Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-10-19
JOHN SHERAAN'S BOOK.
A Review Of the Many Incidents Of
Fort Years
OF Public Life by the Famous
Ohioan-But fer One Day Since
1855 Has He Been Out Of Public
Iife-The Author Criticises Freely
Members of His Party.

JflSueS, the JeaQOuSleS and the traitors
knife thrusts of the last half of the
century of American state-craft are re-
vealed in the free light of stern criti-
cism 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 secrets long kept from
the public in his forthcoming work
has been to an extent realized.
Grant, GARFIELD, Blaine, Arthur, Har-
rison and other Republican leaders are
spoken of with unstinted praise for
their high personal worth or statesman
ship, but each is in guarded and covert
language shown in the less commend
able light of scheming politicians. The
criticism is almost invariably implied
rather than direct, but it stands out
clearly in the work as a whole.
As anticipated, the feature Of the
book is its extreme frankness, the
style in which Mr.. Sherman has ex-
pressed himself, showing the states
man rather than the professional book
maker The work is marked by clear
cut sentences and blunt expressions Of
opinion, and but little attempt at liter
airy grace is made. The book is very
evidently intended by the author as an
exposition Of the financial policy OF the
Republican party which, to a great ex-
tent, is his own, and about the extern
sive and elaborate history Of American
finances is woven anecdotes and per
sonal "reminiscences replete with in
terest to every student of politics
Following the account of his own
struggle for the nomination, he says:
In time l became thoroughly ad-
vised of what occurred at the Chicago
convention, and had become entirely
recOnciled 10 the results, though fire.
quently afterwards l heard incidents
and details which Occasioned me great
pain and which seemed to establish the
want of sincerity on the part of some
Of the delegates and tended to show
that for some time before the meeting
of The convention, the nomination Of
Garfield had been agreed upon"
The sting felt by Garfleld's detection
in 1880 is shown by a sentiment ex-
pressed during the discussion of the
national convention Of 1892.
When it was remembered that Blaine
was also a candidate for the Presidency
before the convention that nominated
Garfield the significance of the follow
ing explanation on the part of Senator
Sherman of why he was not reappolnt-
ed by President Garfield as Secretary
Of ha 10,
In the latter part of November, 1880,
General Garfield came to Washington
and called upon Mr.. Blaine, who, it was
understood, was to be Secretary of
State. Garfield came to my house
shortly from Blaine's and informed me
that he had rendered that office to
Blaine and that it was accepted He
said that Blaine thought it would not
be polite to continue me as Secretary
of the Treasury, as it would be regard
ed as an unfriendly discrimination by
other members of Hayes cabinet. I
promptly replied that l agreed with the
opinion of Blaine, and was a candidate
for the Senate"
Again the author reverts to the Chi
cago convention in discussing the char
acter of President Garfield OF his
personality and eloquence, he speaks
in the highest terms. His will power,
he says. was not up to his personal
magnetism. He adds that his opinion
changed easily.
Space is devoted by the author to an
account of the important events Of each
administration. In this connection,
Mr. Sherman lays bare many of the
jealousies, political chickering's and
clash of ambitions that disturb the har-
mony of the party in power. OF
Grants administration, he says it was
period of scandal and SANDER. Per-
haps the severe criticism of General
Grants craftsmanship is found in the
following extract:
During the entire period of Grants
administration, was chairman of the
Committee on Finance of the Senate,
and had to act upon all questions Of
taxation. debt. banking or finance, and
had occasion to talk with the President
upon such measures, but he rarely eX-
pressed any opinion or took any inter-
est in them"
At the age of 70 years, Senator Sher-
man recalls the affair over the attempt
to remove Chester A. Arthur from the
collectorship of the port of New York
with feeling. The correspondence
bearing upon the controversy, never
before published, is given in full. Mr..
Sherman's part, as Secretary of the
Treasury. is stated in detail. Arthur
is shown up in an unenviable light, and
the attitude of Roscoe Conkling toward
the President is caustically commented
upon. The formers nomination as
Vice President, the Ohio statesman
saws. was the whim of Conkling to an
nov President Hayes.
throughout that part of the work re-
1ating TO President Hayes, Mr.. Sherman
speaks in the highest praise OF the
chief executive of the nation.
when near the close of his term, he
Haves) gave the usual dinner to the
members of the outgoing and the in
coming cabinets. 1t was purely an Off
cial dinner. but Hayes said there were
two gntlemen present who were not in
Office We looked around to see who
the unhappy two were, and found they
we're Garfield and myself. Garfield had
NOT vet become President, and had re-
signed as Secretary the day before.
This happened TO be the only day that
I was not in public Office since March
I, 1855"
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
comnanv and was on several occasions