The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-08-24
JOHN SHERMAN.
Gen. Badeau Writes Of His Long
Career in the Senate.
His Love for His Distinguished Brother
The Silver Bill Not the First Work Of
His Own That He Tias Helped
to Destroy.
COPYRIGHT, 1881

COPYRIGHT, 1881
There is something almost pathetic
in the spectacle of John Sherman to-
Jay, compelled at the age of seventy,
after nearly half century spent in
the public service, to advocate the re-
peal of the measure that bears his
name, and is identified with his
policy. but which is now by the great
majority of the nation denounced as
! detrimental to it's interests: SO much so
that panics and financial disaster can
only be averted by an extraordinary
I session Of congress, called in midsum-
mer especially to undo his work, more
| than half the country accusing him OF
having precipitated the situation, the
remainder reproaching him with de-
| serting them in their emergency.
Among the foremost enemies of the
! Sherman bill is Senator Sherman; he
has proclaimed his position in advance,
and it is safe to predict that one of the
earliest events in the senate now in
session viii be the attack on his own
creation Saturn will devour his child
will say, he does public penance for his
political sin.
1t is not, however. the first time that
the senator has been placed in this pre-
dicament. In 1862, at a critical juno
ture of the war, after the suspension
of specie payments by the government,
he advocated the issue of legal tender
notes, and it was his efforts, with
those of Chase, then secretary Of the
treasury, that succeeded in carrying
the measure. He was the leader of the
republican party in the senate in all
financial matters, and by this action
did as important service to the coun-
try as his brother, the general, in the
field For, the armies that overthrow
the confederacy could not have been
held together without money; and
money at this crisis was only to be had
by creating it by making the notes of
the government legal tender. Sher-
man saw this clearly and impressed his
views on those who had to act, and
thus helped to save the nation quite as
certainly as the great soldier whose
name he shared
Yet in 1867 he introduced bill of an
exactly opposite character, the re-
sumption act, which was adopted in
1870, although at first without the re-
sumption clause; the statesman was
feeling his way TO the end he had in
view, for which the country was not
yet ready. In 1874, however, he was
chairman of the committee which re-
ported bill fixing resumption for jan
uary !, 1879. This bill with almost a
premonition of his own future left the
manner of resumption entirely depen-
dent on the judgment and measures of
the secretary OF the treasury.
Five years afterward the epoch ar
rived and found Sherman himself Sec
rotary Of the treasury under Hayes.
AS soon as he entered on his duties he
set about preparing for the result he
had so long contemplated. and six
months before the date fixed by law
he had one hundred and forty million
dollars in gold in the treasury When
resumption day arrived there was
practically no demand for gold IN ex-
change for notes. This was absolutely
his achievement, and win undoubtedly
remain his strongest claim to sepa-
rate and notable place in history.
1t was however the reversal Of his
previous action during the war; il IN
did what had been so indispensable in
the naticns hour of peril. In 1862 lie
helped to make the paper money of the
government legal tender: eighteen
years afterward he superintendent the
overthrow of his own work, and did
his country almost as essential service
in one act as IL the other. Like real
statesman. he adapted his measures TO
the varying emergencies that were
requisite 20 the salvation of the state /
in one crisis and threatened its financial [
genius in another; he saw the second {
necessity as clearly Is, the first, and
himself tore down the very IA ric he +
had assisted TO build; just rs his sol +
dier brother often turned on the enemy 4
the very guns he once had assaulted and .
used the same bulwa-lzs for defense he !
hsd attempted TO destroy. Many and /
many a time IN battle did Gen Sher- I
man carry the ea-thworl<s OF his adver- .
sary and instantly make them fornid- +
able to the men who had iust been
him from behind them.
Many a time did he attack the lines he
once had held because the fortunes OF
the day had changed. No greater
proof OF The senator's saracity can be +.
found than the fact that - different
crises he was fer and opposed In the
issue 81 paper money * legal tender.
The situation uox IS not aissimilcr.
It i hardly three years since he intro
dus.sd. The silver biz whics. pesss rs