Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-08-20
JOHN sHERMAr on raE STUMP:

JOHN sHgRMAN ON TIE STUMP.
While the President was swing
ing around the New England circle
last week, accompanied by VIM. M
Evarts,~ secretary of State; Charles
Devens, attorney general; George
w. McCrary, secretary OF war;
David NJ. Key, postmaster general,
another member Of the cabinet was
off on a far more important mis-
sion than merely celebrating the
anniversary Of a revolutionary incl
dent. While Mr.. Thompson, sec
rotary of the navy, remained in his
Office as usual, and Carl Schurz was
engaged in lerreting out the ras-
cality Of the Indian and whisky
rings, Hon. John Sherman, secre-
tary of the treasury, was IN OHIO
for the purpose Of giving aid and
comfort to the Republican party in
that State and of propping the
administration and sounding the
depths of public sentiment. When
a member of the cabinet goes home
to make a political speech it means
something, and his %utteranceS are
the more important because sup
posed to be in harmony with the
views and purposes of the admins
tration. The speech which Mr..
Sherman delivered at Mansfield
last Friday evening had been writ.
ten and printed some days before,
and proof slips sent out to anumber
of leading papers in order that they
might publish it in full as a special.
This is customary with the big
guns. To the surprise Of nearly
everybody, we suppose, the speech
was a defense of the Southern policy
and civil service reform ideas Of the
administration. This was intended
especially to molliiy Republican in
dignation at the political eccentrici
ties Of Mr.. Hayes. Mr.. Sherman
disaVowed any purpose to speak fol
the President, but said he had
one message to the Republicans o.
Ohio, and that was that he Hayes.
had not interfered in the most re.
mote degree in the State canvass
nor would he, in the election o
United States senator. On thl
Southern question, Sherman arguet
Hayes pursued the only course lel
open to him, in South Carolina anC
Louisiana; but, he said, if he hat
been cooking the broth he woult
assuredly have recognized Packar,
and supported him with the arm.
in Louisiana. Neither on the civ
service policy or the Southern
policy, However, did Mr.. Sherman
venture on a new idea. ''0nly,
one reporter says, sit did SCUM
queer to hear the inventor {
Eliza Pinkstou, and the in
dorser Of that remarkable wenc
in the United States senate, tai
about peace, Cancellation and hon
rule in the South flowing fro
Hayes policy" He avowod hin
self opposed to the repeal Of Il
resumption law, and maintain,
that under the law specie rcsum
ton would be attained by the da
named in it, if there should be
step backward. He eulogized t
national banking system and O
posed the issueof greenbacks as &C
trary to sound financial principl,
Strange to say he did not say 0
word about the reconciliation
silver, although it is in the pl;
forms of both parties and is
leading issue in the Ohio canvi
The third section OF his speech '
devoted to the railroad and laI
questions. He favored giving c.
gress control Of railroads, to rel
late tariffs, dividends, ETC., un
the power to regulate interest
commerce. He thought congl
could regulate these questions |
ter than the legislatures. For
FIRST time in his life he made a
litical speech chat did not overt
with bitterness and venom agai