The daily tribune., 1906-03-16
MORGAN A GOOD LOSER.
VENERABLE ALABANLAk JHOWN
NOT TO BE A PANAMA. CANAL
OBSTRUCTIONIST.
10 Second Oldest Man In the United
States Senate, But Possessed of
Great vitality-Strong But Always
a Square Fighter.

Senator John 7. Morgan of Alabama,
eighty-one years old, or eighty-one
wears 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
wav for the trnns-isthmian canal, and
also for the artior 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.
Nothing cou' be farther from the
truth. He Is great and strong
fighter, but his opposition is fair and
square, he has resorted to ncne of the
tactics employed by Congressional OBJ
structionists, and when he has been
beaten he has admitted 1t. This IL
clearly shown in n recent letter to the
Panama Canal Commission, declining
an invitation to accompany the COM
mission on trip to the 1sthmus. In
this letter the venerable Senator says:
''since the ratification of the Hay
Varilla treaty, which ! opposed. I have
done all that could and much more than
! thought could ever be of advantage to
me country to sustain the government In
Its purpose to construct 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 30 fortunate. will applaud
your genius and courage. I will vote to
provfde you with every reasonable au-
thority and power to accomplish yo1-
task and to meet your tremendous re-
sponsibility."
This letter shows that Senator Nor
gnn ia good loser as well as
good fighter. To he n good loser is n
admirable trait He does not rankle
over defeat and does not nurse cause
which he anes is irretrievably lost.
This is practical statesmanship.
An Active Record.
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 WIS nine
years old. He was admitted to the bar
Of Alabama in 1915; was a Presiden-
tial elector In 1890 for the State at
large and voted for Brcckimidge and
Lane: was a delegate In 1861 from
Dallas county to the State convention
which passed the ordinance Of secess-
lon: Joined the Confederate army in
1861 as private In the Cahaba Rifles,
and when that company was assign
ed to the Fifth Alabama regiment
John Morgan was elected major and
later ieut-colonel Of the rcriment.
He was commissioned n colonel in
1862 and raised the fifty-first Alabama
regiment, and came out of the war a
brigndier-genernl in command Of an
Alabama brigade. Tie was Presiden.
tial elector in 1875 and voted for
Samuel J. Ti1den. and was elected 10
the United Stntes Senate to succeed
George GOldthwalte. 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
~ long as be Mves.