The Delta independent., 1906-03-16

ID Second Oldest Man In tbe Unlteo
States senate, But Poo0eo0e1 q
Great YitaIity-Strong D~x Always
. Square Fighter.
Senator John T. Morgan Of Alabama,
eighty-one years old, OF eighfy-one
years young, Is, with the exception O.
his colleague, Senator Pettus OF AA-
hama, the Oldest man in the United
States Senate.
He IL one Of the very active men OF
the Senate, and Of late years has
achieved considerable fame becau1s
Of the vigor win which he champion
ed the Nicaragua route rs the proper
way for the trnns-isthmian canal, ana
also for the ardor and perseverance, OF
his opposition to the Panama route.
Because % the bitterness Of his antAg.
onism to the purchase by the United
States Of the concessions OF the
Franco-Panama canal compe~v. ana
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 obstructonist
a Square Fighter.
Nothing cou'l be farther from the
truth. He IL a great and strong
fighter, but his opposition Is fair and
square, he has resorted to nc"e Of the
tactics employed by Congressional OBJ
structionists, and when he has been
beaten he has admitted 1t. This 70
clearly shown in n recent letter to the
Panama Canal Commission, declining
an invitation to accompany the Com
mission on a trip to the Isthmus. In
this letter the venerable Senator says:
''since the ratification OF the Hay.
varilla treaty. which opposed. have
I thought could ever be Of advantage t.
.he country to sustain the government IN
Its purpose to construct q canal At Pane-
ma. Yet I have not believed that success
could crown their efforts. even In their
most costly and desperate form. You
may hnd the key to unlock the barriers
that nature has interpossd at Panama II
you should ss g fortunate. I VI, :pp.s1d
provide you with every reasonable an.
thoSity and power to accomplish your
ta.s and to meet your tremendous re-
THIS letter shows that Senator Nor
ean 10 good loser ~ well n
rood fighter. To he a GOOD loser IL n
admirable trait He does not ankle
over defeat and does not nurse cause
which be aecN In irretrievably lost
This 70 practical stAtesmanship.
An Aeesve Reeort.
eamtne NarEan has had an active
life. He WAS born at Athens, Tenn,
June 20. 1904. and with his parents
went to Alabama when he was nine
years old. He was admitted to the bar
Of Alabama In 1s45; was q Prcsiden-
dal elecfor n 1860 for the State at
large and voted for BreckimidGc and
Lane: wns q delegate in 1851 from
Dallas county - the State convention
which passed TIE ordnance Of aecess-
ion: Joined the Confederate army in
1881 a. q private in the Cahaba Rifles,
and when that company was assign-
e to the Fifth Alabama regiment
John Morgan was elected q major and
later leut-colonel Of the reciment.
10 VaS commissioned q colonel IN
1862 and raised the ffty-6rst Alabama
regiment. and came out Of the war a
briGadierEeneral In command Of an
Alabama brigade. He was Presiden-
ttal elector IN 1915 and voted for
Samuel J. Tilden. and was elected to
the United States Senate to succeed
George Go3dthwaite. taking his seat
March 9Th. 1877. He has been in the
Senate ever since. and will probably
remain there as long a. he wishes, or
- long ~ he uveA