The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-10-19

and clash of ambitions that disturb
the harmony of the party in power.
OF Grants Administered ton he says IL
was period of scandal and SANDER.
Perhaps the severest criticism of GEN
eral Grants craftsmanship is found in
the following extract from Mr.. Sher-
mans work:
During the entire period of Grants
administration l was chairman of the
committee on finance of the senate,
and had to act upon all questions OF
taxation, debt, banking or france, and
had occasion to talk with the Presi-
dent upon such measures, but he rare
" expressed an opinion or took any
interest in them.
At the age of 70 years, Senator
Sherman recalls the affair over the at
tempt to remove Chester A. Arthur
from the collectorshsp of the port of
New York with much feeling. The
bearing on the contro-
versy never before published is given
in full, and Mr.. Shermans part as sec
Rotary of the treasury is stated in de-
tail Arthur is shown up in an I'M
enviable light and the attitude of
Roscoe Con sling toward the president
is caustically commented upon. The
formers nomination as vice president.
Mr.. Sherman says, was the whim OF
Conkling to annoy President Hayes.
Throughout that part of the work
relating to President Hayes, Mr.. 'Sher-
man speaks in the highest praise of
the chief executive. The following
incident which occurred near the close
of the Hayes administration, IS re@
/ lated: when near the close of his
term, he (Hayes) gave the usual dim
ner to the mem erS of the outgoing
/ and incoming ca binets. 1t was purely
/ an official dinner. but Hayes said there
/ were two gentlemen present who We're
/ not in Office. We looked around to see
! who the unhappy two were, and found
| they were Garfield and myself. Gar
! field had not vet become president and
l had resigned as secretary the day
/ before. This happened to be the only
| day that L was not in public office
| since March 4, 1855"
There is less of a personal narrative
j in the book than might be expected.
/ Mr.. Sherman speaks modestly of his
/ boyhood days, of his family, and of his
/ first appearance in public life. Many
! of his important addresses during the
/ slavery agitation and during the pOlit-
/ zeal campaigns in which he took part
are embodied in the book. His account
of the civil war and of his association
with Abraham Lincoln is full of in
terest as narrative and is historical
period
In writing about himself Mr. Sher-
man is candid to the point of self crit
icism- For instance, he states that at
the age of 10 years he got into bad
company and was on several occasions
conscious OF being intoxicated. In re-
| lating the incident which Influenced
his whole life in this respect, he says:
"On one occasion, in the fall OF 1880,
+ eif H1-in1-.rrr
My mother received me with much
surprise and sorrow, but neither com
planned nor scolGed, and with the ut
/ most kindness put me to bed and
watched over and cared for NE. | was
+ not enough stupefed to be uncOnsciou
/ of nv degradation and her affection,
and then and there resolved never to
be in such a condition again.
OF lis wealth and the various per
sonal and political attacks that have
been made upon him, he makes this
statement after giving his reply to an
accusation on that score made years
ago: 4 have often since been accused
OF the crime of being rich but as
nearly ali my possessions are visible
to the naked eye, and their history
! and acquisition are known 70 many. 1
thinil l I'm not required to prove that
/ have not made them as a result Of
legislation Or my holding of public
trusts.
As showing the singing criticism
of which he is capa be, the following
statement. made by Mr.. Sherman at
the time the impeachment proceed
ceedings against President johnson
were instituted, is OF interest He
SAID OF Mr.. Johnson: The truth is,
he is a slave to his passions and re-
sentiments. No man can confce in
him
Il regard him as a foolish and stub
born man. dong even right things in
a wrong way, and in position wucre
the evil that he does is immensely in
creased by his manner of doing it
The views of Mr.. Sherman on the
financial question are so well known
that it is not recessarv to repeat them
1t is sufficient to say he is consistent.
Rich in ripe conclusions, full OF IN
terest as a personal narrative, in
struct've as a polit cal record. ana
complete as financial history of the
country. the work adds to recent books
Of American history one of general in
tercst and Of value to students of poll
ties and finance.