Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-02-28

Joining. is over the fact that the syn
dictate will make a good deal of money
out of the bonds. This is what worries
the pious old gray wolf, of Ohio. He
can't contemplate the sale of bonds
at 1O4. which afterward brought us or
12O with any degree but pious horror
Tbus the shrewd old trimmer, as Sen
ator Gray pointed out actually makes
the favorable situation created by the
Treasury's prompt action the ground
for condemning it. Had the Treasury
done otherwise than it did no bonds
could have been sold at any rate
! Three days more would have found the
! Treasury compelled TO suspend gold
/ pavment. The bankers who came to
the relief Of the government in its dire
need. and after our own unpatriotic
and spitefuI bankers OF the New York
/ Clearinghouse had refused to aid, are
surely entitled to all the profit they
can legiumately make out of their loan.
But. as the Evening Post points out, a
/ still better answer to Mr.. Sherman is a
/ brief reference to what he, himself,
did under similar circumstances. If it
/ is faulty and improyident' to sell
/ 9ai bond at 1914, with the prospect of
seeing it quoted at 11S, what is it to
have it quoted afterward at 126?
But further investigation shows that
the old gray wolf lives in an even more
fragile glass house than this. He ad
mits that the motives and character
of Secretary Carlisle are beyond suspi-
cion: but as our independent contempt
rary asks: Was the same said of him in
1S77-7S-79? Has he forgotten the ugly
talk in those years about Fort Sher-
MANI" Has he no memory for Con-
Tessional inquiries, for demands for
list of commissions paid (and they
mounted up into the millions) for the
complaints about double interest al
/ lowed favored banks, and inparticular,
for the charge that he had practically
handed over a clean million dollars Of
profits to a single bank in New York
City? Has he no recollection of the
| talk of indicting or impeaching him?
In an interview in the New York Tri-
buue of December %, 1878. says the
Post. Mr.. Sherman admitted that the
banks had made huge profits out Of the
exerscise Of his discretion in making
them refunding agents. Is he the man
to- lead off in railing accusations against
his successor in office? 1t is safe to say
that no charges Of personal dishonesty
viii De made against Secretary Carlisle
i'm the New York Republican platform
of 1895. such as were made against Sen
ator Sherman, by implication, in the
New York Democratic platform of 1879.
But whatever may have been the
strength or weakness Of those charges
against the personal honor and integ-
rity of Secretary Sherman in the mat
ter. those conditions were exactly sim
liar to those just met by the present
administration. The Treasury was in
urgent need Of gold, and,had then, as
now. to turn to the men who had it.
The gold had to be taken then, as now,
on the terms of the men who were
asked to part with it, not on the terms
of the men who were in desperate
sraights for lack of it, Then, as now,
contracts had TO be made which were
| onerous. which yielded a good profit to
the bankers. but which also resulted in
great savings to the government. and
which secured the aid of the financial
world in sustaining the good faith Of
/ this nation. In 1877 and 1873, the
syndicate undertook to control the
rates Of sterling exchange, just as they
do now
I'm all this there is nothing but what
is proper and patriotic 1t is not
surprising that the wolves should
open in full cry on the contract
Of 1895, as they did on those Of 1877 and
1873. But the thing that is surprising,
that is outrageous and intolerable, is
to find this particular old gray wolf
now leading the pack.