The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-07-28

aass Es-rrssldsss's Rssslasisa Conesraias
| the Sherman Law.
In the course of y very courteous in
terview with q representative Of the
Times Mr.. Harrison was kind enough
20 give his recollections. favored with
. few personal reflections. upon tn,
history of the Sherman law lie did
not care 90 GO into full discussion al
the financial question:" remarking hu.
morously that that ''would require Q
large book" He showed the Same gen.
tie aversion to thissubject when he was
president, and it will be remembered
that when his secretary OF the treasury,
Mr. Window, proposed an elaborats
plan Ia 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, snd 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 unquali6edly that the sherman
act was an expedient only. Mr.. Sher-
man, Mr.. Aldrich and other conserva-
tive members of the senate regarded it
simply as an expedient to prevent
something worse. and, as an expedient,
only temporary one. ! think" he
added this Is generally understood. Z"
We agree that it is generally under
stood, though perhaps not exactly rs
Mr.. Harrison fancics The notion has
been industriously spread that the Tex
pedient" was in the interest of sound
finance. and that tho something
worse" which 1t was meant TO prevent
was the unlimited coinage of silver
But there is clearly an error in this, be-
cause free coinage could not have been
enacted without the presidents con-
sent There were not enough votes in
favor of it to override his veto.
What, then. was the thing to be
avoided? On this very interesting point
Mr.. Harrison's subsequent remarks
throw some light He said:
"Our democratic friends. who are now appeal
ing TO Us TO be patriotic-an appeal TO which we
have always lisiened-werc willing to vote for
free coinage bill just put Harrison in hole.
They wanted nothing else so badly that and
they we're willing to do anything on the silver
question TO make that hole deep
Il do not say this As any excuse for similar
course on the part OF republicans now. but do
say that never had any fears Of that hole"
Apparently. then, though ..r. Har-
rison in his natural simplicity does not
seem conscious of how plain he makes
il, the Sherman bill was an expcdient,
and temporary one. to prevent Mr..
Harrison being put into a .hole," to
prevent him having To veto a freedom
age bill. 1t is plain that il the demo-
Gratis had voted for such bill Mr.. liar
rison could easily have prevented it
from becoming a law. 1t was no: for
that purpose therefore. that the Shcr-
man "expedient" was invented. The
ex-prcs:dent says that he never had
any fears of that hole" We are
bound to accept his statement No one
knows better than he what he was
afraid or was not afraid of. But it is .
great pity that Mr. Sherman and Mr..
Aldrich and the others did not know
how he felt or. If they kpew. that they
should have loaded the country with SO
bad piece of financial legislation to
save him from what he had mo fears
Of
Mr. Harrison makes no prediction as
20 the course Of congress upon the re-
peal of this temporary expedient."
the Sherman law. He says The men
who viii have to vote on the silver
question have very positive ideas on
very different lines. They are hard to
manage. l do not know how well
President Cleveland has broken his wild
team, or how skillfully he can handle
the reins-" We rather like this modesty
in the matter of prophecy. MIR. Har-
rison probably feels that he is not, him
self. an expert in the art Of guiding
congress There were several important
occasions when he handled the rcins''
when it was his uncomfortable fate to
be dragged whittier he did not want to
go, or when his wild team baked
with him and left him where he did not
wish to stay. The Sherman law is .
case in point The congress, or his
party in party in congress, in this in
stance, ran a wild course. with the sole
purpose of saving him from situation
which, it now appears, he did not fear,
and rather courted. Clearly. as a char
iotcer he is right in retaining from
prediction or criticism.-N. Y. Timea
A LOST OPPORTUNITY.