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About The Conservative (Nebraska City, Neb.) 1898-1902 | View Entire Issue (May 29, 1902)
' ' r-fi/WTi\W- ; - + Conservative * From John DeWitt Warner , New York. From 1809 when , at a Reform Olub couferonco held at New York iu prepar ation for taking up the Free-Trade issue , wo found J. Sterling Morton one of our coolest , most aggressive , and most resourceful allies till when , after a most conspicuous career in Mr. Cleve land's cabinet , he left active politics , I know of no man who better typified the ideal American citizen this in his shrewd and practical character , and his many-sidedness , as well as in his high standard both for public and private life. life.He He had meanwhile become known to us as first of those who called our at tention to the importance of our Arbori culture , and , by Arbor Day in connec tion with school celebrations , enlisted the coming generation in the cause. His Democracy was not merely of the highest type , but of the old-fashioned sort as scrupulous to keep its own skirts clean as to expose corruption out side seeming , indeed , to prefer , if Americanism was to be misrepresented bv our officials , that they should not be Democrats. In his death wo have lost a Noble Roman in the best sense of that term. From Frank Cooper , Kansas City , Mo. J. Sterling Morton was in my opinion one of the ablest and most remarkable men of his time. Coupled with ideals and conceptions of life so lofty as to be almost poetical , he had withal a thor oughly practical knowledge of men , methods and affairs , which was always reflected in his conversations , writings and undertakings. While he will be remembered , love.d and celebrated , principally , no doubt , for his founding of "Arbor Day" and for his many private virtues , I appre ciate him most for his distinguished public services as Secretary of Agricul ture. That department was then in its infancy , in its formative period , and in establishing its policy , with an eye single to the good of his country , ho stood like a rook against both the assaults and blandishments of designing men in high position. His strength and wisdom in that administration in estab lishing a policy ( still adhered to ) will redound to the profit of generations yet tunborn. From Gifford Pinchot , U. S. Forester , Washington , D. C. Ex-Governor Morton was one of the chief promoters of forestry in this country. The founding of Arbor Day , his most conspicuous service , has not yet begun to show its full results. It has already been useful in an exceed ingly high degree , but its chief value will be realized in the interest of coming men and women in forests and forest protection. His interest in tree plant ing has likewise been of very great rT - a value to the progress of that important subject , not only throughout the Middle West but in the country at largo. Mr. Morton will bo remembered as one of the strongest and most helpful friends of forestry in the early part of its progress in the United States. From James M. Pierce , Des Moines , la. A man of great worth has passed away. Ho achieved no distinction in the barbarous ways which the world recognizes as the principal paths to glory. He was not chief of any con quering hosts. He led no mighty armies to splendid victory. Ho desolated no homes , nor ravished by fire and sword any land. He found his work upon greater heights than these the advance ment of the arts of peace. His efforts were put forth to make this a more de cent and comfortable world to render it more habitable for enlightened and civilized people. He was constructive , conservative , always sane , and able , and honest , carrying with him constantly the courage of his convictions , and in tolerant only of sham and pretense. He subdued and tamed a portion of the raw earth for his home , and made it blos som and bear fruit , and fashioned it into a place of beauty fit to delight all artistic eyes , and reared upon it a fami ly of children who possess in abundant measure , as by heredity , the old-fash ioned virtues of truth and sincerity , and the divine gifts of intelligence and en ergy , so that in the fullness of years , when age had ripened , and the time had come for his departure from mortal life , and his entry into the mansion of a fuller and complete life , the parenl heart was content , and he could look backward over his earthly career with the consciousness that it was worth while to live. Such a man was J. Sterling Morton. From Sarah B. Harris , Lincoln. Mr. Morton deliberately renounced ease and the comforts of a fully settled community , for a little house on the prairies and the opportunity to be o : boundless influence and usefulness in a new community. The prairie grass billowed round his homo , and the young man and his wife were homesick with gazing on the dis tant horizon , a view unbroken by trees or by any perpendicular lines , excep the four angles of his own cabin. Bu a courage and a faith like that of George Washington sustained them. Mr Morton's belief in the future of Nebras ka never faltered. He became the state's foremost citizen ; he made Arbor Day a national occasion , and thousands o trees are now in bud that would no have been planted if Mr. Morton hac not spout his time and energy and ere ative inspiration in inducing settlers to "plant trees. " He loved his fellow man , spent hi life in kind deeds for the community wherein ho had cast his lot , and whore he remained. Four noble , talented boys were born in the homo , and lib honor or opportunity of fortune could tempt Mr. n , - ' Morton to give up that homo. This --/i' was another characteristic : tenacious fidelity to family and friends , and to his own ideals. He had a very passion for loyalty , sincerity , direct dealing. Some under lying moral energy helped him to fill his life with accomplishments that blessed the community in which ho lived. Between honesty and dishonesty in commerce and politics there was a wide gulf fixed. He never tried to cross it , and the rope-walker who at tempted it for the spectacular effect excited his temperamental scorn. Ho was a preacher of truth , and his words and phrases had a biblical force and nakedness that made lies squirm. It is likely that the tendency of life in America will defeat the plans for an ancestral estate , but for at least a gen eration or two Arbor Lodge will be the home of Mortons , and the whispering pines that owe their existence to his hand will still guard the wide-porched house of the man who built it and loved it and its meaning. From Charles S. Hamlin , Boston. I esteem it an honor to be asked to join in this tribute of respect to the memory of J. Sterling Morton. It was my good fortune to see much of him in Washington between the years 1898 and 1897. His was a strong , rugged charac ter. He detested phams and was out spoken in his criticism of cowardice in public life. He seemed to know no such thing as fear. He rejoiced in opposi tion , trusting to reason to carry convic tion on all public questions. He was a monument of uprightness. He never sacrificed a conviction for political ex pediency. From James Denton Hancock , Franklin , Pa. Mr. Morton was by nature a reformer not of that class which mistakes vague and ill-considered experiment for reform , but upon practical lines and under conditions which appeal to the best judgment of the most intelligent and cultured people. While ho was kindly in his judgment of men , he was intolerant of error and falsehood. This caused him to be independent both in politics and religion. From Sec'y James Wilson , Washington. The opportunity I had to make the acquaintance of your illustrious father was but brief , yet I got the impression that his was one of our great minds. Ho is very much respected hero. I am trying to carry out some of his ideas with regard to tree-planting.