The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-09

| 9NAtGS SENATE DuC FOSSSSSGu o
Great VitaIlty-Strong But Away:
a Square Fighter.
Senator John II. Morgan of Alabama
eighty-one years old, or eighty-ont
years young, Is, with the exception Of
his colleague, Senator Pettus Of Ala.
bama, the Oldest man in the United
States Senate.
He is one Of the very active men OF
the Senate, and of late years has
achieved considerable fame because
Of the vigor with which he champion
ed the Nicaragua route as the proper
way for the trans-isthmian canal, and
also for the ardor and perseverance of
his opposition to the Panama route.
Because o. the bitterness Of his antag-
onism to the purchase by the United
States of the concessions of the
Franco-Panama canal company. and
because of his determined effort to de-
feat the adoption Of the Panama
route, Senator Morgan has In some
quarters gained the reputation of be-
Ing an obstructionist.
a Square Fighter.
y Nothing cou'l be farther fr>m the
truth. He Is great and trong
fighter, but his opposition is fair and
square, he has resorted to none of the
tactics employed by Congressional OBJ
structionists, and when he has been
beaten he has admitted 1t. This is
clearly shown In a recent letter to the
Panama Canal Commission, declining
an invitation to accompany the. CON-
mission on trip to the Isthmus. In
this letter the venerable Senator says:
'Since the ratification of the Hay
Varilla treaty, which / opposed, have
done all that could and much more than
thought could ever be of advantage tn
the country to sustain the government in
Its purpose to construct a canal at Pana-
ma. Yet have not believed that success
could crown their efforts, even In their
most costly and desperate form. You
may find the key to unlock the barriers |
that nature has interposed at Panama II |
you should be so fortunate, will applaud |
your. genius and courage. I will vote to |
provide you with every reasonable au-
thority and power to accomplish your
task and to meet your tremendous re-
sponsibility."
This letter shows that Senator Nor
ran is good loser as well as a |
rood fighter To be a good loser is n
admirable trait He does not rankle
'ver defeat and does not nurse a cause |
which he sees is irretrievably lost.
This Is practical craftsmanship.
An Active Record.
Senator Morgan has had an active
life. He was born Mt Athens, Tenn,
Tune 20, 1924, and with his parents
vent to Alabama when he was nine
ears old. He was admitted to the bar
Il Alabama in 1915; was a Presiden-
ial elector in 1860 for the State at
arge and voted for Breckenridge and
4ane; was delegate in 1861 from
DALLAS county to the State convention
which passed the ordinance Of secess-
on; Joined the Confederate army In
S61 as private In the Cahaba Rifles
nd when that company was assign
d to the Fifth Alabama regiment
ohm Morgan was elected a major and
ater Ieut-colonel of the regiment.
de was commissioned colonel In
S62 and raised the fifty-first Alabama
egiment, and came out Of the war
adier-general in command of an
alabama brigade. He was Presiden-
lai elector in 1876 and voted for
amuel J. Tilden, and was elected to
he United States Senate to succeed
George Goldthwaite, taking his seat
iarch 9th, 1877. He has been in the
enate ever SINCE and will probably
emain there as long as he wishes. or
. long as he lives. /,