The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-14


fishing house at s.ashvilIe. The invading
enemy occupied the town for the last
three years of the war and used or de-
stroyed the material and machinery of
the publishing house at will, without com
pensation to the owner.
The church authorities made claim upon
Congress for million dollars or more
damages after the war. The claim had
been before Congress for several years
when Senator Morgan took his seat. IJe
was selected to press and give fresh inl-
pulse to 1t. This as his first appearance
in important debate. He made a pro-
found impression ard ultimately carried
the bill through. The church was paid
damages in large sum.
| The senator from Alabama at once took
position as successor in the long liae
from the south that had. given a controll-
ing influence to this section in the august
body. He was 55 years of age. we'll pre-
served. distinctly martial bearing a
singularly handsome countenance The
remarkable vocabulary which he pos
sessed, he once remarked TO this writer,
he attributed to the habit of his mother,
who, in the absence of schools and school
books, in their home in the wilderness.
read to him copiously from the standard
poets He at the same time associated in
timately with the Indians. who yet inhab-
tied the country, and caught much of the
imagery of that noble and peculiar race
What line of poetry Is more inspiring than
this whisper from Pushmataha. the Ala
bama Choctaw chief, as he was passing
at Washington: when the news gets
home it will sound like the fall of big
tree when the wind is stil!' How like
Senator Morgan in the simplicity and hon
esty of the pathosl
| In 1873 a trick performed by General B.
f. Butler representing a Massachusetts
district, dropped the silver dollar from
certain bill providing for coming money.
This performance became known as the
crime of 49, There was no act of de-
monetization of silver but the silver dol
lar coin couId not be coined longer.
| New silver mines, in phenomenal prod
gality of yield were opened in the western
wilds, population and trade increased
enormously, the popular demand for free
coinage of silver De came violent Late In
| 1877. under the leadership of Representa-
| tive Blair of Missouri, the House passed
| a bill restoring silver to equal rights with
| gold at the lnints The pill went to the
Senate, approved by every democratic
paper in Alabama, and practically by all
| the democrats of tho United States.
| In the Senate the republicans bitterly
resisted the Flair ILL. Senator Conklng.
| the leading orator on the floor and one of
| the great American debaters of history,
delivered a thoroughly prepared and ex-
haustive argument tgainst It. To the evi-
dent surprise and also the i'll conceale
contempt Of the imperious senator from
| New York, the confederate brigedier from
| Alabama, a common rebel" as was sup
posed, rose in reply and defense of the
Blair bill. The senator from New York
visibly withheld his attention. In course
of Is minutes he turned his head. IN
long stare at the man who presumed to
assail him IN his own ground. The sena-
tor from Alabama sat down at the end of
four consecutive hours with reputation
made that endured In ever increasing
splendor for so odd years.
Senator Morgan Immediately made
profound impression upon the Senate. He
devoted special attention to the Indian sit
uation examining the rights of the race
| Under all treaties and exposing the
wrongs of the race inflicted by the gov
| eminent at Washington that Il committee
was appointed, with the senator from
Alabama at the nead to travel through
the great west among the tribes and re-
port The committee spent the summer
of 1879 on this woek. They travelled much
in government wagons and ambulances,
carrying army tents for the camping
grounds. The senator from Ala bdma took
with him his daughter, Miss Mary. The
committee t-aversed Indian Territory
Colorado. Utah, Wyoming, California. The
senator's official report on the plan of
civil government maintained ny the In
dams and their capacity for civil affairs
is text in The educational system of the