Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1893-07-29
A HARRISON ExPEDlENT.
Tie Ex- Presidents Revelation Concerning
the sherman Law.

The Ex- Presidents Revelation Concerning
the sherman Law.
In the course of very courteous in
terview with representative OF the
Times Mr. Harrison was kind enough
to give his recollections, favored with
few personal reflections, upon the
history of the Sherman law. He did
not ''care to 60 into full discussion OF
/ the financial question" remarking hui
morously that that ''would require q
large book" He showed the same gen.
tie aversion TO this subject when he was
president, and it will be remembered
that when his secretary Of the treasury,
Mr.. Window, proposed an elaborate
plan to promote the use OF silver in our
currency without danger OF debasing
the currency, Mr.. Harrison reported to
congress that he had not had time to
examine it carefully, and that perhaps
he would, in the slang OF the day, "see
them later" on the subject But he
never did.
Mr.. Harrison, however, is willing TO
say unqualifiedly that the "Shssman
act was an expedient only. Mr.. Sher-
man, Mr.. Aldrich and other conserva-
tive members of the senate regarded II
simply as an expedient to prevent
J something worse, and, as an expedient'
only temporary one. l think" ne
added, "this is generally understood.
, We agree that it is generally under
, stood, though perhaps not exactly a
Mr.. Harrison fancies The notion ha'
been industriously spread that the "ex
pedient' was in the interest OF sount
finance, and that the something
: worse" which it was meant to preven
Z was the unlimited coinage OF silver
o But there is clearly an error in this, be
n cause free coinage could not have bee
enacted without the presidents cor
p sent. There were not enough votes !
q favor of it to override his veto.
What, then, was the thing to b
y avoided? On this very interesting poir
:. Mr.. Harrison's subsequent remark
throw some light. He said:
ID "Our democratic friends who are now appea
ing TO us to be patriotic-an appeal to which
"a have always listened-were willing TO vote Ior
. free coinage bill Just TO put Harrison in hol'
IL They wanted nothing else so badly as that al
" they we're willing TO do anything on the sliV
OF question to make that hole deep
/. ~ do not say this as any excuse for slmli
W. course on the part of republicans now, out i
Is say that never had any fears OF that mole
es Apparently, then, though .!r' liza
nd rison in his natural simplicity does n
,e- seem conscious of how plain he max
it, the Sherman bill was an cxpedlel
-. and a temporary one, to prevent n
y; :, Harrison being put into "hole,"
M prevent him having to veto free-co
'i age bill. 1t is plain that if the den
III Gratis had voted for such bill Mr.. ID
ne rison could easily have prevented
oI, from becoming law, 1t was not
an that purpose, therefore, that the Sh
by man "expedient' was invented l
ing ex-presdent says that he never /
any fears of that hole" We
bound to accept his statement No
knows better than he what he v
re. afraid or was not afraid OF. But IT
the great pity that Mr. Sherman and
an Aldrich and the others did not KIN
at how he felt, or, if they knew, that u
oro should have loaded the country witt
bad piece of financial Legislation
save him from what he had mo Tea
e'~ Of
less Mr.. Harrison makes no prediction
ter to the course of congress upon the
for peal of this temporary expedlel
ant the Sherman law. He says: 1.-The
and who will have to vote on the si
Wild question have very positive ideas
4 of very different lines They are hare
q IN manage. | do not know how
tho President Cleveland has broken his
s.;. team, or how skillfully he can hal
A. the reins.' We rather like this mod
" in the matter of prophecy. Mr.
rison probably feels that he is not
ihss self, an expert in the art OF gun
anu congl ess. There were several impor
nave occasions when he handled the re
the when it was his uncomfortable fat
nelly be dragged whittier he did not wal
ield. 90, or when his wild team ba
both with him and left him where he die
heir wish to stay. The Sherman law
case in point. The congress, or
party in party in congress, in thi
stance, ran wild course, with the
ks OF purpose of-saving him from situ'
cash which, it now appears, he did not
and rather courted. Clearly. as
.,o ioteer he is right in refraining
noeA a prediction or criticism.-N. Y. I