People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1894-12-27
JOHN SHERMAN TALKS
HE CRITICISES BOTH HARRISON
AND CLEVELAND.
says the Bond Issue Impairs the Public
Credit-Dab at Harrison and CIeye-
land for Their Bullheaded
Much "SelfEsteem."

| i@iINiiNi puOllSncS
an interview by Cath" with Senator
John Sherman on the financial and
political conditions, from which the
following extracts are taken:
What is the difficulty with this adj
ministration keeping up the gold re-
serve?"
In the first place, the Presidents
one idea scheme of destroying the
tariff has left him without ADEQUATE
revenue to meet expenses. In the
second, he thoroughly mistakes the re.
lations OF his Office to his secretary. He
is not the ruler Of the country, as he
thinks, but its President. The word
president. moderator, presider. defines
itself He has no business to be doing
: executive acts instead of his secretary
OF the treasury, who is responsible to
congress, and he breaks the law almost
every day. Harrison did the same. I
would not have served under Harrison
ten days as his secretary Of the treas
ury. Ny conception OF president is
Tar different from that of a suspicious
and jealous interferer with his cabi.
net. l will say for President HAYES
that ne gave his secretaries liberty Of
action. Had he come to me at every
point of issue and klterfercd, how
could have carried out a coherent
financial plan? In tarn, | had good
subordinates. and let them alone. to
acquit themselves intelligently and
not fear me. suspect that Carlisle
and this cabinet IN general feel that
tull responsibility is not secure to
them"
"Are the times worse now than when
! you were secretary OF the treasury"
mo There was no worse panic than
that following Jay Cookies failure. 1t
was panic without much money in
the country. This is a panic with
plenty of money. | told President
Hayes that he cid not go away enough.
He did 60 several times-even went as
far as California. You know that
Jefferson, and Madison, too, would
leave this city and go to their respec-
tive farms and stay there for months.
Mr.. Cleveland and Mr.. Harrison before
him misconceived the nature Of their
office, which is social, assuring, out
looking and ceremonial"
docs the President know much
about finance and trade?"
Il doubt it. In the nature of things
the secretary of the treasury must work
hard. Now, the only serious point
against selling bonds in times like
these is that it to an extent impairs
the credit of the country. But the
first mistake was Mr. Cevelands one
sided determination to celebrate the
destruction of the tariff. He cut off
his resources, and his agent, the secre-
tary, had to SPEND his asst S for cur
rent expenses. 1t is inevitable that if
a rich individual spends more than his
income, he must go to ruin. He can
sell his land to save himself. We can
also sell our credit. That is what hey
are doing now. As l have said, it in
vites attention to the state of cur
credit.
"Do yru think the President has any
great occasion to reorganize our cur
rency. or as he calls it, to reform the
currency"
mo. lie Is not probable to better
it. He must commence at the other
end and restore our revenue, and then
his specie reserve will not be poached
upon. Cleveland made the situation
which Carlisle staggers under.
Carnegie says this is great mis-
take Of Cleveland-to reform the cur
rency?
81 think Carnegs is good deal of a
humbug. He assisted to bring Cleve-
land back upon us by starting a con-
fiict with his labor"
They say that Harrison was teaten
by the labor hostility to Reid2"