The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-03-22
Secretary sherman. Critics.


to fall hard on the Secretary of the Treasury
for his partial concessions to the silver men
in his recent interview with the Senate
Committee on Finance. 1t seems to US that
Mr.. Sherman has never before acted so
wisely since he has held his present respor-
sible Office This is the first time when we
have found it possible to praise without re-
serve his official conduct as Secretary of the
Treasury. We are persuaded that the re-
spectacle journals which are castigating
him with so much severity for his conces-
sions to the silver men are acting from
blind, unrehecting impulse.
We do not wish to palliate the apparent
inconsistencies which these impetuous
critics point out in so pugnacious spirit.
We concede that within the last ten years
Mr.. Sherman's views have been somewhat
facilitating and inconsistent, and even
since he has been Secretary of the Treasury
the HERALD has not spared him when 1t
thought him in error. But none of those
old matters are relevant to the present
situation. The only pertinent ques-
ton is whether Mr.. Sherman is acting
with good judgment and sound dis
erection since the passage Of the Silver bill.
Mr.. Sherman, as Secretary of the Treasury,
is not bound to maintain the personal con-
sistency of Mr.. Sherman, the former sena-
tor. II the President had seen fit to put
some other gentleman at the head of the
Treasury Department it would be ridicu-
lous to say that he ought to be guided by
the former opinions Of an Ohio Senator,
and the duty of different Secretary cannot
differ from the duty Of Secretary Sherman.
There is just as little reason why he should
be bound by his own former views rs Secre-
tary of the reasury. Had President Hayes
appointed new head of the departments
after the passage Of the Silver bill it would
have been the duty Of the fresh ap-
pointee to act on the situation as he found
it without reference to the views of his prede-
cessor, and there is no good reason why Sec
rotary Sherman himself should insist on his
old views in q new situation. Whatever he
may have thought of the expediency Of pass
ing the Silver bill he is bound to execute it
in good faith since it has become law. In
matters Of this kind Congress is the master
and the Secretary Of the Treasury is
servant. Instead Of striving to nullify the
law it is his clear duty to obey it, and, so
lar as it clothes him with liberty Of choice
to administer it in the public interest
Treasury no longer stands in the same rela-
ton to it as he did while it was a
mere bill pending in Congress. Whatever
Mr.. Sherman's personal views may have
been respecting the Silver bill while it was
a-mere proposal or project, he is not at lib
erty to act on his personal views after the
project has become law. To arraign him
for inconsistency because he loyalty obeys
law which was passed against his judg-
ment is inconsiderate and absurd.
1t is asserted that Secretary Sherman is
not only inconsistent with himself, but
with those parts Of the veto message which
characterized the Silver law as can act of
bad faith" and as violation of sacred obli-
cations" 1t is true that President Hayes
used these strong expressions; but if his
Secretary Of the Treasury discovers q why
Of administering the law which will ward
of these bad consequences, "from seeming
evil still educing good" it seems I'M
gracious and unhandsome to complain of
him for attempting to render bad law
harmless. 1t is preposterous to affirm that
he is under obligation to insure the fulfil
ment of the Presidents gloomy predictions.
II he sees his way to render the practical
operation of the Silver law beneficial no.
body should feel more joy than the Presi-
dent himself in finding that his predictions
Of evil are not verified. 1t is rs ungenerous
as it is absurd to complain of the Secretary
OF the Treasury for trying to make bad
law salutary by his mode Of administer
ing it.
Had Secretary Sherman acted in the
spirit of his critics he could easily have
provoked and infamed the silver men in
Congress to pass supplementary acts TAX
ing away from him the wide discretion
with which ne is clothed by the present
law, AMI compelling him to realize the
worst anticipations expressed by the Presi-
dent in his veto. 1t is only bastard con-
sistency that could sacrifice the public
interest to prove Mr.. Hayes a true prophet.
1t will be high merit to defeat by skill in
administration the evil consequences which
the President was unable to torestall by his
veto.
The very journals which are raising an
cutlery against Secretary Sherman for his
alleged lack of consistency were filled with
flaming editorials tor the next few days after
the Silver bill had passed over the veto, de-
claring that it was mere first step, mere
entering wedge, to series of measures of o
more dangerous and alarming tendency.
They predicted that next in order would be
a repeal of the Resumption law, followed by
an act requiring the issue of certificates on
the deposit Of silver bullion. They fail to