Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1879-05-15
Secretary Sherman to His
NeighbOrs In Mansfield.

In response TO Serenade at MS nome
in Mansfield, last week, Secretary Sher-
man made the following short speech:
am very happy to be again in your
midst, to see your faces and to greet
you as friends. The shaking of your
hands is more grateful to me than the
music of bands or any parade. L never
felt before like making an apology for
coming before you until now. l found
when l arrived in my old home the pa
pers said l came West seeking the NOM
inatiOn for Governor. came purely on
private business, to repair the ruined
fences and look after my impaired prop
erty. did not expect to make polit-
ical speech or refer in any way to polit-
ical questions. However, as you have
serenaded me tonight l shall seize the
opportunity of speaking fully on two of
the great questions now discussed
throughout the land. They are ques-
tiOns of vital Importance to all the peO-
ple-Republicans, Democrats and Ma
tiOnals. You know, fellOw-citiZens, that
two years ago when / had the pleasure
of speaking to you ON the public square,
the burden of my speech was about re-
sumption of specie payments, stating.
if we could go back to gold, then would
be the beginning of prosperity. Then
loss followed loss, and failure followed
failure, and gloom generally prevailed.
l believed that if we would go back to
the ways of our fathers and start afresh
on gold basis, supported by greenbacks
and National bank notes, prosperity
would again return. 1t became my duty
as an Executive officer to carry out this
policy. One year ago / had in front of
this hotel, on this same store box, or one
very much like it, to present to you the
desirability of the result of resumption.
On the first day of January, 1879, this
important measure was accomplished.
Every dollar you had in pocket became
worth dollar in gold.- Since that has
been accomplished, come here to ask
you the question: Are you not satisfied
with the result? Do you not think re-
sumption has been beneficial to you all
To-day a man may travel where he
pleaSes, the greenback dollar is as good
as any nations on the globe.
What has been the result of the policy
of resumption2 Many thought, as the
day of resumption approached, that des-
pOndency and bankruptcy would follow,
whereas there has been advancing pros
perity throughout our entire land. I am
told that your shops in Mansfield are
again in operation, and it is so every
where The result is, labor is plentiful,
capital finds secure and safe investment.
Why, in New York city, Just the other
day, heard of all manner of schemes
being originated by capitalists for the
investmen of capital that has been idle
since the panic. The public credit is
now better than at any time in the his
tory of the country. Strange to say,
since the first of January there has been
sold 75O,OOO,000 of four per cent. bonds.
They were sold at par in gold, and the
last million and a half was sold at a
premium of one-half per cent. We have
saved to the people of this country in
interest 81, 100000 since the present ad-
ministration has been in power. 1t has
saved to the country S14,OO0,0O0. This
saving has benefited alike the rich and
the poor The credit of the Nation has
also steadily advanced, and there is no
Nation in the world that can borrow
money at as favorable terms as the Uni
ted States of America. To-day the four
per cents, of the French Empire are
worth but "a cents-less than par. Our
bonds are quoted higher than any other
nation, than perhaps that of Great
Britain. This is so because this country
has kept its faith with the world. Now
the rich are not the only bondholders,
the man of modest means can purchase
bonds of any denomination that he may
choose, at any mOney-order pOstofice in
the country. Both the bonds and certif-
Gates are eagerly sought for. They are
held by every class in the land.
The great question that is now agi-.I
tating the public mind is, the attempt of
your Representatives in Congress to re-
peal what are known as the Election
laws. These members of Congress are
seeking to repeal the only laws that in
many cities and some States give the
people fair and full voice. Have you
ever thought that your only voice in the
National Government lies in the election
of members of Congress once in two
years? Every two years you are called
to elect member of Congress, and that
one man represents you, is your agent so
far as the National Government is con- |
cerned. Your only voice in the Govern |
ment is when you vote for q member Of
Congress. In great number Of the
larger cities elections are carried by |
fraud and unfair means. In the great |
city of New York there are wards that
have been carried by fraud and repeaters
for the last forty years. In many OF the
Southern States intimidation and fraud