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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.
