The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-22

Senator Sherman has done something
to make his enemies glad. He has writ
ten book. and they Will make it an ex-
cuse for attacking him. It covers his
''recollections" Of forty years Of active
public life.
Newspapers that have published eS-
tracts from such OF the proof sheets as
have been made public give their articles
such headlines as Sherman Gets Even
With His Enemies" Sherman's Bitter
Talk" etc From the extracts publish
ed. however. it does not appear that there
is much bitter talk in the book. He
speaks his mind freely Of public men, but
he aims TO do justice.
What he says about President Garfield
is not nearly so bitter as some of the ex-
pressions he is known TO have used when
speaking of him directly after Gen. Gar
field was nominated for President. At
that time it was understood that he held
the opinion that Gen. Garfield had played
him false in the national republican con-
vention of 1880 Gen. Garfield went TO
that convention as delegate at large as
the friend of Senator Sherman, and
pledged to do what he could to secure his
domination. Gen. Garfield got the nom-
nation While in his book Senator Sher-
man commends highly Gen. Garfield's
personal magnetism and eloquence, he
says that Gen. Garfield was lacking in
will power. He also says that he has
heard some things which justify him in
believing that there was a movement to
nominate Gen. Garfield before the con-
vention met While there is no direct
charge in the book that Gen. Garfield
was false to him, there is enough to JUS
tify the belief that he thinks he was.
Senator Sherman speaks kindly of
President Hayes and ex-President
Harrison With reference to Gen.
Harrisons nomination in 1888, he in
Inmates that it was the result of a cor
rupt bargain. though he frankly admits
that If there was a bargain it was with
out Gen. Harrisons consent at the time.
Whatever the senator's opinion of Gen.
Grant as a soldier is. it is clear he has
a poor opinion of his ability as states
man. He says that Gen. Grant, when
president, took little or no interest in
questions of taxation, debt, banking or
finance. The probability is that Gen.
Grant knew nothing of them and was
wise enough to say nothing.
Senator Shermans book is an interest
ing contribution to the political litera>
ture of the times. a book by man hold
ing the position that Senator Sherman
does and having boon forty years contln-
uously in public office could hardly be
otherwise than interesting. The opin-
ions Senator Sherman holds of the men
who figured prominently in public life
during the forty years of which he
writes may not be correct in each in
stance 1t would be unreasonable that
man could so free his mind of prejudices
and likes and dislikes as to write with
absolute fairness of contemporaries who
were continually defeating his purposes
and interfering with his plans. Senator
Sherman apparently tried to be fair and
that is as much as could reasonably be
expected of him.
The fact that he has written book
may be taken as conclusive evidence that
he has no further hope of reaching the
presidency and that he regards his public
career as pretty nearly ended. 1t is re-
markable career in some respects, and
will be the subject of much comment
when it is finally closed.