The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1895-10-24
POLITICAL SECRETS.
JOHN SHERMAN REVEALS
LOT OF THEM.
He Writes . Book Of Hl0 Forty YeaES
Of Public Life and Praises and Crit.
Cidos Great Republican Leaders-Gaf-
field Betrayed Him In 1850.

CHICAGO, Oct. 21.-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 secrets, long kept from
the public, in his forthcoming work
has been to an extent realized. Grant,
Garfield, Blaine, Arthur, Harrison and
other Republican leaders are spoken
of with unstinted praise for their high,
personal, worthy craftsmanship. but
each is in guarded and covert language
shown in the less commendable light
of scheming politicians The criti-
cism is almost invariably implied
rather than direct, but it stands out
clearly in the work as a whole.
Owing to the close association of Mr..
Sherman and James A. Garfield, the
criticism of the nomination of the
latter for president of the United
States is perhaps one of the most
striking features of the book. The au-
thor, while carefully avoiding direct
charge of treachery on the part of the
ex-president, very significantly makes
it plain that Mr.. Garfield was noahi
mated at convention to which hemdu
gone as the trusted leader of the Sher-
man forces. After showing by the
publication of private letters, covering
a period of years of close political and
personal association, that Mr.. Garfield
was, in reality. his political protege,
Mr.. Sherman gives in detail the his
tory of the national convention of
1880. Following the account of his
own struggle for the nomination, he
says:
lin time, l became thoroughly adj
vised of what occurred at the Chicago
convention, and had become entirely
reconciled to the result, though fire.
queutly afterwards 1 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 ofpthe con vention the nomi-
nation of General Garfield had been
agreed upon"
The sting felt by Garfield's detection
in 1880 is inadvertently shown bv
sentiment expressed during the dis.us-
sion of the national convention of
1892, where the senator remarks:
''From later developments l became
satisfied that Harrison could not be
elected, that Plat and powerful
New York influence would defeat him
if nominated. l therefore preferred
the nomination. of new man, such as
William Mckinley, but he had COM
mitted himself to Harrison, and, &C
cording to my code of honor, could not
accept o nomination even if rendered
him."
Again the author reverts to the
Chicago convention in discussing the
character of President Garfield. OF
his personality and eloquence he
speaks in the highest terms. His will
power, he says, was not up to his per-
sonal magnetism. He adds that his
opinion changed easily. In this
he said: ''When proposed
to him to be a delcgate-at-Iargc to the
Chicago convention, he no doubt
meant in good faith to support my
Some of the political scheming that
again resulted in the defeat of the |
Ohio statesman in the national con-
vention of 1855 and brought about the |
of eX-President Harrison |
can easily be read between the lines i
IN that part of the work devoted to |
this struggle. In discussing the re.
suit Mr.. Sherman says he became sat
SIZED one delegate from New York |
the entire dele cation from !
that state, and between Saturday |
night, when the nomination seemed |
to go to Sherman, and Monday
when the tide turned in
favor of Harrison, a corrupt bargain
was made in the interests of the
latter, which secured him the support
If New York and gave him the NOM
nation. Continuing the author states
n fairness to the eX-President: But
It is to the credit of General Harrison
10 say that if the reputed bargain
was made it was without his consent
1t the time"
On the eve of another national cam
paign in which eX-President Harrison
is expected to figure prominently, Mr..
Sherman does not hesitate to state
that in 1899 he did not consider Harri-
son a strong candidate. To his cold
at that time.
When it was remembered that Blaine
was also = candidate for the presiden-
~ before the convention that nomin-
ated Garfield, the significance of the
following explanation on the part of
Senator Sherman of why he was not
by President Garfield as
of the treasury is readily I'M
1erstood: "ln the latter part of No
lsSO. General Garfield came to
and called upon Mr.
who, it was understood, was
to be secretary of state. Garfield
came to my house directly from
Blaine's and informed me he had ten
tered that Office to Blaine and that it
was accepted. He said Blaine thought |
It would not be polite to continue me
IS secretary of the treasury. as it
would be regarded as an unfriendly
by other members Of