Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1901-12-18
PROUD OF MORGAN.
Bill Arp Says Alabama Senator Is ;
Great Man.
lie IS AN OLD MAN ELOQUENT
Then Arp Talks About Great Men
Georgia Has Produced-Paper Read
At Warm Springs.

| 40 ioheu upon the nkone2 or Gem
eral Morgan that graced the Nicarauca
headlines in The Constitution | could
not help saying to myself. There is a
great man. l pray that he may live to
see the canal completed and be the
! honored guest OF the boat that makes
| the hrst trip across from ocean /,
ocean 1t looks like Providence rear
ed MIN up 10 champion that great
work and has preserved him in health
ana devotion until at last the b.n has
passed and all obstacles are removed
know that he is happy and feeIs
serenely triumphant. If / was an Ala
baman. | would feel proud OF Morgan
Al was n TennesSean, I would feel
proud. Tor he was born there and there
spent ten years or his youth. But I
am proud OF him anyhow, for he is 4
southern man and all his long public
lie has been unsclfsh and true To his
people. His good health and well nro-
served faculties encourage me to Two
on and On just as long as can. cor he
Is Just two years older than | am and
Is still vigorous apd useful He is the
olu man eloqrent and like Nathaniel
Macon never said an idle or foolish
thing. He is as solid rs n rock. .clf
poised and solf-rreparcd on all grear
questions. In 1861 he volunteered rs =
private and soon rose TO major and
then TO lieutenant colonel: next he
raised and equipped q regiment and he
came lis colonel. In 1863 he was nomi-
nated Tor briFadicr general by Robert
r. Lee. but declined it. Later on he
was constrained to accept the honor
ana was with the General Johnston 10
the close. In 1876 he was elected 10
e. tne united States Senate and reelected
IN ISS2. in 1883. in 1894. and again IL
I'oO. making his fifth successive term
he wen deserves n monument after nc
dies and n place in the Hall OF Fame
IL Us comfort to us all 10 he assured
that no man ranks him In the United
states Senate. for he is treasure
house OF knowledge. ana there is not
n cloud over his candor. his truth or
his integrity. When he s0eaks he has
something TO say and knows how to
say Ii and when to quit. Tom Benton
said OF Nathaniel Macon. He rarclv
spoke but few sentences. but uttert Il
more good sense in getting up out of
his chair and sitting down again than
was contained in tho long and ciabor-
ate speeches of most Senator's" Cen
eral Morgan's long career reminds nc
or Macon. for he too. was private in
the revolutionary war He held public
Office for fifty seven years and John
Randolph said Of him. "IIe Is the wis
est. the purest and best man ! ever
knew" Twice he declined a place in
the cabinets OF two presidents. but af-
ter he had retired and was ~ years old
he accepted the office of Justice OF the
peace in his home district He meyer
recommended any OF his kindred for
appointment TO office. He refused pay
for his service as a soldier and refused
To receive n pension afterwards-and
voted against all pensions or rewards
or gratuities. He died as calmly as
Socrates. but without the poison. and
his grave is on n high barren ridge
marked with no marble. only n pile OF
stones. which was according to his
Will. Nathaniel Macon was my ia
Tiers ideal OF great and good nan.
He placed him above all other states
men. for he declared that he was as
wise as Solomon and purer than David.
When ! was in Warren county come
ther lived in an old-fashioned double
log house. For some years II had mud
and stick chimneys above the fire. iams
and was covered with boards OF his
own make. In course OF time he tore
away the chImneys and rebuilt them
Of stone and brick. and tore away the
boards ana covered with shingles.
Later on as he got able he weather
hoo D-lf /, IL g.t.
cciled the inside by hecinning at the
top Of the wall and letting the plank
lab up instead OF down. so that his
wife could pour hot water in the cracks
and kill the bedbugs. | reckon that
Tom Benton. who wrote his biography
got his antl-pens'on principles from
Macon. for Benton in great speech in
the Senate opposed "A pension to Cen
eral Harrison's widow and called il "a
new dcHarturc that would load to the
hot'omleSs gulf OF pensions and gratui-
ties" Well IT is a bc;tomlcsS gull
both TO the State ana nation.
In this connection | ruminated on
who were our greatest men in Georgia
who most deserves a niche in he
temple Of fame. BY common consent.
Oglethorpe seems entitled to the first
place. but dozen or more have al
, vOcates for the second place. / reckon
however. that Crawford long VIII got
it-not as 4 statesman or soldier or in
Tcrtor or Dh.l1ntro0ist. but rather IS
n thoughtful discoverer like Jenner
| who discovered tho healing art OF vac-
cina''on. The question is n very per-
nleNinC one. for soTe a great in ore
phase Of character and some in anoth-
y hfx xxyif ~ 1ge Do ~.