The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-05-15
AND THE WAY HE SKINS OLD
BARE-BONES IS 4 CAUTION.
His Twisty Record Shown Up-1n
1859, He Was Against Contrac.
tion-Denoucedl 1t as Crime.
I'm 1879, Only Ten Years After
wards, He Was the Great High
Priest of Gold Resumption.
His Speeches on the Different Oc-
easions Quoted-John Sherman
Proves John Sherman to Be
Rascal-No Other Evil
dencc is Needed.

q RaScal-NO Other Evil
dencc is Needed.
George W. Pepperell in the Arena.)
Hon. John Sherman, U. S. S.-Sir:
It is impossible for prominent man
who has played an active part in the
public affairs Of a great nation to es-
cape history. During the past thirty
years, few men have been more promi-
-Dent and active. in the public affairs
OF the United States than yourself.
You have helped to make much of the
most important history that this
country has witnessed in that period.
You have not been pre-eminently ac-
tive with that great war power known
as "the sword" which overcomes an
enemy in the field, but you have been
an adept with that other and greater
war power known as "the purse"
You have not slain very many thous-
ands through the formality of battle
lines, yet by your quiet movements on
the financial chess-board you have
paralyzed the energies and murdered
have been in my judgment, more
than any other man, the author of
the enforced idleness and consequent
destitution. beggary, starvation and
death, of millions of innocent people.
And sir, l am sorry to add that,
judged from your own utterances, 1
am forced to the conclusion that you
did all this with full and malicious
knowledge of the inevitable results Of
such policy as you have advocated
and forced. In the light of your own
utterances at various stages of your
political career, there is but too little
udaabt that you wrought all this mis-
h "malice' afore-thought," or,
Judas, when for gain, he be-
tFSyo the innocent man who trusted
him.
81 have before me a little volume
written in 1880, by Rev. S. A. Bronson,
D. D., entitled, ''Life and Public Ser
vices of Hon, John Sherman" The
writer is ardently your friend, and the
book seems to have been intended to
advance your boom for the presidency.
The author says the book was written
by your consent, with the caution
that there should be no exaggera-
tion." Hence, infer that it will not
do you wrong, and that may safely
use it as authority in your favor. On
page II of this book I find the follow
Ing statements:
1.-THE grand and crowning work of
Mr.. Sherman, in popular estimation,
has been the resumption of specie
payments. Mr.. Sherman may
be said to have been shaping his
course uncOnsciOusly, to this very end,
from his first entrance into Congress.
1t seems to be instructive with him"
Chapter TX, beginning on page l47'
plated" Chapter x, is entitled,
Preparing for Resumption" Chap.
ter XIII, is entitled, "The Resump.
tion Act.' and Chapter XIV, contains
your defense Of the resumption act
against efforts for it's repeal. Your
defense Of your life work is earnest
and able, and confirms the statement
of the author, as we'll as the public i'm
preston among the people of the
country, that specie resumption by
means of currency contraction was
your special work.
desire to call your attention to some
pf your public utterances which con
lemn you as a cruel, heartless man
acting double part, apparently tt
deceive the people while you crushed
and ruined them. In your speech il
the United States Senate, January q
1859. you discuss very fully the subject
Of the appreciation of the currency b!
specie resumption, showing most con
clusively that it would be a crue
wrong, and that you were then op
posed to it.; and to most minds 1
would appear that only devil incar
nate would attempt, with his eye
open, such crime against humanity
quote from that speech sOmewha
freely as follows:
"But the distress caused by an ap
probation of the currency falls main
1y on the debtor: others suffer only b,
reason of their inability to pay
What does specie resumption mean t.
debtor? 1t means the payment OF
one hundred thirty-fve dollars wher
he has agreed to pay one hundred, or
which is the same thing, the paymen
of one hundred dollars where he ha
agreed to pay seventy-four. Where h
has purchased property and paid 70
one-fourth of it, it means the loss O
the amount paid; it means the add
tion of one-fourth to all currenc
debts in the United States. A meas
ure to require debtor now to pay hi
debt in gold or currency equivalent
gold requires him to pay one hundre
thirty-five bushels of wheat when h
agreed to pay one hundred; and il thi
appreciation is extended through
period Of three years, it requires hir
to pay an interest of II per cent i
addition to the rate he has agreed
nay. When we consider the enOrmou
Indebtedness of new country lik
ours, where capital is scarce, an
where credit has been substituted Il
capital, it presents difficulty whic
may we'll cause US to pause. We ma