The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-03-21
AN ANGRY GREENBACKER.
Judge Kelly's Sharp Reply 10 a Recent Letter Of
Secretary Sherman,


Secretary Sherman addressed to j. Will
son Vance of Canton, o., on the Sth inst.
with reference to Judge Kelly's speech
on the finances:
Washington, DC, March -, 1878,
John Sherman, Secretary Of the Treasury,
Washington,
SIR My attention has just been call
ed to letter bearing date the 8th inst,
purporting to have issued from the Trea-
sury Department, and to which your
name is appended, and I must, therefore,
though it's averments are false and it's
language indecorous and vituperative, ,ac-
cept it as genuine though an unofficial,
communication from the Secretary of the
Treasury. AS Mr.. j, Wilson Vance, to
whom it was addressed, is the editor of
paper at Canton, o., and as your letter
appeared in the New York EUening Post
of the llth, but three days after date, l
cannot doubt thatit was written for pub
lication and sent to the Post from this
city, and therefore respond to it thus
publicly. You say;
"The extract which you quote from
Kelley's speech is out of part of the
diatribes which such men as Kelley have
used to excite the popular mind and Gre
ate war between capital and labor. The
amount of United States notes to be re
deemed is less than $3.50 1000, ,000,of which
more than $50,000,000 are constantly in
the Treasury in some form. The $50 000.-
600 available are now nearly $90,000,000
with some months further to aCcumu-
late"
know not whether the matter sent
you as quotation from speech of mine
was genuine or accurate. If it embraced
an allegation that | had said there were
more than $350,000.000 of United States
notes in circulation at this time, it mis-
represented me. In my late reply to
General Garfield, which is, suppose, the
speech from which it purported to be ta-
ken, said
"And now with but $65.OOO,OOO of gold
specie in the Treasury (for that was the
balance of gold found without charge
against it on the 1st of this month), with
less in the banks, and none in the hands
of the people, and with $650,000,000 OF
paper currency to be redeemed" &c.
This statement is not exaggerated. 1t
embraces greenbacks and national bank
notes, of which there are in circulation
more than $780, 900 900, for the redemp.
tion of both of which the Treasury Will
be responsible on the 1st of January next
if the Resumption law be not repealed.
Therefore, if this be one of the diatribes
l have uttered, what is likely to be said
ofyour implied incorporate contradiction
of it?
In your next letter will you not let the
country know of whom you spoke when
you alluded to 'suCh men as Kelley
Was it, as the public seem to understand
to the 1872 members ofthe House of Rep.
resentatives with whom l voted for the
repealof the Resumption act, and to the
1875 members of that body and the forty
six members of the Senate with whom |
voted to pass the Silver bill, the Presi-
dents objection to the contrary notwith-
standing? Has Mr.. Secretary, one briei
year of experience in the executive
branch of the Government suficed to
bring you to the dangerous conclusion
that Congress is body changing on the
verge of the Government" and which
might be eliminated from our system with
advantage to the people? Or did you
mean to refer to the vast majority of the
people of the United States, who compose
tb n oOnut;fuapo;ao Of fba,o q 1v,, oct ~ roo
fourths of the members of the branch of
Congress.
When next you refer to the diatribes
and "such as me have used to excite the
popular mind and create war between
capital and labor" pray you be little
more specific and designate some one oc.
casion on which have attempted to ex.
cite such war. regret that you did
not indicate such an occasion in the COM
munication l am considering But let
me inquire whether you regard me as
having engaged in 80 unholy an underta-
king when in the summer of 1876, in
compliance with written appeals from
the chief of the Administration, of which
you are so influential a member the then
Governor of Ohio, and of Hon. Charles
Foster, l abandoned my own canvass as
the nominee for Congress from the Fourth
District of Pennsylvania, and yielding to
the solicitation of the Republican State
Committee of Ohio, placed myself at its
disposal for a few speeches where, in the
judgement of the committee, they would
be likely to do the most good, except that
two of them should be in the district of
Foster, who had advised me that it was
very close, and that my good Offices might
do something towards saving it. If you
think / availed myselfof that occasion to
breed strife between labor and capital,
pray you appeal to the people ofthe town
of Milan and the city of Sandusky, both
of which are in Mr.. Fosters district and
to both of which l addressed large audi.
ences in his behalf, with such effect that,
after having passed about four days in
the district, / left it with the assurance
revived from scores of Republicans whose
purpose it had been to vote for Mr.. Hud.
son, Mr.. Fosters competitor, that they
would, on the strength of my representa-
tions, give my friend Foster another tri.
LAND that, though the district had been
regarded as doubtful, they were confident
it was now safe not only for him, but for
the Presidential ticket.
Let me briefly refer to your statement
as to the condition of the Treasury. You
say that the $65, 100000 available for the
purpose of resumption are now nearly
100000 In this, though you should
be better informed as to the condition of
the Treasury than l; l hesitate not to say
that if yonr allegation refers to metallic
gold you are grossly wide of your mark.
The monthly debt statement issued by
you on the 1st of this month showed but
$65, PIG, ,783 of gold against which there
were no coin obligations. How much of
this S65,OOO0OO is booking gold," or
what the late Colonel James Fisk spoke
ofas phantom gold," consisting of coup.
ons paid and bonds called and exchanged
which have not gone ilto the books and
been cancelled, do not know, nor prob
ahlv do Won. The Committee on Rank