miM. ■;w •^.■VV>"-^. •:au •,t /»' 'i ^MSe°sXn"'l HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES {'^i5^"^02" Benjamin Franklin Marsh (Late a Representative from Illinois) MEMORIAL ADDRESSES ^ Fifty-ninth Congress ^t ■J First and Second Sessions HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 15, 1906 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 9, 1907 / I Compiled under the direction of the Joint Committee on Printing WASHINGTON : : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : : l-^? f1 MAY 29 1907 D. ofD. iDMoDiiKitJiACflOsa FoMiaiasM TABLE OF CONTENTS. Page, Proceedings in the House 5 Prayer by Rev. Henrj- N. Couden, D. D 7 Memorial address by — Mr. McKlNNEV, of Illinois 9 Mr. Graff, of Illinois 16 Mr. Grosvenor, of Ohio 22 Mr. KeiFEK, of Ohio 26 Mr. Prince, of Illinois 30 Mr. RODENBERG, of Illinois 35 Mr. Futl^ER, of Illinois 39 Mr. Wiley, of Alabama 44 Mr. M.\DDEN, of Illinois 47 Proceedings in the Senate 51 Memorial address by — Mr. CuLLOM, of Illinois 55 Mr. Hopkins, of Illinois 59 3 Death of Representative Benjamin F. Marsh. PROCEEDINGS IN THE HOUSE. December 4, 1905. Mr. McKiNXEV. Mr. Speaker, it i,s my painful duty to announce the death of a late distinguished Member of this House. At a later date I shall ask the House to set aside a day on which suitable te.stimonials to his great work and eminent services may be heard. I desire to offer the following resolution, which I send to the Clerk's desk, and move its adoption. The Clerk read as follows: Reso/ird, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of the death of Hon. Benj.\min F. >I.\rsh, late a Representative from the State of Illinois. Resolved, That the Clerk of the House be directed to transmit this res- olution to the Senate and a copy thereof to the family of the deceased. The resolution was agreed to. Mr. Mc Kinney. Mr. Speaker, as a further mark of the respect in which we hold the memory of the deceased Z^Iember, Benj.\min F. M.\rsh, I move that the House do now adjourn. The motion was agreed to. Accordingly (at 3 o'clock and 37 minutes) the House ad- journed until 12 o'clock noon to-morrow. 5 6 Meiuorial Addresses : Benjamin Franklin Marsh March 7, 1906. Mr. McKiNNEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent for the present consideration of an order fixing a day for memorial addresses on the life, character, and services of the late Hon. Benjamin F. Marsh, of Illinois. There was no objection. The Clerk read as follows: Ordered, That a session of the House be held on Sunday, April 15, 1906, and that the day be set apart for addresses on the life, character, and public services of Hon. Benjamin F. M.\rsh, late a Member of the House of Representatives from the State of Illinois, The Speaker. Is there objection to the present considera- tion of the order which the Clerk has just reported? [After a pause.] The Chair hears none. The question is on agreeing to the order. The question was taken; and the order was agreed to. Proceedings in tlic House MEMORIAL ADDRESSES. Sunday, April i§, tqo6. The House was called to order at 12 o'clock noon by the Clerk, Hon. Alexander McDowell, who read the following communication from the Speaker: April 15, 1906. I hereby designate Hon. J. Warren Keifer to act as Speaker pro tempore for this day. J. (i. Cannon. Thereupon Mr. Keifer took the chair as Speaker pro tem- pore. The Chaplain, Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D., offered the following prayer: Eternal God, our heavenly Father, we thank Thee for all the revelations Thoti ha.st made of Thyself which enable us to interpret life, especially for that light which broke in splendor upon the world nineteen hundred years ago in the resurrection of Thy Son Jesus Christ, demonstrating the im- mortality of the soul and the unbroken continuity of life. Help us, we beseech Thee, so to live that each day shall be a preparation for the next, so that when we are called to the higher life we shall be prepared for whatever awaits us there. We realize the fitness of this service here to-day in memory of one who served with distinction for many years upon the floor of this House. A scholar, a statesman, a brave and gallant soldier, clear in his conceptions, jnire in his motives, true to his convictions, he ser\-ed his people, his State, and nation with honor and integrity, and leaves behind him a 8 Memorial Addresses: Benjamin Franklin Marsh record worthy of emulation, and may the memory of his faithful service quicken us to nobler life and activity. In Jesus Christ, our L,ord. Amen. The Journal of the proceedings of yesterday was read and approved. The Speaker pro tempore. This day's proceedings have been set aside especially for memorial addresses in honor of the late Benjamin F. Marsh, a Representative in Congress and a Member-elect of the Fifty-ninth Congress. Mr. McKiNNEV. Mr. vSpeaker, I offer the following resolu- tions and move their adoption: The Clerk read as follows: Resolved, That in pursuance of the special order heretofore adopted, the House now proceed to pay tribute to the memory of Hon. BENj.\jnN F. Marsh, late a Member of this House from the State of Illinois. Resolved, That as a special mark of respect to the memory of the de- ceased, and in recognition of his distinguished public career, the House at the conclusion of the exercises to-day shall stand adjourned. Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate. Resolved, That the Clerk send a copy of these resolutions to the family of the deceased. The resoltitions were considered, and unanimously agreed to. Mr. McKiNNEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that leave be granted for members to print remarks relating to these exercises for ten days. The Speaker pro tempore. Without objection, the request will be granted. There was no objection. Address of Mr. McKinncy, of Fllinois Address of Mr. McKinney, of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it was my sad duty on the first day of this session to give formal notice of the death of the late Benja- min F. Marsh, for many years a distinguished Member of this House from Illinois, and to state that at another time I would ask that a day be set apart for the proper consideration of his life, character, and valuable public services. On March 7, hy special order, this day was selected for these memorial exercises, and we have assembled this afternoon to pay a last tribitte of respect to one who bravely and honorably met his responsibilities and who left behind him the record of a noble and patriotic life. I shall not undertake, in the brief time I shall occupy, an extended review of his career, and, indeed, that would seem unnece.s.sary, as in a larger measure than comes to most meu the record of his deeds is written in the history of his country. I shall, however, refer to the more important events of his busy life, and to those circiunstances which molded and directed his cour.se and finally fitted him for a rare and .splendid citi- zenship. Benjamin Franklin Marsh was born in Wythe Township, Hancock County, 111., on November 19, 1835. His early years were pa.ssed upon a farm, where he acquired the rudiments of his education in the local .schools. During a simple, frugal boyhood, amid wholesome surroundings, was laid the founda- tion of his strong and rugged character. In tho.se formative j'ears he acquired an interest in rural life and rural pursuits which never ceased, but rather strengthened with increasing years. lo Memorial Addresses: Benjamin Frankliti Marsh When the shadows had begun to lengthen, when burdens grew heavy and hard to bear, no days were so happy as those spent upon the farm where he was born; and the old home- stead, so fruitful of cherished memories, remained his dearest possession until the final summons came. When 14 years of age his father sent him to Jubilee College, located near Peoria, where for four years, under the wise direc- tion of Bishop Chase, he diligently and faithfully pursued his studies. He labored earnestly to prepare him.self for the obli- gations and responsibilities which even then he realized man- hood would impose upon him. His college course finished, he took up the study of law in the office of his brother, Judge J. W. Marsh, at Warsaw, being admitted to the bar in i860, and afterwards associated with his brother in active practice. During the same year, in flattering recognition of his talent, he was nominated as Republican candidate for State's attorney for the counties of Hancock and Adams, but, the district being largely Democratic, he failed of election. And now while upon the very threshold of a cherished pro- fessional career, with the future seemingly a.ssured, and success almost within his grasp, there came to him that .summons which throughout his life proved irresistible and imperative — the call of duty. And when it came he did not deliberate, he did not hesitate nor count the cost. Danger threatened his country, brave men were needed, and personal interests were forgotten. At the first clash of arms he promptly tendered to the governor of Illinois a company of mounted men, but cavalry not being included in the first call for troops the offer was declined. Being eager to go to the front, on May 24, 1861, he was mustered into .service as second lieutenant of Company D, Six- Address of Mr. McKiniiey, of Illinois ii teenth lUiuois Infantry, and the same day was made quarter- master of the regiment. On July 4, 1861, while serving with his regiment in Missouri, a telegram came from the governor stating his former tender of mounted troops would now be accepted. He returned at once to Warsaw, recruited the company, and on August 12, 1861, again entered the service as captain of Company G, Sec- ond Illinois Cavalry. With this splendid regiment he was identified until the close of the war, performing brave and valuable ser\-ice in every Southern State excepting \'irginia and the two Carolinas. On January i, 1863, he was promoted to the rank of major. On May 4, 1864, he was made lieutenant-colonel, and soon after, and initil hostilities ceased, was in command of the regiment. He .saw much hard service and participated in many battles. The records of the War Department show that he was wounded in action at Holly vSprings, Miss., on December 20, 1862, and during the course of his campaigns he received four gunshot wounds. And )'et, despite his wounds and the suffering and disabilit>- occasioned thereby, he remained at the front in active service until he was honorably discharged at San Antonio, Tex., on November 22, 1865. Strong, .self-reliant, purpo.seful, he was ever a brave and efficient .soldier, and his war record stands as a proud testimo- nial to his valiant patriotism. He was a fighting soldier and preferred the field of battle to the mock heroics of dress parade. His old comrades throughout the country .still delight to relate the many heroic deeds he performed. There was no more wel- come guest at reunion and camp fire than Colonel Marsh, and no one was listened to more attentively. His stories of camp and field and weary march were graphic portrayals of army life as seen through a .soldier's eyes. Throughout the war, appar- 12 Memorial Addresses : Benjamin Franklin Marsh ently unacquainted with fear, the only sohcitude he expressed was for the comfort and welfare of those under his command. It is not surprising that such a leader should win the hearts of his comrades in arms, nor that he should gain and retain the respect and confidence of his fellow-citizens throughout his entire life. At the close of the war he returned to Warsaw and resumed the practice of law. He was thus engaged tintil his election from the Tenth district in 1876 to the Forty-fifth Congress. From that time on his life was again devoted to the service of his countrj-. He was well equipped for public station, and after his election he entered upon the new field of effort with the same fearlessness, the same patriotic devotion that charac- terized him during the time of war. Neither his courage nor his sincerity was ever doubted. In Congress he stood for what he believed was right, without regard to personal consequences. In fact, he had risen above the thought of seeking personal success. He desired in the highest sense to be a public ser\-ant, and all his plans and purposes had in mind the welfare of the people. Careful, prudent, deliberative, in one direction alone he seemed to cast conser\-atism to the winds, and that was as the advocate, the champion of the interests of the old soldier. After ser^nng three terms in Congress he was defeated for reelection in 1882, on account of a lack of harmony among the party leaders of his district. Philosophically accepting his defeat he returned to his home, where he engaged in an avocation he dearly loved, being that of general farming and stock raising. But this restful period was of short duration. In 1SS8 he was a delegate to the Republican national convention. The following year he was appointed by his lifelong friend, Governor Oglesbv, railroad and warehouse commissioner of Address of Mr. McKinncy, of Illinois 1 3 Illinois, and served the State witli signal ability in that impor- tant position for four years. In 1S92 he reentered Congress from the Fifteenth Illinois district, being elected to the Fiftv- fourth. Fift3"-fifth. and Fift\--sixth Congresses. He failed of election to the Fift\"-seventh Congress in 1900. his district being doubtful, with a normal Democratic majoritj- which even he could not always overcome. Under the reapp>ortionrnent which followed in loci he was placed in the Fourteenth district, and from the new district was again elected bj- large majorities in 1902 and 1904 to the Fifty-eighth and Fifty-ninth Congresses, the f)eopIe thus clearly indicating that there had been no abate- ment of their confidence and respect. His physical health, however, was visibly failing, and the weight of 3"ears pressed heavily v.- :: ;::::. He suffered an attack of pneumonia during January- . 1^:5. iivjUI which he never recovered. The end was near, and his death occurred on June 2, 1905. after a protracted illness following the sudden demise of his beloved wife on March iS of the same year, and from which severe blow in his enfeebled condition he was unable to rally. He died as the soldier-statesman would prefer to die. with the harness on. with his face toward the front, and striving to the last to better the condition of his fellow-man. I shall not attempt to consider his Congressional career. There are those present to-day who ser\-ed with him in this House for many years and whose knowledge of his services here was derived from close personal association. A tribute of respect from these associates and colleagues will possess especial value, based as it will be upon the insight and knowledge of intimate relationship. I leave to these friends the stor^" of his Congressional ser^nces. My own acquaintance with Colonel Marsh began thirty vears ago. when he first entered Congress. It was m\" good 14 Memorial Addresses: Beujamin Franklin Mars/i fortune to meet him frequently- thereafter during the remain- der of his life. He always impressed me as being a man of purposes, of convictions. There was that about him which proclaimed the leader, not by assumption but by right. Stal- wart, rugged, strong, he seemed naturally to assume the attitude and bearing of a soldier, and yet he had a kindly face and from his eyes there shone a look of genial interest. Earnest and outspoken, he was always fair-minded and sincere. He asked no advantage of any man nor would lie accept one. He granted to all and demanded in return fair play. As he grew older he loved more and more to talk of his army life — of the days when he rode with the boys in blue. He loved to meet the veterans of whatever branch of the service. Each soldier was to him a kinsman, and one of the dearest words he knew was ' ' Comrade. ' ' At all times and everywhere he was known and deserved to be known as the .soldier's true and loyal friend. I doubt if any man in public life during this generation had the interests of the old soldiers more closely at heart. During his many years of public life he secured relief through pen- sions and otherwise for an immeu.se number of veterans and their families. He never wearied of serving them and always followed up their claims with faithful persistence. And here I may say I have been impressed with the fact that although for years he suffered from wounds received in battle he seemingly forgot his own just right to recognition. The records of the Pension Office disclose no claim ever filed in his own behalf. And thus again was shown a striking character- istic of the man — thoughtfulness of others, indifference toward self. Like the sturdy oak, willing to give support and protec- tion to all about him, he stood alone and would not ask for personal favors. Address of Mr. McK'hvicy, of Illinois 15 And thus he Hved aud wrought throughout his day. Stanchly he stood for the eternal right. Bravely he had taken up the burdens of life. Loyally and far he had borne them, and now at the end of the way, with his cour.se com- pleted, contentedly and without regret he yielded to others duties and responsibilities no longer his. At the biblical limit of time his life's history was ended. His work was finished; dear ones had gone before. He yearned to hear the last call, and when it sounded, respected by all who knew him, loved and honored by associates and friends, he calmly paid the final tribute of mortality. He left behind him a record of unfalter- ing devotion to country, home, and friends that was untar- nished, unsullied, and that should not perish from the earth. i6 Memorial Addresses : Benjamin Fraiiklin Marsh Address of Mr. Graff, of Illinois. Mr. Speaker: We are here this afternoon to pay a tribute to a man who was a very marked type of a class of men almost entirely passed away. He had lived the allotted period of seventy years, but the number of times he had seen the hour- glass turn is of little importance as compared with the purposes to which his life was devoted. His was a career filled with stirring and interesting events and continued activities, mental and phj-sical, to its close. He belonged to the beginnings of the settlement in the State of Illinois, one of those States which were settled without the medium of the railroad, when the only means of transportation were the highways that the rivers furnished and the scattered trails traversed by the adventurous settler in the prairie schooner. Born amidst this pioneer life in 1835, he witnessed the incoming of the innni- grants from the South and from the Southwest, and from the East, from the New England States, each group contributing its peculiar political and religious ideas, and forming factors of the great discussion upon slavery, of which Illinois was so interesting and important a center. He saw the settlers leave the richer prairie lands to the undisputed possession of the wild flowers and build their first homes in the less fertile woodlands along some stream for better protection from the winds and weather, and form mate- rial for their rude cabins and furniture. The citizens of that early day were necessarily isolated. It gave to them opportunity for reflection that a denser popula- tion would not have afforded. It developed philosophers and independent thinkers. Every man is largely created by his Address of Mr. Graff, of lUinois 17 environment. The philosophy- and rugged honest}' of pioneer life were woven into the character of Lincoln and helped to create him even as it entered into the brave soldier and states- man whom to-day we remember, Col. Benjamin F. Marsh. The open-air life and the very hardships of that time con- tributed to that splendid physique and erect, fearless, forceful bearing and commanding figure which were his. He continued to be fond of outdoor life. He was fond of outdoor .sports and physical exercise to the very last. He had some pride in his hard>- young manhood and told me of an incident which occurred at a little Epi-scopalian college at Jubilee, Peoria County, 111., when lie attended there as a student. In midwinter his college mates dared him to plunge into a little lake aud swim across. Nothing daunted, he plunged in and accomplished the feat, suffering no perceptible con.sequences of his rash act. On account of the lack of roads in the early day horseback riding was univer.sal. He delighted in it. Little did he think that one da\- this accomplishment would serve him well' as the dashing, brave commander of a Federal cavalry regiment, sweeping over the entire area of the theater of war save three of the Southern States. In his home county at Nauvoo, 111., as a young man he wit- nes.sed the strangest political and sectarian development which perhaps ever occurred in this country. It was so decidedly at war with our institutions and our inherited religious faiths. It was within a few miles of his home that occurred the ri.se and fall of the Joseph Smith settlement. He witnessed the equally strange Mormon exodus resulting in the establishment of another religious oligarchy far to the westward, which lived and reigned powerful, yet always in defiance to our laws and traditions, for a half century, not until now giving any real signs of submission. During the lifetime of Benj.'VMIN F. H. Doc. 802, 59-2 2 i8 Memorial Addresses : Benjaniin Franklin Marsh Marsh over half the States of the Union were admitted. He passed through a wondrous period of poUtical and material development. He lived in the day when honesty was not enforced through fear of the law, but by virtue of the strength of public opinion. He lived in the time when personal courage was a necessity and when it was estimated as one of the highest virtues. He saw principles of government worked out and solved by the strong right arm and wrought only through human blood. He lived in a time when there was necessity for strenuous physical exertion for battling with the elements, and that strong, rough life developed rugged virtues peculiar to that day and age, and his viewpoint of public questions was necessarily influenced by the manner of his development. There was developed in the pioneer a type of character pecu- liar to his own locality. It gave him a touch of individualism which can not be found in the later day, when men's environ- ment are largely alike and when we come in contact with the influence and ideas of all parts of the United States. Thus bred, he retained a picture.squeness that suggested the old days in his larger career. I was privileged to enjoy the favor of his intimate friendship. I know that he would be proud to give large credit to the manhood and womanhood of early Illinois for whatever he accomplished in the greater days of his life. To him the civil war, in which he engaged from i86i to 1865, was a .serious and a holy contest for human liberty and for the preservation of the nation. He never alluded to its experiences flippantly. Its issues remained to him .solemn ones to his death. His career as a soldier remained, while other honors came to him, still the most precious. Leaving his law books, fresh from his admission to the bar, he recruited a cavalrj' company, which was not accepted. He was not to be deterred, however, Address of Mr. Graff, of Il/iiiois 19 from entering immediately into the conflict, and he enlisted as a private soldier, serving a short time until he was summoned back to the State and commissioned as captain of Company G, Second Regiment of Illinois Cavalry. Afterwards he was pro- moted to major, and finally as lieutenant-colonel of the same regiment, which he commanded until his honorable discharge from the ser\-ice at San Antonio, Tex., November 24, 1.S65. The Government records, which I have taken pains to ex- amine, contain many references to Captain, Major, and Ccilonel M.\RSH, and all furnish a story of faithfulness, bravery, and efficiency. He believed most thoroughly in the volunteer .sol- dier as the means for furnishing the body of the future great armv in times of war for the protection of the nation. He therefore took a great interest, as chairman of the Committee on Militia of the House of Representatives, in laws for increasing the efficiency of the militia in the States. His army experience made him a valuable and able member of the Committee on Military Affairs during the period in the war with Spain. His later service in the Hou.se was on the great Committee on Appropriations, placed there by the Speaker of the House, his long-time and intimate friend and colleague. Sixteen years of total legislative service he gave to his country as faithfully and efficiently as he did formerly in the ranks of war. The strongest passion of his heart, I verily believe, was his love of country. He gloried in its power and influence, in its extending strength and participation in international affairs. No doubt fretted his .soul in view of the unfolding new prob- lems which confronted the nation. He looked upon the flag as the old Roman looked upon his eagles. He was proud of the \ictories of our arms on land and the triumph of our Navy upon the seas. With the sinking of the Maim: this old war- 20 Memorial Addresses: Benjamin Franklin Marsh rior clamored restlessly for war, and at its close he faced just as confidently its consequent problems. He considered that the resulting acquisition of the Philippines would give added oppor- tunities to the larger Republic in the field of commerce as well as in the dissemination of our political principles throughout the world. He believed in expansion. He believed in the constant trend of the past twenty-five years toward a larger national grasp of the affairs of the people by the Federal branch of the Government. He was a nationalist. He believed there were no dangers in the tendency of the present times, but was assured that that tendency promised our ability to fulfill our high duty and destiny as one of the great nations of the earth. He loved his party and was loyal to its principles in the same way that he loved and had confidence in the possibilities and powers of his nation. He belie\"ed that his party flag was very near to the national one. He believed that the success of the party to which he belonged was a prime uecessitj- for this nation working out its legitimate future. There never came to him any fine distinctions and questionings whether he should on some particular occasion follow his party flag. He was always in the ranks, a faithful soldier, obeying the political command of his leaders as he followed his military commander on the field of battle. Most of us living to-day learn the history of this Republic from the cold and passion- less page. He learned the history of almost three-quarters of a century of time and events in the panorama of the perform- ance of the acts of living, breathing men which led to a con- stitutional evolution of the fundamental principles of our Government long before it was ratified in the regular way by the votes of the States. Therefore he viewed the problems which came to him during his service in Congress from a dif- ferent standpoint than do the men who view them from the Address of Mr. Graff, of Illinois 2i standpoint of theor}-. His soul never quailed, therefore, in view of the larger field of action of the Republic. He had seen graver problems triumphantl}- solved. He believed that we were destined to the same unbroken successes which had been our experience from the time that the constitutional foundation of our Government was first laid, with Washington as our first President. As I stood at the grave a few months ago, when his children cast in flowers upon his lowered body, amidst the silent homage of his comrades and neighbors, there must have come to those children and the assembled friends the thought which came to me and comforted me. It was that this was a life well rounded and complete, which had fully justified its own existence from a human standpoint. How full a fruition did he see, before he died, of all his hopes for which he had fought, and worked, and striven. So I say, peace to the ashes of this old Roman. All honor to the old fighter on the field of battle as well as in the forum of political discus,sion. There comes to us profit from a study of his life, from a refiection upon his devoted patriotism, his faithfulness to public duty, and his high esti- mate of physical bravery as a virtue as well as moral courage. 22 Memorial Addresses; Benjamin Franklin Marsh Address of Mr. Grosvenor, of Offlo. Mr. SpEAKEK: It was stated to me only last evening that I would be expected, if I saw fit to do so, to make a few com- ments upon the character and career of our dead Congressman from the standpoint of my knowledge of him. I shall not attempt to describe his career outside of Congress. The able presentation of the facts connected therewith by his distinguished successor leaves it unnecessary for me, even if I thought it wise, to do so. We only see one side of a Con- gressman's character here. Those of his colleagues from Illi- nois can very much better speak of his career in civil life than we can, and they have a much wider and more detailed view of his career in civil life than we can have. Now, I imagine that if some people had met Colonel Maksh sometimes on the floor of this House and listened to him for half an hour, they would not have gone away impressed with the genial, kind, and be- nevolent characteristics which his colleagues know he pos- sessed. The gentleman who has preceded me sjioke of the old fighter. Well, he was a fighter in this sense: He had a great deal of confidence in several things, and when he had his mind thoroughly made up, I think he never yielded his opin- ion, and he fought for it in the sense he .stood for it, believed in it, and never compromised. Now, I think one his strongest characteristics, Mr. Speaker, was this: He believed in doing the right thing as a Member of Congress regardless of anybody's opinion outside of Cou- gre.ss. He had an element that makes a man strong in the country. He had an element in his character the lack of which will destroy any man in Congress. The man who comes Address of J/r. Grosveuoi% of Ohio 23 to Congress to vote as somebody out in his district wants him to vote might just as well go home the day after he gets here and save his extraordinary expense of living in \\'ashington, and get out as soon as the two years roll around: because the man who does that will be dodging, dodging, dodging all the time, and the men who come to something here never dodge. MaiIsh did come to something here, and Marsh never dodged. He said one day, when some one here on the floor suggested to him that some element in his district would oppose something that he was in favor of, that he was a .school-teacher as well as a Congressman, and he would try to teach those people that he was right, but he would not do it by dodging, by shrinking from the discharge of his duties. He was a man who studied carefully the questions involved here. Sometimes long debate would ensue, in which he took no part, but always, if you spoke to him about it, if you discu.ssed the subject with him, you found he understood it. He was a man who kept in touch with discussions and kept in touch with questions and always acted intelli.gently. His career as a soldier was a career that he might well l)e proud of, vet I never heard him boast of it. I never knew him to assert or assume any position upon any question that came up here that he did not assign as well to others. He was mod- est in asserting his own knowledge of military affairs, and he was modest in asserting the claims that he put forward to his comrades. He had the characteristic of a man who believed he was right, and stuck to it. He was a Republican. He be- lieved strongly in the Republican party and he believed in party organization. He believed what I believe, that we live in a country governed by political parties, and if he ever scorned anything with the bitterness of which he was capable, one thing above another, it was a man or organization which 24 Memorial Addresses : Bcujauiin Franklin Marsh undertook to reform the world and the country outside of the reformation that could be worked out through some sort of party organization. I heard him say one day that some reform movement that started somewhere put him in mind of the sud- den exhibition of growth in a tender plant. I do not remem- ber the plant that he indicated as his illustration, but he said the first frost would kill it. He believed just as honestly as he fjelieved in his existence that if any other party than the Re- publican party got into power in the country it would be inju- rious to it, and therefore he felt it his duty to stand by the organization of his party; but no man ever heard him hesitate to speak boldly and strongly in favor of what he believed to be the duty of his party, and having done all he could to bring, his party into line he then decided that its action was better action than he could probably find in the other party, and so he was a Republican, a Republican partisan, and he was one man who came to something in the Republican party. No halfway man was he, no compromiser; and yet I believe he had as just an appreciation of any man's opinion as anybody else had, but, having made up his mind the other man was wrong, he never compromised with him. He belonged to a type of men who came to us from tho.se Western States, who grow up there among the pioneers of the great States of which he was so proud, a State that lias honored it.self by sending to Congress the great men that have come — the Trumbulls, the Douglasses, and the men of that early period, and then the present worthy representatives in the Senate and in the Gov- ernment. He grew up in the West. I do not know that it is especially important that he grew in the West, except that we know very well men take character from surroundings, from environment, and that environment goes down into the very ramifications of life in all its forms and surroundings. Address of Mr. Grosveiwr, of Ohio 25 The great prairies of tlie West, the mighty rivers, the great enterprises, the population, have always had their effect upon the growing generation of men, and Colonel Marsh came here in the fullness of his great power as a representative man of the elements of which he has grown up in the midst. I knew nothing of his army career and shall have nothing to say about it. It is a great thing for him and for his de- scendants, if he has them, that he should have such a record as this. The country will never fail to remember a man who suffered and stood firm and carried out his principles afterwards as Colonel Marsh did. No sickly sentimentalism drove him anywhere. He went in obedience to the stern voice of duty. The House lost a strong Member, the State of Illinois a worthy son, and the Congress of the United States was weaker the day that Marsh died. So we come to honor him. We meet to express our loyal ap- preciation of his high character. We meet to pledge ourselves to renewed activity along the lines of patriotic action which he traveled. We come to leave the impress of our opinion and our judgment upon the written page, so that the young men who follow us may read and understand how much we value the stern and stolid characteristics of Colonel Marsh. His career was worthy of emulation, his record the record of a true Ameri- can. The memory of him will be talismanic in the history of the American Congress. May his colleagues, who have lost a worthy Member of a great delegation, copy his virtues and revere his memory. 26 Memorial Addresses: Benjamin FranJc/in Marsh Address of Mr. Keifer, of Orao. Mr. Speaker: Benjamin F. Marsh, of Warsaw, Hancock County, State of Illinois, was not onlj- my comrade in war but my personal friend. We entered this House of Congress (the Forty-fifth) together almost thirty years ago. This is my brief and humble tribute to his memory. Besides being the possessor of a good scholastic education, he liad studied and practiced law and was otherwise well equipped for the performance of the important duties of a national Rep- resentative, and this his long and faithful .services here abun- dantly proved. He also belonged to the farmer class and knew their interests well. He ser\'ed in the P'ortV-fifth, Forty-sixth, Forty-seventh (1877-1883), Fifty-third, Fifty-fourth, Fifty-fifth, Fifty-sixth (1893-1901), and Fifty-eighth (1903-1905) Congresses, and was elected to this Congress in 1904, but died June 2, 1905, ■before he could take his seat. His total actual service in this House was sixteen years, covering a memorable period in the history of his country, and during this period he actively par- ticipated in legislation, especially such as related to the Army. Though always a Republican, he was not a partisan in any offensive sense, his purpose always being to promote his coun- try's best interests. His service here covered the period of the war with Spain (1898), and he heartily supported the policy of driving Spain from the Antilles and from the continent of America because of her cruelty to her Cuban subjects, a singu- larly new policy in the history of the world. No war was ever before declared or brought about between so-called ' ' civilized ' ' nations purely on humanitarian grounds; that is, by one nation I Address of Mr. Kcifcr, of Ohio 27 insisting on another surrendering its sovereignty over a part of its own country and the inhabitants thereof, its citizens and subjects, purely because of the nation's injustice, oppression, and crueky to them. Indeed, it is the only instance where one nation declared a portion of another free. So the joint resolu- tions of Congress of April 8, 1898, declaring "that the people of the island of Cuba are, and of right ought to be, free and independent," and demanding of Spain that it "at once relin- quish its authority and government in the island of Cuba and withdraw its land and naval forces from Cuba and Cuban waters" was the first and only such declaration directed against another nation ever made in the history of the world. The year 1S98 marks a new era in civilization, and the Spanish war stands as the first and only one brought on by the action of one independent nation toward another between which no international dispute or substantial cau.se for difference had arisen. Benjamin F. Marsh by voice and vote upheld this new national departure. His long and distinguished .services in the civil war — 1861- 1865 — also materially aided in training him for courageous and efficient services in Congress. He enlisted as a private .soldier in the first days of the war and at once saw active .ser\-ice. A few weeks later he recruited a company of cavalry and was commissioned its captain, and through conspicuous field .serv- ice and for .skill and bravery in battle he was promoted until he reached the colonelcy of his regiment ( Second Illinois Cav- alry), which rank he held until after the close of the war (January, 1866). He campaigned and fought in all the States where the war raged save in Mrginia and the Carolinas. He was distinguished throughout his army life for bravery, mili- tary skill, and good judgment. He fought in some of the great l)attles of the war and in man\' minor engagements and 28 Memorial Addresses : Betija)iiiii Frank/in Mars/i affairs, and he received four gunshot wounds more or less sev^ere. He shed his blood for cause and country. Though his rank was not high or his command large, his achievements were alwaj'S great and his honor inisullied. He, though less than 30 years of age when the war was over, proved himself equal to and worthy and capable of high command. If his name and fame were not heralded as far as that of other officers holding more important commands, justice awarded to him equal honors with them. He earned his promotions on the battlefield. Without the matchless valor of such men as Colonel Marsh immortal militar>' fame would not have come to the great commanders in that war. His whole life was peculiarly unselfish. He was not with- out ambition in war or peace, but his ambition was to do his duty in all relations of life. He had no vain profes- sions or pretenses. He was absolutely honest and was always plain spoken. He did not pretend to oratory here or else- where; he ripened his judgment by investigation and thought. He was not arbitrary in his opinions, but he was not moved to surrender a judgment once deliberately formed save for the most convincing reasons. He had in his private and public career the courage of his convictions. His plain and direct speech made his whole life an open book. He resided, child, boy, and man, in the county (Hancock, 111. ) of his birth seventy years. He was born on the frontier of civihzation and among a sturdy, hardy people who took life seriously and who knew what liberty in our Republic co.st and meant. They believed in peace, but did not neglect to assert the individual sovereign rights of man, and they believed in the equality of man. A test of that equality is that each man should fearlessly assert and defend all his own individual rights and concede the same rights to each of his fellow-men. Address of Mr. Keifcr, of Ohio 29 Mr. Marsh's constituents knew him, and proved their con- fidence and faith in him by electing him to this House several times when his party (Republican) was not in the majority. His life and character might well be emulated, and should be pointed to as furnishing the best example of the duties of citi- zenship well performed and of a life well spent. In the years of his life he saw slavery abolished in his country and, as a consequence, largely throughout the world; he saw the Union of the States recemented more firndy than ever before; he wit- nessed his country grow in population from about 13,000,000 to 85,000,000; he saw more of moral and material progress take place than ever had taken place in a like period in the ages gone by; he saw civil and religious liberty move up higher and higher, and he died full of years spent in good deeds for man and country, and conscious that he had patri- otically done his whole duty. The world is better because Benjamin F. Marsh lived. His life may be summed up as that of a typical soldier in the time of his country's need, of a faithful and capable statesman and legislator in the nation's council, and, above all, that of an exemplary citizen of a free Republic. Let the sound of those he wrought for Aud the feet of those he fought for Echo 'round his bones for evermore. 30 Memorial Addresses: Benjamin Franklin Marsh Address of Mr. Prince, of Illinois. Mr. Speaker: On this beautiful and hallowed Easter Day, which means so much to the world, we have gathered to pay our respects to the life, character, and public services of B. F. Marsh, late a Member of this House from the Commonwealth of Illinois. It seems to me that no words can be said better than what he said of himself. With his own liand he penned the following with reference to his own life: Benj.wiin F. M.\rsh, Republican, of Warsaw, Hancock Countr, was born in Wj-the Township, in said county, and reared on his father's farm; was educated in private schools until 14 years old, when he was sent to Jubilee College and entered upon a classical course, pursuing the same for four years, lacking one year of graduation; entered the law office of his brother. Judge J. W. Marsh, at Warsaw, and was admitted to the bar in 1S60; same year was a candidate on the Republican ticket for the office of State's attorney in the district then composed of Hancock and Adams counties; the district being Democratic he was defeated by the late Cal- vin K. Warren, one of the best lawyers in western Illinois; under Mr. Lincoln's first call for volunteers, in 1861, he enrolled a companv of cav- alry and went to Springfield and tendered the same for and during the war of the rebellion to Governor Yates, but as cavalry was not included in the call the company was not then accepted; on his waj- home he enlisted as a private in the Sixteenth Illinois Infantry Volunteers, then at Quincy, and served in said regiment in northern Missouri until, on the 4th day of July, 1861, while at Monroe Station, he received a telegram from Gover- nor Yates accepting his cavalry company; immediately going home, he in a few days recruited a company of Cavalry, was commissioned captain, and assigned to the Second Regiment Illinois Cavalry; he was finally commissioned colonel of this regiment and served continuously until January, 1.S66, having campaigned in every seceding State i.xcept Vir- ginia and the two Carolinas; he received four gunshot wounds and carries in his body rebel lead; returning to Warsaw, he resumed the practice of law until 1877; in 1869 he was the Republican candidate for the constitu- tional convention; in 1S76 he was elected to the Forty-fifth Congress from the then Tenth district and was reelected to the Forty-sixth and Forty- seventh Congresses; in 1SS2 he was again a candidate for Congress, but was defeated; returning home in 18S3, at the expiration of his term in Address of Mr. Prince, of Illinois 31 Congress, he engaged in general farming and stock raising, and is still so engaged; in the spring of 1S89 he was appointed by Governor Oglesby railroad and warehouse commissioner, and held the same for four years; he was a delegate to the Republican national convention in 188S; was elected to the Fifty-third, Fifty-fourth, Fifty-fifth, and Fifty-sixth Con- gresses from the Fifteenth district, and elected to the Fifty-eighth Con- gress from the new Fourteenth district, receiving 19,404 votes, to 13,195 for J. W. Lush, Democrat; 1,118 for R. F. Kindler, Socialist, and 9S8 for P. M. Carrishon, Prohibitionist. A remarkable record of a remarkable man. As a former Speaker of this House, and now one of its honored Members, has said to us this day that he entered this House with the late Mr. M.\RSH in the Forty-fifth Congre.ss, and ser\'ed with him and watched his course, and paid a high trilmte of respect to him, so can we of a shorter period of service say likewise of him that he was a distinguished Member of this House in the Fifty-third, Fifty-fourth, Fifty-fifth, Fifty-sixth, Fifty-seventh, Fifty-eighth, and Fifty-ninth Congresses. I have just looked at the list of members in the Senate and in the Hou.se from the great Commonwealth of Illinois in the pre.sent Congress. I find that there is but one member of that body, consisting of two Senators and twenty-five Members, that, like the late Mr. Marsh, served his country from 1861 to 1865. This in itself is indicative of the changes that have come over this body and over this country since Colonel Marsh first became a Member of this Hou.se, and the changes that have come over the country since he became a Member of the House after the great civil war from 1861 to 1865. Think of it, my country- men! The State of Illinois, that gave to the country the two central figures of the last century, that gave to the country and to the world the typical volunteer soldier of the age in which he lived— the g-eat John A. Logan— is to-day represented in this great body by but one of the distinguished men who served with that distinguished group of men from 1861 to 1865. 32 Memorial Addresses: Benjamin Franklin Marsh It shows that this, hke other bodies, is a passing one. It shows that the splendid men who stood for something and per- formed those heroic deeds from 1861 to 1865 are gradually being gathered to the fathers and have gone to the other side. Other and younger men have taken their places. The great trust that they so well discharged, and that they handed to us, has been gi\'en for us to carry out and to see that that for which the}' wrought, that that for which they labored, shall be maintained and perpetuated and handed to others in the same manner that we received it from them. Colonel Marsh was a man that was loved hy his fellow-men. It is my privilege now to represent two of the counties that he long represented in Congress. I have met face to face and have talked heart to heart with many of the old comrades in Schuyler and in Adams counties who served with Colonel M.\RSH from 1861 to 1865, who knew him intiniatelj' and closely, and I say to my colleagues here and to the country that each and all of them loved and respected their comrade. He was their friend and he loved them and they loved him — a strong, forcible character. It was my privilege to be at his home on the banks of the Mississippi when, in the month of June, we laid him away in his little home cemetery. I saw the concourse of his neighbors and friends as they came there to pay their last tribute of respect to their neighbor and their friend. As the last sad rites of the church had been said over him there stepped forth at the open grave a man and a comrade of his. He said: " By direction of the deceased and at his request I want to sound ' taps' over my comrade." This promise was made by Mr. Lemuel Wiley, an officer of this House, to the deceased, as the two comrades talked together in the New Willard Hotel, and he made a trip of nearly 100 miles Address of Mr. Prince, of Illinois 33 to carry out that promise that he had made to his deceased comrade and friend. As those "taps" sounded there that afternoon, so familiar to the soldier, there was not a drj- eye at that burial spot. That was the token of respect and tribute of a common soldier to an officer of the grand \-olunteer forces of this country. To me it was one of the highest tributes that it was po.ssible for one man to have paid to another. The more, 'Wx. Speaker, I travel about and meet my country- men, the more thoroughly I am impressed with the greatness of our country and its people. Coming from the lowly walks of life, born in a country village along the banks of the Missis- sippi, mingling as an ordinary country boy among his associ- ates, there came up a man by years of growth to occupy a high and distinguished position in the Arm\- of his country; there came up a man to occupy a high and distinguished position on the floor of the greatest parliamentary bodj' on the face of the earth; and yet, during all that growth from lowly, humble life to the high station that he occupied, the hand and heart was ever grasping out and reaching toward his fellow-men who were moving along in the ordinary affairs of life. What other country can present such a spectacle? What other country is there that has within its limits men of that kind and character, ever sympathizing with the efforts of their fellow-men, as does this Republic of ours? I saw here just a few moments ago a former distinguished Member of this House, Gen. T. J. Henderson, who .served with Colonel Mar.sh on the floor of this House, and who, like him, has come up from the body of the people; and .so, Mr. Speaker, can I .say the .same of you. Gen. J. Warren Keifer. Of you, and men like you, our country should feel proud. You have made it what it is. But for what men like Colonel Marsh, General Henderson, and you and your comrades did from 1861 to 1865 H. Doc, S02, 59-2 3 34 Monovial Addresses : Benjamin Frauklin yfarsh we would have no couiitr}- to-day worthy of consideration among the nations of the earth. It is therefore well and proper on occasions of this kind to pay the respect that is due the men who preserved this Union, and whose lives and efforts from 1 86 1 to 1865 gave to us, m\^ colleagues — younger by far than those men — the opportiniity we have to sit here with our col- leagues from the South as a reunited, happy, prosperous people, living under one fiag, under one Government, managed, upheld, and controlled by officers of one Goverinnent, passing the laws that we do and being in full accord under the Constitution and laws of our country. I can say no more, and ought not. I wish to pay my per- sonal testimonial of respect to the memory of the deceased, who was a strong, forceful character, loyally devoted to his country in peace and in war, and who worked and wrought to the uplifting of mankind; and there, on the banks of the Mis- si.ssippi, near by the waters of that great river, sleeps that great warrior, awaiting the call of the Father, when he, like many others, will join his comrades gone before, and at that great reveille join the great commander, Lincoln, and around him tho.se other comrades who wrought the great work in this great country of ours — Grant and Sherman, and Sheri- dan and Meade, and the lesser lights — and there in that great assembly of splendid men will be found the strong, stalwart figure of Benjamin F. Marsh. Address of Mr. Rodcnherg, of Illinois 35 Address of Mr. Rodenberg, of Illinois. Mr. Speaker: The State of Illinois has added many illus- trious names to our countr\-'s heritage of great and noble men. In the storm and stress of war and in the calm of peace, in the sunshine of prosperity and in the shadows of adversity, in all of the vici.ssitudes of our national life Illinois has never failed to discharge the full measure of her duty and devotion to the Republic. To-day we have met to pay a tribute of love and respect to the memory of one of her mo-st distinguished sons, a brave, manh', and courageous man who, in his day and generation, did his full part toward giving Illinois her proud place in the .sisterhood of States. Benj.\min Fr.\nklin Marsh was a native of Illinois, and belonged to that splendid .school of statesmen and .soldiers which included Lincoln, Grant, Logan, Oglesby, and Palmer, a school which made patriotism its watchword and duty its guiding .star. Theirs was the genius that had its origin in the loftiest ideals of American citizenship and drew its holiest inspiration from the immortal principles of liberty and equality upon which the magnificent structure of this mighty Government has been reared. They believed implicitly in their country, in its hopes, its a.spirations, its purposes, and its destiny. As the clouds gathered and the glo(jm thickened their faith only grew the stronger. Civilization owes them a debt of gratitude which time can not efface and posterity can never hope to repay. They have bequeathed to us the priceless legacy of liberty under the law, and, catching the spirit that breathes upon us from their hallowed mennjries, we .should pledge ourselves 36 Memorial Addresses: Beitjaiiiiii Frank/ in Marsh anew to maintain this sacred heritage in all its purity, in all its strength, and in all its glor}-. To me Colonel Marsh was the highest and purest type of the ideal citizen soldier. There was something in his strong and rugged personality that seemed to form a link between the present and the heroic past. The martial spirit was ever with him. He was part Roman, part Spartan, and all Ameri- can. One could easily imagine him riding at the head of his regiment with drawn sword that caught its brightness from the ' ' princely gleaming of his soul ' ' into the thickest of the fray and into the very jaws of death. He was the living impersonation of the highest moral and physical courage, the embodiment of personal honor and personal bravery. Con- scious of the righteousness of his cause, influenced only by patriotic considerations of duty, we who know him well can readily believe that he would have willingly sacrificed his life in defense of the principles for which he contended. During the Fifty-sixth and Fifty-eighth Congresses it was my good fortune to become intimately acquainted with Colonel ]\I.\RSH, and the closer our acquaintance the greater my admiration for his many excellent qualities of head and heart. When in a reminiscent mood no man was more inter- esting or entertaining. At such times he displayed a mar- velous and comprehensive knowledge of political history, and his keen analysis of men and measures was as instructive as his philosophy was profound. Always an intense partisan, with an abiding faith in the truth and justice of his party's principles, he adopted as his rule of political conduct the dictum, "He .serves his country best who serves his party best." And j-et, notwith.standing this intense loyalty to his party's decrees, he never failed to show the most tolerant and respectful consideration for those who suffered with him. Address of Mr. Rodcnbcrg^ of Illinois 37 Beneath the gruff exterior there was a knightly heart of purest gold full of tender sympathy and Christian charity. He believed in the cardinal virtues, and manifested this belief in his daily intercourse with his fellow-men. For sixteen j-ears he represented a con.stituency in this Chamber, and this long service is in itself an eloquent tribute to his personal worth and an evidence of his hold on the confi- dence and affection of the people who knew him best. En- dowed by nature with an intellect keen, discriminating, and alert, always conscientious and pain.staking in the discharge of his public duties, no Member rendered more faithful and efficient service to his constituency than our departed friend. We who served with him will miss his wise counsel and valua- ble advice. We mourn his death because we loved him, and our sorrow is intensified by a realization of the melancholy fact that he was the last of that splendid galaxy of intrepid heroes, born of the heat and strife and blood of the great civil conflict to serve the people of the State of Illinois in the Congress of the United States. Mr. Speaker, one by one the^ men who helped to preserve the perpetuity of our countrj' and its .sacred in.stitutions are join- ing that innumerable caravan that is marching in unbroken phalanx past the Great Captain for final revie-w. In the beauti- ful cemetery of the picturesque little city of Warsaw, nestling gently among the mute, majestic hills, at who.se feet forever roll the murmuring waters of the mighty Mississippi, amid the happy .scenes of his youth, beside the faithful companion of his long and eventful life, our friend is sleeping the sleep of eternity.- Slowly and sadly we consign his mortal remains to the cheerless grave, and as the sods moistened by our tears close in above them we call and listen. From the voiceless tomb there comes no answer. Onlv an echo which seems to 38 Monorial Addresses : Benjamin Fran hi in Marsii mock our sorrow is wafted back. The somber shadows thicken. All is dark. We are overwhelmed in doubt. But suddenlj- the mystic veil which separates the present from the hereafter is swept aside. A light breaks forth. It is the light of the spirit of immortality, triumphant still, shedding joy and peace and hope eternal. In yon windowed palace of heaven we see this grand old patriot of ours crowned with a wreath of immortal glory, and among the myriad thousands who take part in the coronation we behold again the countless legions that offered up their lives on the altar of their country that "government of the people, by the people, and for the people might not perish from the earth." Mr. Speaker, on this sacred Easter Sabbath day, while all the world is commemorating the resurrection of the crucified Christ, our thoughts wander back to the newly decorated grave in the little cemetery at Warsaw that contains all that is mortal of Benjamin Franklin Marsh. To-day we remember again in "what a forge and what a heat " was shaped the nobility of that gallant, intrepid soul, and as we read anew the inspiring stor>- of his self-sacrificing devotion to the highest ideals of his countr)', with one accord we unite in the .sentiment so beauti- fully expressed by the poet: Rest on, embalmed and sainted dead, Dear as the blood je gave; No impious footsteps here shall tread The herbage of your grave. Nor shall your glory be forgot While Fame her record keeps. And honor points the hallowed spot Where Valor proudly sleeps. Nor wreck, nor change, nor winter's blight, Nor Time's remorseless doom Shall dim one ray of glory's light That gilds your deathless tomb. Address of J/r. Fuller, of Illinois 39 Address of Mr. Fuller, of Illinois. Mr. Speaker: Without feeling that I can add anything of importance to what has been said to-day, or what will be said h\ others upon this sorrowful occasion, yet I can not let the Opportunity pass without pa>-iug my tribute of respect briefly to our friend the late Hon. Benj.\iiix F. Marsh, who was in his lifetime one of lUinois's grand old men, who are so fast passing away from the .scenes of life or from active participation in the affairs of the world. He belonged to an age of great men. of men who became famous, who made Illinois great in song and in story; Illinois, the home of Abraham Lincoln, the great war President, and of Uly.sses S. Grant, of John A. Logan, of Richard J. Ogle.sby, of Thomas J. Henderson, of Stephen A. Hurlbut, who all be- came famous during that period of the civil war as patriots in war, and afterwards as great statesmen, .serving their country with equallv as great ability in civil life as they had served it in militar\- life. Not witliout thy wondrous, story, Illinois, Illinois! Could be writ the nation's .glory, Illinois, Illinois! What wonder we of Illinois are proud of that great State and of the great leaders she has given to the nation. Benjamin F. Marsh was a friend and a.ssociate of Lincoln, and of Logan, and Oglesby, and the other great leaders of that time. With them he was endowed with a patriotic enthusiasm. He was what you might call an enthu.siastic patriot, who be- lieved in his country and in its flag. He believed that his country was right, and even if his personal opinion happened 40 Memorial Addresses : Beiijaniin Franklin Marsh to be different from the position taken by his country, he was wilHng yet to concede that the great majority was right and that his country must be right upon all great questions. He believed that it was and he saw it grow into the greatest country on the face of the earth. • Reared upon the broad prairies of Illinois, coming to full manhood just as the great civil war broke out, when Illinois sent to the front more than 250,000 men to fight the battles of their country, he .saw that war through to its conclusion and then he .saw all the great events that have occurred in this country from that time down to less than a j-ear ago, events never equaled before in the history of the world or of any other country or of anj^ other land. He was proud of his country; he was proud of its achieve- ments, and he might well be, and he was enthusiastically for his country', first, la.st, and all the time. WHien such a man passes from among us and from the scenes of earthl}- life, it brings us to the realization of the importance of doing while we may. He was a man who believed in doing things. He believed in action. That was one reason why he belonged to the Republican party, because that was a party that did things. It was the party that appealed to him. He had no u.se for a man who places over his mantle the skull and crossbones and writes underneath, "What is the u.se? " l^ecause he believed if we all took that position, advance would be impossible, and the great achievements of this country would never have occurred. He believed in action and in doing things well while we may. I'p to the day of his death he was found as actively interested in all the great questions coming before this Government as any other man in public life. I remember a little over a year ago of hearing him talk upon the subject of the United {States Navy. While he was a man of Address of Mr. Fuller, of lUiiiois 41 peace, as gentle, as kiudly as the immortal Lincoln, whom he loved and after whom he patterned, }-et he believed that the great safeguard of human liberty and of maintaining the coun- tr\-'s greatness and power was in time of peace to be prepared for war. Therefore he was an enthusiastic advocate of a greater navy, because he thought he saw therein the future safety of the Government. He has gone from among us, ]\Ir. Speaker, and no man who ever occupied a seat upon the floor of this House with him but what mourns his loss. We in Illinois, who knew him better, who knew him during all the years of his active life, mourn necessarily more than others, because we knew him better. We knew him as he was at home — a pleasant, kindly, agree- able neighbor and friend, and as an honest man, the noblest work of God. A man who never intentionally did a wrong thing in his life, and who would not for any consideration on earth. I contend, Mr. Speaker, there are great men in the world yet, there are honest men in the world yet, but there never was one more thoroughly honest and honorable in all things than Col. Benjamin F. Marsh. As one by one the members of the old guard pass out of this life we are reminded of what a host of great names, names that will live in history, in song, and in story as long as time .shall last, were developed and Iiecame known because of the great civil conflict between the States, and the acts done by these men during that conflict and becau.se of that conflict, and the great questions following in the settlement and adjustment of the affairs of the nation, for which they had risked their lives on the fields of carnage. The names of these heroes of the civil war will ever be dear to every patriotic man and womais in the land we love and for which thev fought. 42 Memorial Addresses: Betijamin Frank! in Marsh Colonel Marsh did his full share in that conflict, and since and up to the date of his death did his full share as a patriotic American citizen, whether in public office or private life. He is gone to the home provided for all those who love and ser\-e their God and their country and who believe in their fellow- man. It has been said that Colonel Marsh did not believe in reformers. He did not, if by reformers is meant the breed of persons who see no good, and nothing but evil, in their fellow- men — those who pretend to believe that every man in public life is a thief and a .scoundrel, and who advocate replacing them by men of their own kind; that is, they would reform every- thing on earth if the dear, good people would only let them have all the offices. But somehow or other the good, common- sense people of this great country have generally been too wise to trust that kind of men with the governing power of the country. I think they will not .soon do so. I believe there are more good people than bad people in the world. I even believe there are more honest people than dishonest ones in public office to-day. In fact, when you come to think of it, there is nuich truth in the saying that — There is so much bad in the best of ns, and so much good in the worst of us, that it behooves all of us to be fairly charitable toward the rest of us. I insist here and now that witli all his positive convictions, all of his party fidelity. Colonel M.\rsh was a .strictly, a rug- gedly honest man in every relation of life, and that thousands of others in public life to-day are as honest, as patriotic, as unselfish, as devoted to their country as he was. This bright Easter Sunday we are reminded that the time will surely come to each and every one of us, as it came to Colonel M.\rsh, when we shall reach that dark flowing river of Address of Mr. Fuller, of Illiuois 43 death, which we must all cross, and the farther side of which no man living has ever yet seen. When we reach its bank we can not stop; we must go on; we must cross to the farther shore. I think in our hearts we all believe we shall there meet our friends who have gone before. I think it was W'hittier who .said ; Ala.s for him who never sees The stars shine through liis cypress trees, Who hopeless lays his dead away, Nor looks to see the breaking day Across the mournful marbles play; Who hath not learned in times of faith The truth, to .sense and flesh unknown. That life is ever lord of death. .■\nd love can never lose its own. And again; For love will hope and faith will trust That somehow, somewhere, meet we must. I believe we shall meet him again on some other shore, in some fairer land, where we shall all know each other better, where all the animosities of life here will be impossible, and where a wider and truer and better existence will lie pos- sible to all. at least who de.ser\-e it or have proven themselves worthy of it. We mourn for our friend who has gone. Perhaps if we knew more we should not mourn. It is only the farewell, the eternal farewell, that hurts. To him we must bid that eternal good-by, hoping to meet him again. And in the sorrow of our hearts we say, "Peace to his ashes, rest to his soul." 44 Memorial Addresses: Benjamin Frajiklin Marsh Address of Mr. Wiley, of Alabama. Mr. Speaker: A sentiment of sincere sorrow pervades this Hall to-day, in the death of this worthy man. His labors witli us have ended. He fell at his post, ripe in years and full of honors. " After life's fitful fever he sleeps well." In a lonely grave in the far-distant West his body calmly slumbers. Upon his tomb the evening shades may fall heavily, "with night dews, cold and damp," but over it, too, the sunset will glow with purple and red, and the fleecy clouds roll by. Far above it will still shine the brilliant stars of heaven. While the sea- sons come and go, on this Easter morn we cherish his memory and will keep in bloom the fragrant flowers of deeds well done — of a career useful, honorable, and enduring. It is an old Talmudic proverb that ' ' when a good man dies, it is the earth that loses. The lost jewel will always be a jewel, but he who has lost it has just cause to weep." We mourn his death, but it is a consolation to remember that his life is a rich mine from which the humblest actor can gather wealth. In business he was diligent and successful. In every earthly relation, wherever his lot was ca.st, he sought to do his duty as he saw it, with the approval of a good conscience. In his brea.st burned the holy flres of patriotism. In the storm of that fearful, fratricidal .strife between the States he wore the blue. He fought his way from a private in the ranks to the connnand of a regiment in the field. No shame or disgrace ever stained his sword. His body, bearing the scars of four grievous gunshot wounds received in "battle's stern arraj%" was a living witness to his loyalty and superb devotion to the "Star-Spangled Banner." He shed his blood Address of Mr. ]\'ilc\\ of Alabama 45 tor the cause he beHeved to be right. Gentle in reverence, lovd in honor, simple in faith, self-poised, chivalric, disdain- ing appearances, of stern honesty and unimpeachable integrity, possessing varied attainments and extensive learning, con.sid- erate, conscientious, resourceful, with an aptitude for detail and a genius for hard work, yet withal a strong parti.san, it was manifest that he had endowments which removed him from the sphere of the ordinary, which took him outside the pale of the commonplace and prosaic. His conduct at all times was such as to command respect and win admiration. As a logical .sequence he was elected a Member of this Cham- ber, which has been described to be the greatest legislative body on the face of the globe. Alabama's senior vSenator, in alluding to the vast volume of enactments by Congress, not only directly affecting the welfare of eighty-five millions of people, but influencing the councils of kingdoms and determining the fate of empires, has declared; The House of Representatives of the people is not less powerful than the greatest tribunals that have ever assembled. The scope and majestic sovereignty of this power is beyond description in words, or by any reference to other systems of government. The confidence and esteem of his neighbors and friends — of the cou.stituency he loved and honored, and who, in turn, loved and honored him — attested their appreciation of the efficient manner in which he discharged his Congressional duties, numerous, varied, and exacting. There was nothing negative in his nature. His locality could always be ascertained. Dig- nified in bearing, of .sound practical .sen.se, having his own indi- vidual, independent, and uncompromising methods of thought, of liberal views, and public spirit, he was in every respect eminently qualified for the lofty trust he so long and ably filled as a Representative in the lower Hou.se of Congress. 46 Memorial Addresses: Benjaniiii Franklin Marsh From a character so exemplar}- the young men of our coun- try can find inspiration and take renewed encouragement. From his labors here he has been called awa)- for rest and recreation. We do not believe, to quote the graphic words of the immortal Shakespeare, that he has gone to a "blind cave of eternal night." The spark of a noble life flickered a little while, and then went out. The lute is silent. The chords made of his heartstrings are broken. While with us all the "sense of death is most in apprehension," as the poet has aptly expressed it, we feel justified in indulging the buoyant hope that he has been tran.slated to a brighter and better home beyond the grave, where the air is filled with solemn, entran- cing music, and the sky is aglow with the splendor of sunlight and perpetual spring; where the rumbling waters are dashed with the fragrance of rare and beautiful flowers, and the gar- lands woven from the lilies of the valley, are forever white and green. Let him rest and .sleep and dream ! Upon the marble slab which crowns the mound where his remains lie buried we place with tender hands "clusters of beauty whom none can debar," the choicest roses culled from the garden of love, "white as the robe of a sinless one and .sweeter than Araby's winds that blow" — the last and pure.st token affection can offer to our departed friend and brother. Address of Mr. Madden, of Illinois 47 Address of Mr. Madden, or Illinois. Mr. Speaker: I come to pay a brief tribute to the inenior>' of a man whom I loved. Benjamin F. Marsh was \-\\\ friend; between us a warm personal friendship had existed for years. I knew his temperament and he knew my temperament. Our esteem for each other was deep and sincere. The announce- ment of his death was to me a terrible blow. I do not propose to speak at any length of his Congressional attainments or of the many .salutary measures he helped to enact into law. Those of you who ser^-ed with l;im here in this Hou.se can liest testify to his worth and greatne.ss as a legis- lator. It is to his .splendid character, his noble manhood, and his loving disposition that I wish to address myself. Bexj.\min F. M.\rsh was not one of those men with whom an easy acquaintance and lasting friendship could be .secured at first meeting. He did not impress favorably most of his acquaintances at first appearance. His .stern features rendered him liable to the imputation of indifference to friendly offices, and yet it was but the appearance of coldness. No man with whom I have ever had an intimate acquaintance possessed to a greater degree those traits of friendship and generosity which make the lives of some men so peculiarly .sweet and beautiful. No constituency was represented in Congress by a more con- .scientious man than Ben M.\rsh. Of this I am absolutely certain, although I did not have the pleasure of .serving with him. He was constant, industrious, and painstaking. He was au effective worker. He had the confidence of his a.ssociates. He never flinched from di.sagreeable duties. He was inten.sely patriotic. His love for his country could not be estimated. 48 ATcuiorial Addresses: Betijaniiu Franklin MarsJi He was broad in his conceptions and firm in his convictions. He was magnetic. He was chivalrous. He was courteous. Truth, love, courage, and intelligence were indelibly .stamped upon his strong but lovable face. Aside from all this, he was gallant. No one ever doubted his .sincerity and courage. Colonel M.'i.RSH was born on a farm in Hancock County, 111. He received his early education in the public .schools of that neighborhood. He subsequently studied law and was admitted to the bar in i860. He served continuously in the war of the rebellion from 186 1 to 1865, and gained great distinction for bravery on the field of battle. From 1866 to 1877 he resumed the practice of law. He was elected to the Forty-fifth, Forty- sixth, Forty-seventh, Fifty-third, Fifty-fourth, Fifty-fifth, Fifty-sixth, Fifty-eighth, and Fifty-ninth Congresses. I am told by his associates here that he made an ideal Con- gressman; that he did not attempt by much speechmaking to swa3' the minds of his hearers, but that he possessed to a prom- inent degree the art of presenting in conversation his ideas in such logical manner as to show that he was richly endowed with those faculties without which his success could not have been so pronounced. He was no diplomat. If he could not win hy hard knocks delivered straight from the .shoulder, he was willing to lose. He never fouled his enemy, nor did he believe in compromi,se. He believed in just and beneficent legislation, but once lending his .support to a measure he believed to be right, he would not willingly tolerate amendment. He was a man of action. He was bold, fearless, sincere, and honest. He was beloved as a friend and feared as an enemj-. In private life he was cordial, affable, genial, hospitable, sympathetic, and agreeable. That he was always clear and always true can be te.stified to by hundreds of Illinoisans who Add7-css of Mr. Madden, of Il/inois 49 have gone to him for advice and aid in times of trouble. His heart was as kind and sympathetic as ever beat in human bosom. It was impo.ssible for him to say no when appealed to for assi.stance by worthy ones in need. In his death this House has lost one of its foremost Mem- bers and Illinois one of its purest and best men. Life! I know not what thou art, But this I know, that thou and I must part; And when or where or how we tnet, I own to me's a secret yet. Life! we've been long together, Through pleasant and through cloudy weather; 'Tis hard to part when friends are dear; Perhaps 'twill co.st a sigh, a tear; Then steal away, give little warniiit;; Choose thine own time; Say not " Good night;" but in some brighter clime Bid me "Good morniHg." H. Doc. S02, 59-3 4 PROCEEDINGS IN THE SENATE. December 5, 1905. death of representative benjamin f. marsh. Mr. Hopkins. Mr. President, I ask the Chair to submit to the Senate the action of the House relative to the death of Hon. Benj.\min F. Marsh, late a Representative from the State of Illinois. The Vice-President. The Chair lays before the Senate the resolutions indicated by the Senator from Illinois, which will be read. The resolutions were read, as follows: In the House ok Representatives, December 4, 1905. Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of the death of Hon. BkxJ-\min F. Marsh, late a Representative from the State of Illinois. Resolved, That the Clerk of the House be directed to transmit this resolution to the Senate, and a copy thereof to the family of the deceased. Mr. Hopkins. Mr. President, I submit resolutions and a.sk for their present consideration. The resolutions were read; and by unanimous con.sent the Senate proceeded to their con.sideration, as follows: Resolved, That the Senate has heard with deep .sensibility the an- nouncement of the death of Hon. Benjamin F. Marsh, late a Repre- sentative from the State of Illinois. Resolved, That as an additional mark of respect to the memory of the deceased the Senate do now adjourn. The Vice-President. The question is on agreeing to the resolutions submitted by the Senator from Illinois. 51 52 Memorial Addresses: Benjamin Frank/in Marsli The resolutions were unanimously agreed to; and in accord- ance with the second resolution (at 2 o'clock and 50 minutes p. m.) the Senate adjourned until to-morrow, Wednesday, Decembers, 1905, at 12 o'clock meridian. April 16, 1906. message from the house. The message announced that the House had passed resolu- tions commemorative of the life and public services of Hou. Benjamin F. Marsh, late a Representative from the State of Illinois. »l Proceedings in the Sciia/e. 53 MEMORIAL ADDRESSES. February 8, 1907. Mr. CuLLOiM. I desire to give notice that to-morrow at 4 o'clock I shall call up the resolutions of the House com- memorative of the life, character, and public services of Gen. B. F. Marsh, late a Representative from the State of Illinois, which are now upon the table. February 9, 1907. resolutions of the house of representatives. Mr. CuLLOJi. Mr. President, I ask that the resolutions from the House of Representatives in commemoration of Hon. Ben- jamin F. Marsh, late a Representative from the vState of Illi- nois, be laid before the Senate. The Vice-President. The Chair lays before the Senate the resolutions referred to by the Senator from Illinois, which will be read. The Secretary" read the resolutions, as follows: In the House of Representatives, April 75, igo6. Resolved, That in pursuance of the special order lieretofore adopted, the House now proceed to pay tribute to the memory of Hon. Benjamin F. JIarsh, late a Member of this House from the State of Illinois. Resolved, That as a special mark of respect to the memory of the de- ceased, and in recognition of his distinguished public career, the House, at the conclusion of the exercises to-day, shall .stand adjourned. Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate. Resolved, That the Clerk send a copy of these resolutions to the family of the deceased. RESOLUTIONS OF THE SENATE. Mr. CuLLOM. Mr. President, I offer the resolutions which I send to the desk. 54 Memorial Addresses: Benjamin Franklin Marsh The Vice-President. The resolutions submitted by the Senator from Illinois will be read: The Secretary read the resolutions, as follows: Resolved, That the business of the Senate be now suspended that oppor- tunity may be given for tributes to tlie memory of Hon. Benjamin F. Marsh, late a Representative from the State of Illinois. Resolved, That the Secretary communicate these resolutions to the House of Representatives; and Resolved, That the Secretary be instructed to communicate a copy of the resolutions to the family of the deceased. The resolutions were considered by unanimous consent, and unanimously agreed to. w Address of Mr. CuUont, of Illinois 55 Address of Mr. Cullom, of Llinois. Mr. President: I ask the indulgence of the Senate that I nia>-