The Greeley tribune., 1906-03-15

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Senator John r. Morgan of Alabama,
eighty-one years old, or eighty-one
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
or the viSor With which he champion.
eu 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 of 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.
Nothing cou'l be farther from the
truth He is a great and strong
fighter. but his opposition is fair and
square. he has resorted to none Of the
tactics employed by Congressional OBJ
structionists. and which he has been
beaten he has admitted it. This Is
clearly shown in n recent letter to the
Panama Canal Commission, declining
an invitation to accompany the Com
mission on a trip to the 1sthmus. In
this letter the venerable Senator says:
''Snce the ratification of the Hay
Varilla treaty. which ! opposed. I have
done all that I could and much more than
I thought could ever be of advantage to
.he 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. If
you should be SO fortunate. I will applaud
your genius and courage. I will vote to
provide you with every reasonable au-
task and to meet your tremendous re-
sponsibilitv."
This letter shows that Senator Nor
gan is n good loser as we'll as a
good fighter To be good loser is n
admirable trait He does not rankle
over defeat and does not nurse cause
which he sces is irretrievably lost.
This is practical craftsmanship.
Nh nCIlFc NcCOTus
Senator Morgan has had an active
life. He was born at Athens, Tenn,
June 20, 1924. and with his parents
went to Alabama when he was nine
years old. He was admitted to the bar
Of Alabama in 1915; was n Presiden-
ial elcctor in 1860 for the State at
large and voted for Breckenridge and
Lane: was n delegate in 1861 from
Dallas county to the State convention
which passed the ordinance Of secess-
ion; Joined the Confederate army in
1861 as n private in the Cahaba Rifles
and when that company was assign
cd to the Fifth Alabama regiment
John Morgan was elected a major and
later lieut-coloncl of the regiment.
He was commissioned colonel in
1862 and raised the fifty-first Alabama
regiment, and came out of the war
brigader-gcneral in command Of an
ilabama brigade. He was Presiden-
tlal elcctor in 1876 and voted for
Samuel j. Tilden, and was elected to
the United States Senate to succeed
George Goldthwaite. taking his seat
March 9th, 1877. He has been in the
Senate ever since. and will probably
remain there as long as he wishes, or
AS long as he lives.