Omaha daily bee., 1905-10-29

kind Of a man who addressed himself to
| difficult problem and worked 1t out by
/ sheer force pf mental power
Those were the days when Nebraska was
| trying TO demonstrate its ultimate rights
! 20 statehood and IL was most fortunae
that it had within its borders such men
as Mr.; Morton. As member OF the Ter
ritorial Board OF Agriculture and the
| Territorial horticultural society he did
| much in developing the two fundamental
| resources Of what Is now our state, and
! along these lines attracted settlers from
! the cast and thus shortened the territorial
day. He blazed the way that Others might
/ follow. BY the power Of example ne dem.
| onstrated the possibilities of the land and
encouraged the pioneers In subduing ths
| refractory conditions with which they had
/ to deal. lie was the apostle Of evolution,
/ the inspiration OF a large following OF
| home builders, who looked to him as their
natural leader of his numerous political
| successes in those early days l need not
speak Suffice II to say t a ,, Wbh TnnySt
| to It a devotion to duty and an honesty
OF purpose which compelled the respect Of
deared him to those with whom he was
associated IN the discharge OF public bust
ness. Those who knew MIN best spppiL S5
what we call destiny" simply because he
! was able to correctly read the signs of the
| interests in harmony with the oncoming
| tide OF events.
Arbor Day Best Claim to Fame.
His greatest political honor came to him
| when he was appointed secretary of agri-
| culture by President Cleveland, the non
/ ored gentleman whom We are proud TO have
with US today and who VIII deliver the
ton Mr.. Morton was pre-eminently htted
and he gave to the office a wealth OF prac-
| lect which made him one of the most
! popular members of the administrative
OF Nebraska Possibly his best claim to
| fame lies in the fact that he was the au-
| thor of that. popular festival known as
! lover of trees. No one better appreciated
their value. both from a practical and an
| artistic standpoint or better understood
! their effect upon climatic conditions. He
viewed with alarm the denudlng OIL lor-
ests in timbered countries and conceived
| the idea OF counteracting that influence and
at the same time making the pralrles OF
| the west more inhabitable by concentrating
! the thought of the country for single
day each year on the subject of tree plant
| ing. Accordingly, on January 4, 1914, before
meeting. Of the state Board OF Agri,c Cidh
created and named Arbor day. At that
| time Hon Robert w. Furnas was governor
and he entered into the spirit of the reso-
| luton by procaimlng April of that year
as a day for general tree planting. Inc
annual date has since been changed to
| April %. Mr. Mortons birthday, and has
! received Legislative recognition. The Gus
tom has grown in popularity WIN eaeh
most il not all, of the states of the union.
| No more fitting monument Will ever, be
reared TO MS memOIN IMAM llld NOdhtlNoo
number OF trees which now stand as tes-
timonials Of his far-sghhted oenehcence
We are assembled upon this occasion 10 20
unwilling Of a monument of granite, reared
at the suggestion Of loving hearts, as an
added tribute of respect and Veneratlon:
To these solemn services II is my great
| privilege to cordially welcome you, PreSl-
dent Cleyeland. also the eoIieague es bi mp
| and all others from abroad who have non
ored this hour with their presence. we
! share in the homage which we here lay
at the shrine of genius. The INDUSTRIOUS
ments we were II" broader than state lines and
his virtues are worthy of national emula-
tion. It is fitting that this vast audience
should lay aside the duties of the present
and assemble for brief consideration or
the life of such man as ]. Sterling Nor
| may make a deep impression upon each
one of us and that we may an De lnspIeu1
to higher ideals. Again bid you corulai
| welcome.
Mr.. Steinhart then presented the former
president He referred to him as a charac-
ter which grows in the esteem and aheo-
tions of the country he served as time
progresses.
| Tribute from Former Chief.
Mr. Cleveland arose to speak at 2:45 and
! concluded at 3O5. He spoke from his
| manuscript but at most times one would
! not have appreciated this fact. His force,
earnestness, power of utterance and de-
| cisiveness blended into fervid eloquence at
( times and his entire address was highly
enjoyable. When the former president said
at the outset that IL was superfiuous Tor
him to dwell on the large heartedness and
warmth of spirit of the late Nebraskan
! "here among you, his friends and neigh
bors" his voice trembled and eyes mois-
| tened
Again Mr. Cleveland showed emotion
when he referred to his association with
| Mr.. Morton.
Mr.. Cleveland was interrupted several
times by the plaudits of his hearers, When
he came to the domestic side of this great
life mis- voice almost broke and he seemed
| unable to restrain the tears which before
had but slightly dimmed his eye.
He turned and faced the three stalwart
sons, all perfect specimens Of physical
manhood and successful in their various
work, and said: Let his sons understand
that that success which endures is that
achieved in the spirit which animated their
nlustrious father" Mr.. Cleveland said;
l have not come to the surviving family
of ]. Sterling Morton, and to those who
were his intimate friends and neighbors
for the purpose of bringing from afar
superfuous recital of his virtues and men
tai endowments. You who, within the sa-
cred precincts of his home, knew the
| warmth OF his love, you, VINO daily 1ound
cheer and delight in the sunlight of his
steady, constant friendship, and you, his
immediate fellow citizens, who have been
stirred to admiration and attachment of
his unselfish and effective labor in behalf
Of those with whom his lot cast, need
no words of mine to arouse in your minds
the sentiments which beft this commemo-
rative occasion. Even though all were
| silent, the beautiful monument here erected
would itself eloquently signify the love and
friendship and admiration which are today
revived by the recollection Of an affection
| ate, dutiful and useful life
| But / am not here without a mission.
| l would fain interpret this monument s
| message to me, as II recalls my close COM
| partnership and cooperation, in the dis
charge of the highest public duty, with the
| man we honor. l am here TO give evidence
concerning the things he revealed to me In
the light Of that companionship and Co
operation. This is but to testify to his
| lofty civic righteousness, his simple and
| sure standards OF public morality, his stern
| insistence on official honesty, his sturdy
| adherence TO opinions deliberately and con-
scientiously adopted his generous conces-
! sion TO others OF every result of their eff
| forts and his passionate desire to serve
the best interests in his fellow country
| men.
Morton Defended Right.
l am not required, for the sake of ex-
! aggerated tribute, TO insist that In the
| mere possession of these virtues our friend
| was distinguished above all others But
| il must be said that he stood out from