, was strong
and faithful party man. He had entered
public life when politics was at fever
heat. He had borne the heavy burden of
care and responsibility through ma Iy anx.
ious years, relying with confidence upon
the loyal support of a strong political or.
ganization. But cannot believe that upon
any crucial question that party mandate
would have numbered LOUD enough in Mr..
Morrill's ear to down the stll small voice.
On the Goth dav of last June, standing in
his place in the United State senate, he utter,
ed these significant words: "At my time of
life having no higher ambition than to be
right, l greatly regret to fini that on the
question of the annexation of the Hawaiian
Islands cannot quite agree with some of my
associates here with whose opinions | have
rarely differed, and while knowing how i'm
possible it Is to change the views of any
hope they will pardon my desire to present
in open session of the senate my reasons for
opposition to n measure heretofore always
rejected by the United states and as it app pears
to ME never so much deserving of rejection
now / shall vote for an increase
of the navy, but an opposed to policy of
anneXing distant islands that may create "A
necessity for doubling our naval force and
largely expanding the cost of Its mainten-
ance, especially when there are no islands
worthy of our annexation now inappropriate
ed"
Some men are always politicians, occa
sionally some politician grows INTO states
man, often statesman maddened by
disappointment, corrupted by plunder, se-
duced by ambition, sinks to the level of the
politician. But Mr. Morrill, was a statesman
always, a politician never He did not look
upon Vermont as a private political reserve,
field to exploit for the satisfaction of his
personal ambition or private purposes. He
would not have been political dictator if he
a nd ha m mi ba unn mt
has always been signally free from that sort
of public servant. 1t would be somewhat diff.
fcult to drive the free and independent
yeOmanry of the Green Mountains to think
according to order or vote by command. They
think for themselves and they vote for them
selves. And this independence of character
and judgement which Mr.. Morrill, shared as
our common Dirthright and of which he was
so proud in his people and of which they were
so proud in him was the very thing that pre-.
served their relations to each other in mutual
respect and confidence for nearly so years.
Vermont was proud of Mr.. Morrill, but after
all, | think there was more love than pride in
her reg trd. He was man to command af
fection and Vermont gave il in ample
measure. And Mr.. Morrill, loved Vermont,
and as the years went by and one after anoth
er of his oldtime friends ana lovers slipped
from sight and new and unfamiliar faces
came about him, can well believe that Yer
mont came to be to him almost living
personality.
Justin Morrills work is done-and yet not
ended, for in him how richly true 1t is that
the good men do lives after them. And We
may well believe that from the serene heights
OF his perfect knowledge he shall see the
fruitage of his labors in rich and richer
harvest as the years sweep by.
His fame is secure. For while the world
owes truth and honor, while beauty has
mission and virtue devotee while wisdom
has a lover and statesmanship a friend, the
name of Justin S. Morrill, shall never fad,
away.
"There shall be a handful of corn in tho
earth upon the top of the aims; tn,
fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon"
GRAIN-O BRINGS RELIEF