New-York tribune., 1891-01-31
THE LATE SECRETARY

The great loss which the Nation has s1s-
tanned in the death Of Secretary Window should
not be misunderstood. That calamity III 10
way changes the financial policy OF the 6oV-
ernment The harmony between the President
and other members of the Cabinet was com
plete, and on all such questions Mr.. Window 5
voice was the voice of those who remained To
execute the will OF the great party he 50 ably
represented There will be no Swcrving from
those well defined Republican principles when
have gained for the Administration as for the
party the confidence of conservative men.
Honest money will be maintained Is far and
as long as the executive departments have
power. whether President Harrison selects one
man or another to administer the affairs of the
Treasury. There will be seen the same sill
ccre desire to make silver of larger real utility
as part of the monetary basis, and the same
unhinching opposition to every scheme ny
which gold might be forced out OF Use ana
silver nonometaliiSm established.
Perhaps no public man i'll this country has
ever passed from life at a more fortunate time
for his own reputation than Secretary WIN
dom. His last speech was, indeed, aS one OF
the most competent hearers has termed II, the
>peech of his life. Ii placed before his colln-
,rymen in the strongest and cleareSt light the
dangers of unlimited silver coinage, and the
true reasons for holding this the wrong time
10 1Iy 30 hazardous an experiment. MI IN
dom spoke a, one who knew and to large
extent shared the feelings of the Western pco-
ple Because he knew that they would sacr1-
lice the substance in gra>png for the shadow
if fee coinage should be attempted; because
Il, Il
terrible contraction. both of the circulation and
of the credit system, upon which the prosper
ity of the whole country depends he appealed
TO the people with such eOqucnce and force
in this speech that a tribute OF enthusiastic as
sent rarely accorded to any public man followed
his utterances and had hardly dle'l away when
he was summoned from the cares of this world.
HI, oncia! career was singularly broken.
As Senator he had made RENAL ablc rcputl-
ton rs a student of the problem oi tiInSportd- -
ton when he was called 10 administer the
Treasury Ina brief career Of but few months
as Secretary OF the Treasury under President
Garfield he achieved Il triumph which no other
finance minister of any nation has over
achieved in the reiunding operations oi ISIS !,
and it WAS 50 simple and yet 80 bold and org
inal that it marked MIN at once as Il man Oi
extraordinary gifts. Tne fall of 1881 tested
to the utmost his ability to administer tae
Treasury Department wisely with reference
10 the needs OF great commercial Nation ana
thus. although his experience had been short,
and he had been only a little time in high ad-
ministrative office his selection by PIcsi-
dent Harrison was welcomed by the business
community as a guarantee that the Interests
of the Nation would be wisely and couragcou>iy
guarded. How great the resources he brought
TO the relief OF business in times Of peril last
fall and winter the business men and bankers
of NcW-l orh well know, and they are aware
that few public men have equallcd him IN
quick understanding, fertility OF device, 0
resoute Use Of opportunities Tor the public good.
He leaves the silver question unsettled, Il
menace TO all industry and all legitimate trade.
But the people for whom he strOyc 50 maniully
NAV well read with care, and read again, his
final appeal 1t is possible that the warnings
he uttered may have greater weight now that
he has passed away than they would have had
if he had lived, and that the country may look
back with wiser appreciation to the mode OF
settlement which hc suggested III his Oillcidl
report fourteen months ago.