The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1909-10-07
COL. MORRISON,
FAMED DEMOCRAT,
DIES IN ILLINOIS.
Was Tariff Expert, Commerce
Commissioner and Veteran
in Two Wars.
HOUSE LEADER DURING
TAX FIGHT IN 1882

William Rails Morrison, former men,
Der of Congress from Illinois and an
Interstate Commerce Commissioner
and at one time the leading Demo-
cratic authority on the tariff, died at
his home here. His brothers and
sisters were with him, but he was
delirious and continually called for
his dead wife. He was "a years old.
From the opening months of the
Civil War, when he was chosen for
Congress, until 1907, when he retired
as head Of the Interstate Commerce
Commission, Colonel Morrison had
been a leader in Illinois and national
Democracy.
He went to the Mexican War as a
private, and in 1861 organized the
Forty-ninth Illinois Volunteers. While
in command of his regiment he was
elected to Congress and served from
1855 to 1865. Previous to the war
he had been Speaker of the Illinois
House for several years.
He served in Congress again from
1873 to 1887, and from 1875 and
lS83-87 was chairman of the Commit
tee on Ways and Means. All this
time he was the leading congressional
figure on tariff Legislation. His influ-
ence brought about the revision of
1884, but he was not satisfied with it.
Known as Horizontal Bill"
He was known as Horizontal
Bill, because his scheme was to re-
duce the tariff by a flat figure all
along the line. His speeches on the
tariff were important campaign docu-
nents for many years.
In March, 1887, President Cleve-
land appointed him a member Of the
Interstate Commerce Commission,
and he was chairman from 1891 until
1893, when he failed of reappoint.
ment at the hands of President Nc.
Kinley. He was a delegate to many
national conventions.
Colonel Morrison was married
twice. His first wife, by whom he
had two children, died five years af-
ter the marriage. Two sons died
shortly afterwards. His second wife
was Mrs. Eleanor HORNE, whom he
married in 1857. She died three
years ago. One was born to this
union, but death took him also.
Colonel Morrison was a lover of
children and counted them among his
friends in this town, but death pre-
vented his having any children of his
own at his bedside at the last.
Called on Cleveland
Close friends of Colonel Morrison
tell of how his name was considered
for the nomination for the presidency
in 1892. It is related that, the party,
waiting for word from Grover Cleve-
land whether or not he would accept
the nomination, was in a quandary.
AT this juncture Colonel Morrison
called upon Mr.. Cleveland, whose re-
ply was that ''he was in the hands of
his friends. "
Grover Cleveland was nominated.
Colonel Morrison not only took part
in the active work of the campaign,
but his tariff speeches in Congress
became some of the strongest cam
paign materials of the party.
In Colonel Morrison's rush west
ward during the gold fever, which at
tracted so many to California, he
mined 5000.
In 1889 Colonel Morrison, after for
ty years in Office, retired to this city
to spend the remainder of his lie. He
had erected a large and beautiful
mansion, where he lived often alone.
Relatives were wont to visit him from
time to time, but his life was regard
ed here as lonely in the extreme.
In late years his eyesight failed and
others read to him,