The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1895-10-24
A TALE OF INTRIGUE
John Sherman's Book on Half a
Century Of Statecraft.
HE ALONE is WHOLLY PURE
Implied Charges of Treachery on the
Part OF Garfield in the presi-
DENTAL Race.

Chicago, Oct. 1S.-The intrigues, the
jealousies and the traitorous knife
thrusts of the last half century Of
American statecraft are revealed In the
fierce light of stern criticism in John
Sherman's Recollections OF Forty Years
in the House, Senate and Cabinet" just
published In this city. The fear that
the venerable senator would reveal Sc
crets long kept from the public in his
forthcoming work has been to an ex-
tent realized. Grant, Garfield, Blaine,
Arthur, Harrison and other republican
leaders are spoken of with unstintsd
praise for their high personal worthy
statemanship, but each is in guarded
and covert language shown in the less
commendable light of scheming poll
ticians. The criticism is almost invar-
iably implied rather than direct, but it
stands out clearly in the work as a
whole.
The feature of the book is its extreme
frankness, the style in which Sherman
has expressed himself showing the
statesman rather than the professional
bookmaker The work Is marked by
clear cut sentences and blunt expires
sions OF opinion, and but little attempt
at literary grace is made. The book
is evidently intended by the author
as an exposition of the financial policy
Of the republican party which to a
great extent Is his own, and about the
extensive and elaborate history of
American finances Is woven an anec-
dote and personal "reminiscences replete
with interest to every student of poll
tics.
TRICKS OF LEADERS.
Owing to the close association Of
Sherman and James A. Garfield, the
criticism of the nomination of the lat
ter for president OF the United States
Is perhaps one OF the most striking fea-
lures of the book The author, while
carefully avoiding direct charge Of
treachery on the part of the eX-presl-
dent, very significantly makes IL plain
that Garfield was nominated at a con
vention to which he had gone as the
trusted leader of the Sherman forces.
Something of political schemlng that
again resulted in the defeat of the
Ohio statesman in the national conven-
ton of 1888 and brought about the nom
ination of ex-President Harrison can
be easily read between the lines In that
part of the work devoted to this strug-
gle. In discussing the result, Sherman
says he became satisfied that one dele
gate from New York controlled the en-
tire delegation from that state and be-
tween Saturday night, when the nomin-
alton seemed certain to go to Sherman,
and Monday morning, when the tide
cd In To- or
bargain was made In the interests of
the latter which secured him the sup
port OF New York and gave him the
nomination
Continuing, the author states, In fair
ness to the ex-president: But 1t is to
the credit of General Harrison to say
that II the reputed bargain was made
1t was without his consent at the
time"
SCORES GRANT.
Sherman says Grants administration
was u period of scandal and SANDER.
Perhaps the severest criticism of Gen
eral Grants craftsmanship is found In
the following extract from Sherman's
work During the entire period OF
Grants administration l was chair
man of the committee on finance of the
senate and had to act upon all ques-
lions of taxation. debt, banking or
finance, and had occasion to talk with
the president upon such measures. but
he rarely expressed an opinion or took
any interest In them.'
Arthur Is shown up In an unenviable
light and the attitude of Roscoe Conlx-
ling toward the president is caustically
commented upon. The formers nomin-
alton as vice president, Sherman says,
was the within of Conkling to annoy
President Hayes.
FINANCIAL SCHEME.
The views of Sherman on the fnan-
cial question are so Well known that it
is not necessary to repeat them. 1t is
sufficient to say he is consistent. All of
the legislation on this subject during
the last half century is carefully re-
cited and analysed
An extract from the utterances OF the
author. defines in word his position
on the silver question. After relating
his axioms of sound money, he con
cludes: $50 that for all practical pur-
poses we may regard gold as the only
true standard, the true money of the
world. by which the value of all prop
erty. of all productions, of all credits.
and of every medium Of exchange, and
especially OF all paper money. is test
ed"