The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-07-12
Morrison and the Tariff

This man was representative Oh an
idea. For more than a full century
that idea has been Part of our nat
ional politics, often paramount, al
wavs important Twice after exhaus-
tive discussion, extending over long
periods and covering many decades;
1t was triumphant at the polls and
once, in 1916, it was Incorporated in
the new law of the land and prevailed
as a public policy for fifteen years.
victory of 1892 barren, and for a de-
cade the idea of Robert ]. Walker,
John g. Carlisle, William K. Morrisonl
tied, and 1t sleepeth. Yet 1t is with US,
and Is as important as 4 was in 1856
though not SO paramount as in 1890.
William Morrison was born in Iln-
nois in 1929, and with the single ex
ception of stephen A Douglas he Is
the most distinguished Democrat that
State has produced. Lincoln was not
more OF man Of the people and Jack
sonality. Had the Democratic party
of the '70s been as judicious as 1t was
In the 'So's it would have made
all in all our country has not yet in
whole History produced a man bet
ter equipped for that great station
than he.
He was a soldier of the Mexican
war and participated in the slaughter
and shared in the victory of Buena
role endeavor. and it was there that
Morrison learned to hate war with
all the intensity of his nature. lie re-
turned home hero and was elected
to office. He was a member of the
State Legislature and Speaker of the
House. When the big war of 1861
game he was Circuit Court Clerk of
a Democrat Douglas man-and OPP
posed to the radicalism of the North
and of the South. He hated the war
and believed that it could have been
troops. and believed that the Union
could be restored without resort
to arms. tie was the most popular
man in Southern Illinois and his in
And thus it was when one sultry
July afternoon the St, Louis news
paper came with accounts of the battle
of first Bull Run. A crowd soon
sought the counsel of Morrison, who
sat in his office absorbed in reading
the news. When he had finished the
paper, he turned to his desk ana wrote
rapidly. In a few moments the crowd
had his answer. 1t was a call for VOL
unteers, and before the sun twice
again completed his daily course in
the heavens Morrison's regir PIT was
recruited and he was the c., Ell of 1t.
He was now a war Den. D rat" and
his action was worth twice 1000 men
10 the FeueTul arms.
He was at the siege of Fort Donel-
son and there he was desperately
wounded ard reported dead. He used
to tell of the horrors of that long and
enough to make a Marshal of France
hate war. His wife reached the field
the following morning, and nursed
him back to life, though he was in
commission. That fall he was elect
ed a member of the Thirty-eight Con-
gress,
Morrison was Democrat and OPP
posed the dmirLstration of Mr.. Lin
coin. He believ,~ the Union could he
restored by force of arms even with
out violating the Constitution. I'm
like Logan. he did not hate the Sou
Unlike Palmer, he would not haze
shed drop of blood TO free all the
negroes in the South. What Douglas
would have done we can only CON
lecture. We know he would have
been soldier. He might have been
pillar of the Republican party like
Democratic candidate for President in
1864. The dice of tate are always
loaded, and we can easily believe that
the early death of stephen a. Douglas
there We're score of them-of fate
in behalf of the Union as the Repub-
lican party fashioned it,
In Congress Morrison was not an
orator rotN, d"claimer. He seldom
made extended remarks. but in debate
under the hVe-minute rule he rarely
met his eGual and was Il good match
for Robert G.. Schenck himself. lie
was Il politician Of the first rank. and
he it was VIII" made Michael {. Kerr
Speaker of tho FGrtY-fourth Congress.
Kerr was the FIRST Democrat to plead
for tariff reform in Congress, but not
the first man-William b. Allison
forestall"d him in :hpt behalf. Kerr