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

TO present it to the world in such a man az
Mr.. Morrlll--to he able to say typical
Vermonter is man born of plain parents
In country village; recei wing limited edu-
cational advantages but displaying an in
satiable thirst for knowledge and indomi-
table energy in acquiring 1t; reading wide
ly in the works OF the great master-stat es-
men OF the formative and critical periods of |
our history; adding thereto as leisure af- |
forded-leisure stolen from sleep-the best |
literature in the English language, schooled |
in political discussion in that primary par |
lament, progenitor OF all AnRlo-Saxon
legislatures " hich debates grave questions
OF State at the country tavern, or store, or |
in the churcbyard of Sunday afternoon;
gaining the respect OF his neighbors az hav-
ing the superior qualities which plain men
appreciate and admire and trust, and there
fore their man to send to Congress when
the time came: as representative first, then
as senator, industrious, studious OF great
questions, especially in the domain OF
finance wherein he became an acknowledge
ed master; sound in judgment. judicial
rather than brilliant; not eloquent in
speech and yet conciliatory and persuasive,
relieving dry financial statement or turn
ing the tables on an oppor ent In debate 10y
sally OF good humored wit learned OF his
shrewd country neighbors; always courte-
ous, good party man but respected by his
political opponents between whom and him
sell there IL on record not a single angry
word during all his long career; in presence
remarkably commanding and attractive;
hospitable In his home, genial az com
psnion, faithful AZ a friend; blameless and
pure and high minded in all the relations of
lfe-but / stop, lest you should think that
am drawing an ideal picture instead OF
giving YOU the portrait of the man as he
was. And yet everyone of you who knew
him will corroborste every word OF the de-
scrption and will upbraid me rather for my
| omissions than for my excess. But what
right have l to say along with all this that
| he was typical Vermonter? Perhaps In
EDITION to other re asoDs the best is that al
though he was a broad-minded American
who claimed every part OF the country az
| his own and deemed no remotest corner OF
it alien to him, he loved and cherished in
his heart of hearts, the green hills and
| woods and streams of his native State, her
homes and schools, her heroes and heroines,
and not least her plain men and women,
whose admiration and love and trust were,
| as he we'll knew, the source whence all his
| honors came.
II in this rapid enumeration OF admir-
able and noble qualities anything were
missed for the equipments OF an American
breeding of intellect and taste which
comes with liberal culture. But in men
| OF native refinement there Is is often seen
this beautiful compensation-that the C IN
seriousness of this lack and the mOdesty
and Difference and idealism 1t breeds are
ture. The lack of 1t was not conspicuous
ly felt in Mr.. Morrill,. Few men without
the training of the schools have absorbed
80 much OF the spirit OF learning and let
ters, from books, from the society OF cul
tivated men and women, from the study
Of great national aud cosmopolitan ques
tions. No man ever knew him to betray
morbid sensitiveness of deficiency by
undertaking the value of training in 9th
ers. But certain sense Of lack he Ger
| ~ wIrs.x ut Id
feeling, and the expression Of 1t to the
! world, is at once a most beautiful nantes
} tation OF the fine spirit Of the man, and thu
most characteristic, the most far.reachinl
, and the most enduring Of his public acts,
, mean the incorporation and endowment
the land grant colleges. 1t seems strange
; to us now looking back that it was not
given to some one of the many men OF ligh
and leading in Congress or elsewhere, som'
one who had drunk deeply of the world
lore in the universities of our own ant
other couni res. to conceive OF this plan o
, national provision for the less favored o
: his countrymen-tbatt this noble project wa
] reserved for one who had wrought IL out o
his own sense of deprivation and need
But even 30 it is well. 1t is well that il
) all our broad land, in Oklahoma and New
, Mexico as well as in New York and ONO
every young man who sspires TO tina
higher knowledge whereby his calling !
/, made more fruitful and his life enriched
should see the kindly hand OF his nation
,, government stretched out TO aid him be
y cause a Vermonter, remembering how hare
i it was to struggle alone in the quest o
, knowledge had pleaded with that govern
ment to make this quest easier for ever.
> young man who should come after him
Mr.. Morrill, rendered many services to hi
country for which his name will long b
held in remembrance, but his most lastin
= fame and the most endearing remembrance
l OF him will connect themselves with thos
most significant and weighty words IL
which the act of 1862 makes provision 10
the "libera and practical education OF tn
. industrial classes in the various pursuit
and professions in life"
J.; OF Mr.. Merrill as a statesman and OF hi
services to the nation in the field OF poll
: tics, this is not the fitting time to speak a
large. On other occasions and by NOR
competent speakers, ample justice will n
doubt be done him in these relations. Blu
1 shall fear no contradiction in saying tina
; in all the most significant and most fruitful
1 work of the national Legislature for NOR
: than generation past Mr.. Morrill, has ha
: q con. picuous and effective and most hoI
: orable share, and that if his contribution t
good legislation had not been made, or lie
me say, il Vermont had been represented
in Congress by a man less wise and less III
. huential, the general course OF legislator
would have suffered distinct loss @
: soundness and wisdom. The matter Is pu
|
advisement that Mr.. Morrill's statesman
Z ship did not assert itself in tours de force
8 in persistent and aggressive action, but II
!, diffusing all through the legislative atmos
. phere. SO to speak the mild and calm wis
dom OF which his face and his whole per
sonality was so beautiful an expression
: Not that he lacked the power of initativ
=. or of resistance. His finance measures, hi
college bill, his projects for the improve
ment OF the Capitol bulldogs showed tn
one, his attitude on currency questions, OF
Hawaii. and on the power of the House IL
! treaties, showed the other. But speaking
: generally, and especially of his later years
|, 1t may be said that it was Mr.. morrill,
, recognized wisdom, the weight OF his opin
. ion, respect for his character, which mad
, him the impressive and commanding per
sonality he was in the Senate.
And this brings me to say, what is Away
. the last and best thing to say OF any maj
, when we can say it truthfully, and what al
l our hearts have been say ing all these year.
ll Hl