Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-03-31
JOHN AND JOE.

the Chicago "TribMne"-The Secretary
Roughly Handled by the Editor.
Chicago Tribune.)
| A reporter of the Cincinnati Commercial call.
ed on W. M. Bateman, chairman of John Sher-
mans Literary Bureau in Washington, and Or
ganizer of his diminitive "boom," and asked
him:
"Did you allude Mr.. Bateman, to Mr.. Medill. Of
the Chicago tribune, in the passage referred to In
your speech?"
| IT did,
"What do YOU think of the truthfu1ness Of his de-
nisl7"
having q very heated conversation with the secretary
| of the treasury on the subject OF resumption, in
which, with vehemence. he opposed the measures
taken contemplated by the secretary to carry out
the law; urged that the law was not designed to be
carried out; alluded to his own Indebtedness, and
urged that the enforcement of the law would break
himself up and every business man and national
bank in the country, and in course OF the
conversation thst he said to the secretary that he
went on he would break him down. He may make
issue in manner and FORM, as the lawyer says, but
he will hardly deny conversation with the secretary
in his Office which he disagreed with the secretary
as to the policy and duty of resumption under the
above named were alluded to, and that he and the
secretary parted in good deal OF heat. It might
not be unsafe to say that Mr. Medill, In his vehe-
mence, thumped the table with his fist.
IT hardly think that Medin will deny that ever
since that interview he has not held Mr.. Sherman to
his bosom with much love. Indeed, it may be said
that he has ever since been unable to IND anything
good In or about Mr.. Sherman"
This man Bateman, chairman of Sherman's
petit ''boom,' has no personal knowledge OF
what he is talking about. He relates at second
hand, with additions, variations and embellish-
ments, q conversation some one told him OF, al
legged to have taken place two years previously
between an editor and an officeholder in Wash.
iupton. The chairman of the small boom
processes, we believe, to be lawyer; but. if
he possessed enough of the judicial propensity
of mind to qualify him to act even as judge
of dog-fight or horse-race he would perceive
the ridiculous improbability of the story, and
the illogical inference he draws therefrom.
No person in his rational senses, acquainted
with the law-making power of this country and
of the ministerial duties of the secretary of
the treasury, would ever think of asking him
to repeal or nullify the resumption act. He
had no option in the matter. His business was
to carry out the law under the orders of the
President. The editor of the tribune would
never dream of going to the Presidents head
clerk of the treasury bureau to have the most
important act Congress had passed in dozen
wears set aside and rendered nugatory. If any
executive officers were to be spoken with on the
subject, it was mauifestly the President him
self. and not one of his secretaries; but there
is no allegation that be ever SO much as mcn-
toned the subject to the President.
There was only one authority that possessed
the power to prevent the resumption act going
into force Jan l. 1879, and that was the power
which enacted it--viz: Congress. And if the
editor of the Tribune had desired to prevent
that act from taking effect he inevitably would
have appealed to the only mortal authority on
earth competent to grant bis wish. But the
manager of the little "boom" seems to be too
big an ass to see the absurdity Of what he was
asserting.
Admit for the nonce that the editor of the
Tribune demanded of Sherman pledge that
he would violate the law and his cath OF office
and nullify the resumption act at the time set
for II. going into operation, the said editer be-
lieving that the country would go to eternal
smash if the greenbacks were redeemed In coin,
and that he made fierce threats against the
aforesaid secretary for refusing to promise to
perjure himself; what thenI The act did go
into effect at the time set, with the secretary's
assent and assistance. The banks and business
men we're not smashed; the ''lrate editor
continued solvent as the secretary himself; no.
tody was hurt; every one was benenteo; Inc
country prospered greatly, and the editor afore-
said has boosted of complete success and
beneficial effect of resumption in fifty or hum
dred editorials and q thousand conversations.
Now, giving Sherman whatever share OF
credit or responsibility his friends may claim
for him for these results of resumption, where
is the motive for revenge, for mallgnlty, Tor
luminosity, at this time? What harm has sher-
man done the editor Of the Tribune by declin-
ing to nallify resumption, (supposlng that he
had the power), but favoring it, when resump-
ton has been confessed benefit to him and
all his friends, neighbors, subscribers, and
countrymen? Bateman would do wisely to
send back his tittle-t attle story to his master
for repairs, as it evidently does not hold water.
He must give some other reason tor the refusal
of the Chicago Tribune to boom" for the con-
- IL pff ha froQ
ment for President.
Look at the precious yarn fabricated by the
head of the treasury department of the United
States and peddled over the great State of OHIO
by his understrapper: that the editor OF the
Tribune made pilgrimage all the way To wash
ington, in the dead of the winter-for what
purpose? To bulldoze pledge out OF the sec
retary of the treasury that he should usurp the
| functions of Congress and the President, and
| set aside the resumption act, and refuse to re-
deem the greenbacks at the time fixed by tho
law making power This is the extraordinary
allegation thatJo Sherman. speaking through
| the mouth of the chairman OF his boom, asks
the public to swallow.
It is further alleged by the same veracious
talkist that, when Sherman refused to give the
pledge, commit perjury, and subject himseif TO
| impeachment and removal, the editor OF the
Tribune fell into paroxysms OF anger; that NO
said ''the enforcement of the act would break
/ himself uD - anu buEbu CNOAy ouoAhS"o 1850
and national bank in the country and that
| .he threatened to break the secretary down II
he did not give the pledge-in writing, OF
course, and sealed by the great seal of the de-
partment-to violate his oath of Office, and
trample in the dust next year the great nation.
l'al law commanding the redemption OF
the greenbacks in coin and providing
the ways and means therefor; and that
finally, in great anger and wrath, he
thumped the secretary's rosewood table with
his clenched fist" Why does not the chairman
of the little boom,' who possesses so lively al
imagination, relate the rest of this interestin
scene while he is about it, and tell how tn
editor of the Tribune, having hurt his knuckle
in striking the secretarys desk, lost all contr.
of his temper and "vehemently" put "a head
on the secretary, placing him hors de conaba',
and then danced for space of time over To
PROSTATE form of that fulctionary, utterin
the fearful Tuscarora war-whoop. which is NOR
dreadful in sound than even the 'rebel yell /;
and that, after the head of the treasury d.
partment had collected together h:a
scattered senses and battered person, in splr-
it of compassionate duty. he had his mad as'-
sailant tenderly sent to the district insap
| asylum for care and treatment, where he haa
since remained, totally barrett Of reason'
This would have rounded off the story IN
| something like artistic style, and placed The
| e -