The herald., 1895-10-20
OUT OF THR FIELD

John Sherman has announced his with
drawal from the category of presidential
possibilities; not in so many words, but
inferentially. Nevertheless, the elimi-
nation of himself from the list of candi.
dates for the White H ouse is practically
as decisive and effective as though he
had written a formal letter briefly and
explicitly declining further consideration
as candidate. Instead of letter he has
written a book. book in which he as
sumes the liberties of the political histo-
rian and biographer for the two score
years that EN- brace the period of his ma
tional career. The faithful portrayer of
political events, incidents and characters
for forty years can never enjoy any rea-
sonable hope of presidential honors. and
no man in the wolrd is more cognizant of
this truth than the experienced and as
tute senior senator from Ohio.
II he be man OF dignity, character
and reputation, like John Sherman, de-
sirous of making a contribution to the
political literature of his country that
will rank with the standard of its kind,
he must, when be writes of men ana
measures of his time, tell the truth ;and
the truth about the men and measures OF
forty years of political life will shadow
many brilliant characters and shatter in
Vulnerable ideals, with the inc vitable re-
suit of arousing current of resentment
that would sweep the underpinning away
from the strongest presidential possibility
in the field.
According tu the brief outline of the
senator's literary iproduction sent out by
he rod fhA vii
to rank in political interest with Ben
toms Thirty Years. Blaine's Twenty
Years in Congress and Samuel S. Coxs
(Sunset) Three Decades of Federal Legis-
lation, although it may fall short of these
in real historical value, for 1t is apparent
that Sherman, in order to pay off some
old scores that trouble his memory, has
devoted much space to some petty details
OF politlcs that the general student of
political hIsotry will care little about.
The cold frankness WITH which he
handles the daplicity and deceits and
insufficiencies of some of the most dis
tinguished men, living and dead, OF his
own party is delightfully."- refreshing in
these days when public men as a rule
contine their candor and criticisms to the
individuals and acts of organizations of
other than their own; no matter how
strong the TEN mptation to hew to the li.e
all around the political tree. His charac-
terization of ex.Presldent Harrison as
an abrupt and cold man is rather anus
ing in the light of his own fame tor frig-
idity, and if indeed he is correct in his
opinion that Harrison's non-magnetic
qualities we're largely responsible for the
latter's defeat, he should be thankful to
Providence for permitting him to escape
ths vain ordeal of the PRESIDENT al con-
test, for if warmth and drawing power
are essential characteristics of candidate
for president, the only question about
his own candidacy would be the degree
of defeat he would suffer. This reliance
on magnetism as a prime factor in
contest for the highest and most digni-
fed station in American public life is
peculiarly Republican, and evidences on
the part of those believing in its efficiency
in winning elections, rather degraded
conception of the Amrican voter, and is
really insulting to the latter. This the
ory. however. that the people are re-
sponsive to the candidate with the expert
handshake, the studied suavity of man
ner and the gift of fapdoode oratory,
rather than the PLAIN and dignifed man
who handles public questions and inter-
ests with the seriousness that they war
rant seems to govern the Republican
mind in tue selection of candidates for
important offices to great extent. Their
experience with the most magnetic