Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-10-24

period Of Grant's administration I was chairman
% the committee on finance Of the senate, and
nau 70 ACT upon MI questions OF taxation, debt,
banking or finance. and had occasion 10 talk with
the president upon such measures, but he RI rely
expressed any opinion or took any interest In
them"
At the age Of seventy-two. Senator Sherman
recalls the affair over the attempt to remove
Chester A. Arthur from the collectorship Of the
port Of New York, with much feeling. The cor
respondence bearing on the controversy never be-
fore published Is given I'm full, and Mr.. Sher-
mans part as secretary OF the treasury is stated
In detail. Arthur 10 shown up in an unenvianle
light and the attitude of Roscoe Conklins to-
ward the president Is caustically commented
upon. The formers nomination rs vice president,
the Ohio statesman says, was the within of Conk.
ling to annoy President Hayes.
Ihr9ughoGt that part OF tn, work relating TO
highest praise OF thu chief executive OF the IA
tion. Tb" following interesting incident, which
occurred near the close Of President Hayes ad-
nintstrHtion, Is related:
when near the close ot his term he CHnyes'
gave the usual dinner to the members of the
outgoing and the incoming cabinets. II was
purely an official dinner, but Hayes snid there
were hut two gentlemen present who were not
In Office. We looked around TO see who the IN
happy two were, and found they were Garfield
and myself. Garfield had not yet became presi-
dent. and had resigned as secretary the ia, Gay
I was not in IH'hlic office since Nn-"h 4, ls05.'
As Himself.
There Il less Of a personal narrative In the hook
than might he expected. MIR. Shermrn spcaFs
nf his frst appearance in public life. Many Of
his Important pnhlic addresses during the slavery
agitation and during the political campaign IN
which he took part are embodied in the book.
His account OF the civil war and OF his associa-
ton with Abraham Lincoln is full OF interest
as a narrative and as a historical record OF the
stirring events Of that period.
In writing about himself. Mr.. Sherman Is
candid TO the point OF self criticism. For in
stance he states that at the age of nineteen
yesrs he got into bad company and was on sew
eral occasions conscious Of being intoxicated. In
aIatfpr tha ipryJppt which tuHnpnCpd ha whole
life in this respect, he says:
ION one occasion. the fall Of 1890. I went homo
very sick from drinking. My mother received
me with much surprise and sorrow. hut neither
complained nor scolded, and with the utmost
kindness put me to bed md watched over: and
cared for me. | was not enough Stupehed 10 be
unconscious OF my degradation and her affection,
end then and there resolved never TO be In such
condition again.
OF his wealth and the various personal and
political attacks that have been made upon him
he makes this statement after giving his reply TO
an accusation on th2t score made wears ago:
have often since been accused of the crime
of being rich but as nearly all my possessions
and acquisition are known to so many. | think
! am not required to prove tnrt ] have not made
them as the result Of legislation or my holding
As showing the singing criticism Of which he
Is capable the following statement made ny Mr.
ings gaInst President johnson were instituted
is Of interest. He said Of Mr.. Johnson:
The truth IS. be is a slave to his passions
hi'A - l'NIttlS NJ IMAM N"h N'Ni"tE ~ '''A''
! regCr ri him as a foolish and stubborn man,
doing even right things in n wrong way, and In
His Financial views.
The views of Mt. sherman on the financial
question are 50 we'll known that it is not ncces,
he is consistent. All of the legislation ON this
subject during the last half century is ~c,retully
recited and a~nalyzed. The details concerning the
passage Of me act Of 1878 are fully recorded.
In 1875 Mr. Sherman prepared and delivered a
speech on the repeal Of the resumption act Of
1915 which he says is the best presentation he
has ever been able 20 offer I'm support Of the
financial policy Of the government and especially
in support of the resumption OF specie payments.
These extracts from the address are quoted as
Indicating Mt. Sherman's theory Of money:
All inteiiisehb men age ' ha, eo''S a ,jTIGicc
currency and a paper currency; the one as the
standard Of valve by which all things are meas
ured, which daily measures yoIr bonds and notes
as it measures wheat, cotton and LAND; ana
also a paper or credit currency, which, from its
Conyeniecce Of handling OF uansIer' must De
the medium Of exchanges in the great BODY oil
the business life.
II am one Of those who believe that a United
States note, issued directly 10y the government,
and convertible on demand into gold coin. or
a government bond equal in value to gold' Is me
best currency we can adopt; that it Is 10 ne the
currency of lie future, not only IN the Chned
States. but In Great Britain as well; ana that
such a currency might properly continue 10 ne a
legal tender, except when coin Is speclncahy
Another extract from the utteranc"s Of the
author defines in a wood his position on tie SILVER
question. After relating his axioms on sound
finance be concludes:
$50 that for all practical purposes we may
regard gold as the only true STANDARD, the true
money Of the world, 10y which the value OF all
property. of all productions, OF all credits, ana
OF every medium Of exchange, and especially OF
all paper money, is tested.
Rich in ripe conclusions. fun or interest as a
personal narrative, instructive rs a poiticai
rarord and conpIete as n financial history or
the country, the work adds &c recent books OF
American history one Of general interest ana OF
value to students Of politics and hnance.