Omaha daily bee., 1905-06-16
OUR LETTER BOX
pnnI Mnrtnn.

OMAHA, June l5.--To the Editor Of The
Bee: should hope that IL will not be dis
agreeable to the people of the state TO be
reminded that Paul Morton bears name
and embodles a memory which has been
held In high esteem and honor in this state
and In the country for generation. ]. Ster-
ling Morton, his father, and Carrie French
Morton his mother, a very queen among
women, mark their distinguished son
as distinctly Nebraska product, although
for the greater safety and comfort Of his
mother In our pioneer period, Paul was
born in Detroit. In fact and in truth he is
native of our state. and in all its manly
productions no man. living or dead, has
ever reflected upon It more honor than he
has done. Deeply do regret the failure OF
the press Of this city and state to give voice
to the pride which all men and women who
live here ought to have in the prizes he has
won at middle-age in the unequal struggle
Of life which has already secured to him e
great career, and which is full of promise
for still higher achievements in the paths
of usefulness and honor l am sorry that
the people OF Nebraska and Omaha have
had no opportunity to see know and justly
measure the splendid character ability and
sheer goodness of heart and greatness of
head of the second son of j. Sterling and
Carrie French Morton, who stands fore
most in the unbounded confidence and af-
fection of the greatest president who ever
presided over the destinies of this nation,
save two, since the days of the fathers of
the republic.
Mr.. Joe Pulitzer and other political rep
tiles may seek to blacken the name and
tear down the character of Paul Morton
because of a technical violation of the law
II.
during his service on the Santa Fe in re-
gard to rebates. 1t was to Paul Morton's
everlasting credit that he frankly confessed
the fact and explained the small matter
about which the 'oBryans and the OPu-
litzers and other political patriots and
dancing dervishes, are bowling themselves
hoarse. Not a centime of money was in
volved in the case to any company or any
body. The incident occurred from a previ-
Gus competition between the Santa Fe and
it's rivals for volume of business These
rivals were violating the law every min
ute, and Mr.. Mortons subordinate met the
pressure. And that's all there is about It.
President Roosevelt knows every fact in
the case that has caused such a roar OF
hypocritical indignation in certain high
quarters in which malignant enemies OF the
president are hiding. 1t is not Paul Nor
ton so much as IL Is Theodore Roosevelt
that these noisy gentlemen are after, al
though freely admit that the perverse and
the envious have been busy IN the same
outrageous attempt to strike down this
masterful and phenomenal man who is Ne
braska's own boy.
Paul Morton is being tossed about from
eminence to eminence of distinction in ma
tional affairs and in the control of vast in
terests in way to make other men dizzy.
But my personal word for it, 1t will not
make Paul Morton dizzy. Honest. keen,
able, six feet two in his low-heeled slippers,
big headed, big-hearted, finely proportioned,
and in all respects a superb personality,
Paul Morton has a grasp of affairs and a
for labor which are not surpassed
by any other man now living in our coun-
try. 1t is misfortune perhaps (perhaps
noD that he never saw the schools. A
farmer boy, at the tender
age of 10 years, milking COWS before day
light in the cold winter months. and doing
the work about the home that is usual and
at the still tender age of 10 he
was sent out into the world as a self-de-
pendent bread-winner, in the service Of the !
Burlington railroad. Everybody knows the |
rest of the story of this remarkable life.
GEORGE L. MILLER.