The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-04-15
(COntin,ted from last lCeeE.)

President Lincoin's Great Secretary of the
Treasury, during the Civil War.
Continued from last aceeE.)
XVIII.
Thursday, April q, was columbus
Day,"-a bank and general holiday in
New York; the day of the great inter
national naval review, at which
Grover Cleveland and his cabinet
were to be present. This was pecu-
liar day upon which the Secretary of
the Treasury and the National Bank
presidents were to meet, but partic-
ularly convenient one for the pur-
pose.
Grover Cleveland and his party-in-
Guiding Carlisle-arrived according to
program at 1890 in the evening of the
Goth. Carlisle was met at the railway
station by Charles j. Canda. who &C
companied him to the Victoria Hotel,
and remained with him until late
hour in the night.
xxx.
About half-past four o'clock the
next afternoon,-April2 7-the public
exercises of the day being over. Mr..
Carlisle was met at the Victoria Hotel
by j. Edward Simmons. A carriage
had been provided, in which Simmons
and Carlisle were driven to the private
residence of George G.. Williams, presi-
dent Of the Chemical National Bank,
where nine National Bank presidents
were assem- bled-as follows:
George G. Williams, president of the
Chemical National Bank: Edward H.
Perkins, Jr., president of the Import
ers' and Trades National Bank;
Frederick D. Tappon, president of the
CALLAHAN National Bank (this man
has been described as 1.-THE Bank Die
tator Of America" pOrtentous title);
James L. Woodward, president of the
Hanover National Bank; Brayton Ives.
president Of the Western National
Bank; Henry w. Cannon, president Of
the Chase National Bank; George S.
Coe, president of the American Elk.
change National Bank; w. w. Sher.
man president of the National Bank
of Commerce; J. Edward Simmons.
president Of the Fourth National
Bank. Conrad n. Jordan and Charles
j. Canda were also present.
xxx.
Carlisle and the National Bank
presidents met each other with an eff
fusive cordiality. There we're mutual
expressions Of admiration and respect.
The meeting was marked by the most
cordial spirit on the part both of the
Secretary and the New York bankers.
The bankers recognized the
difficulties of Mr.. CarliSle'S position,
and Carlisle, in his turn, thanked the
bankers for their expressions of SYM
pathy, and declared that they gave
him more pleasure than anything
that had happened in a long time.
These were extremely affecting pre-
liminarieS.
XXXI.
After they were over, business" be-
ing in order, the National Bank presi-
dents proposed an issue of bonds, with
view-as they prOfessed-to protect
the public credit, of which, it appears,
these National Bank presidents are
the self-constituted particular custo-
dlans and guardians. But the Ma
tional Bank presidents perfectly we'll
knew, when they met the Secretary,
that there was to be no issue OF
bonds; and their proposition for an is
sue was intended either as a blind for
the public as to the motive of this
conference, or because the New York
National Bank presidents never come
within ear-ShOt of a federal officer of
any rank without an instant lunatic
paroxysm for an issue Of bonds.
XNNII.
Mr.. Carlisle, in his reply to this
proposition of the National Bank
presidents, does not appear to have
dwelt at any great length on the mat
ter OF bond issue. He expressed his
strong repugnance to an issue Of
bonds, and left it to be inferred that
ne looked upon an issue as last re-
sort. The subject-matter really in
hand was the repeal of the silver law,
and he expressed his opposition to
any use of the government credit that
might prove an impeachment to re-
peal. AS to the silver law, Mr.. Car
Isle was sufficiently hostile to it to
satisfy even the malignant National
Bank presidents. He assaulted it with
great bitterness. There was appar-
emily no evil in the body-politic that
he did not ascribe to the operation of
that law. In fact, he denounced the
whole body of the financial and cur
rency laws, and declared the necessity
Tor their revision and reorganization
the beginning of which, he said, must
be early, unconditional and absolute
repeal Of the silver law.
XXNIII.
There was nothing in the least new
or at all startling, in these views of
MI. Secretary Carlisle. The earlv and
Immediate unconditional repeal of
Lne silver law had been a cry of the
New York National Bank presidents.
raised coincidently with the passage
OF the law; there had been but little
or no lntermisSion in its repetiti on
since. and Grover Cleveland, both by
persuasions and threats, had attempt
ed to force the repeal at the second
session of the Fifty-second Congress.
But the Secretary now made a state
ment so alarming, so atrocious and in
cendlary, that, if the National Bank
presidents had been ANYTHING Int
what they were-men of the most
reckless purposes, with whom the pro-
poSal to commit an infamous outrage
upon the people was already familiar
they would have asSailed him with
indignant protests and denuncia-
tiOnS.
XXXIV.
But the West and the South. &C
cording to the Secretary, and as was
the 'fact, were against the repeal of
the silver law. They were so welded
to the use of silver that they would
not consent to the repeal except in
exchange for free coinage. He was
unalterably opposed to free coinage.
and was resolved upon the repeal of
the Sherman law with as little delay
as possible. A practical demonstra
tlon to the business men of the South
and the West of the injurious effects
or that law upon their trade and