OF THE SADDLE AND SIRLOIN CLUB 595 
Governor Ricuarpson. Without solicitation on his part, he was 
four times made candidate for Governor of Nebraska on the 
Democratic ticket, missing the election as first governor of the 
state by only 145 votes. He was twice nominated for congress 
in a similar manner, and had sufficient supporters to make him 
an almost perpetual candidate for Senator. He was a member 
of the state legislature for many years and was extremely active 
in his opposition to the “wildcat” banks that contributed to so 
many Nebraska failures in early Cornhusker days. During the 
turbulent times of Populism, forty-five Republican state legis- 
lators, in caucus, declared their support for him in preference to 
any populistic candidate. But the nation had more immediate 
use for him, and he was appointed Secretary of Agriculture in 
the cabinet of PRESIDENT CLEVELAND in 1893. His service here 
met with some hostile criticism on the part of the agricultural 
interests, but anyone serving during those days of financial 
upheaval was bound to find much of his efforts negated and many 
of his accomplishments unpopular. He died from a stroke of 
apoplexy, April 27, 1902. 
SECRETARY Morton’s love and devotion for his wife were con- 
spicuous. At the time of her death in 1881, he erected a granite 
shaft to her in the private burying ground on the home acres. 
Calling his sons together on its completion, he announced, “A 
spot for each of you is situated within the compass of the shadow 
of that shaft, but if one of you at any time dishonors the mother 
that lies here, his body must find other resting place.” Fortu- 
nately his sons arose to almost equal position in the world, and 
Pau, was not only Secretary of the Navy under PRESIDENT 
RoosEVELT in 1904-05, but resigned to become president of the 
Equitable Life Assurance Society of New York City. SECRETARY 
Morron’s statue by RANDOLPH Evans stands in the public square 
of Nebraska City, a gift of the citizens of the state. 
