The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-10-29
Secretary John Sherman Gives
the President
credit for All the Prosperity
Which Exists.
HE WRITES A LETTER.
discusses the Tariff and the
Silver Question.
to Ohio to Stand by
Mark Hanna.

Washington, Oct 29.-For the first
time since the beginning of the present
campaign in Ohio, Secretary Sherman
has published his views in the shape of |
the following letter, addressed to the |
editor of the VolksbIatt:
Department of State,
Washington, D. c. !
To L. Markbreit. Esq, Cincinnati, 0.
My Dear Sir:-Your note of the third
inst in which you ask my views on the
coming election in Ohio, is received. !
have carefully observed the progress OF
the campaign with great interest and !
can hardly express in language my ap-
probation of it's Importance. My chlet
regret is that I could not personally
participate in it, as by usage carefully
observed from the days of Jefferson to
this time, the secretary of state is eX-
cluded from actively sharing in politi-
cal discussion other than in foreign al
fairs.
1 look upon the pending canvass in
Ohio as retraH of the issues involved
in the electien of 1896. State issues, II
any, do not seem to be the subject of
debate. Naturally the first issue now
is whether the administration of VIM.
Mckinley thus far is approved by the
people of Ohio. Upon this question
there ought not to be any difference of
opinion. His prompt calling together of
the congress of the United States to
provide requisite revenue for the sup
port of the government and his recon-
mendation of the prompt repeal of the
feeble and indefensible tariff law known
as the WilsOn-Gorm law, has met
with general approval. The revival of
all industries and the commencement
of prosperity in all parts of the United
: States was the natural and necessary
result of the election of the president
and a Republican congress.
The tariff laws have been the subject
of discussion from the days of Wash
ington to the days of Mckinley. From
the time 1 entered congress in 1855 to
this hour, 1 have at every election
heard, both in and out of the congress
of the respective merits of a revenue
tariff and protective tariff, and upon
the question the two great parties have
taken opposite sides. The Morrill, tar
iff, passed in March, 1861, is the text of
the policy of protection to our Ameri-
can Industries, and though greatly
changed from time to time to meet new
conditions, it still forms the ground
work of the policy of the Republican
party in respect to the tariff
This act was passed at period of de-
velOpment with light taxes and increas-
ing population. The average yearly
expenses of the national government
from 1910 to 1860, including the expenses
I of the Mexican war. were about $50, 000,-
| 600. The civil war changed all this.
It's cost has been stated as over six
| thousand million dollars. To meet
| this enormous demand the duties on
| imported goods were greatly increa Sed
and internal taxes in almost every form
were levied on dOmestics and upon the
| income of individuals and corporations.
| Inc aScertalneQ national debt at the
close of the war was $2,740. 900, 900, but
| this was generally enlarged by claims
/ afterwards presented and by the most
! liberal pensions ever provided by law.
| In the face of these obligations and eX-
! penditureS, and the interest of the debt
! every year from 1866 to 1898 a portion of
| the principal of the public debt was
| paid, thus reducing it to 1861, 431, 766 on
! the first of July, 1893. In 1890, con
| gress passed what is known as the Nc
| k1nIey tariff act, which was a careful
| revision of all existing revenue laws.
It largely reduced internal taxes and
| carefully revised the tariff laws then in
! force. If it had remained on the stat
! ute book to this time, the policy of pro-
| lection and debt paying would have
| largely reduced the public debt and
! prevented the severe Stringency that
| followed it's repeal.
! 1t is the declared purpose of the Re-
| publican party to restore and maintain
! the policy embodied in the Mckinley
! tariff act in the recent tariff act known
! as the Dingley tariff. It is unfortunate
| that the beneficial provisions of the lat
| ter act cannot be in full operation for
! year or more, owing to excessive inpor-
] tat1OnS under the Wilson German act
| but confidently believe that within a.
! year under the present law the reve-
{ nue. of the government will be ample to
pay not only current expenditures but
| large sum yearly of the public debt
! To secure this desirable result the Re
! publican party must be sustained not
! only in Ohio, but in the United States
Another question of public policy of
| equal Importance to the tariff is what
| is known as the free coinage of silver
| without regard to it's market value or
the action of the great commercial ma
| lions of the world. Silver and gold
| have, since the framing of the cOnstitu-
| ton been the standard of our country
| but the relative market value of each
| has changed from time to time. In the
! coinage of parts of dollars, the ratio of
| silver to gold is about IA ounces of sill
| yer to one of gold, but the legal tender
/ of such minor coins is limited to
| dollars.
Within the past 20 years the market
| price of silver bullion has been reduced
more than one-haIf, so that one ounce
of gold is now equal in value to 80
| ounces of silver. Notwithstanding this
wide diversity of the market value of
the two money metals, the United
| States and all the leading commercial
| nations of the world have maintained
| their silver coins without change. This
| was done, and could only be done by
the limiting of the use of the cheaper
metal and by coming only on govern
ment account.
1t is now proposed as the cardinal
! principles of scattered parties that the
holder of any silver bullion, without re-
gard to it's market value, may present
it to the mint and have it coined into
dollars and made a legal tender for all
debts, public or private. At present
the silver in a dollar is worth about Al
! cents. 1t would seem that this bold
! and transparent proposition of repudi-
| alton of more than one half of all debts,
| public and private, in the United States
/ would shock the public sentiment of
! honest people and secure its prompt re-
lection But strange as it may seem,
it is defended by so many that we are
bound to consider their reasons before
we denounce it as a fraud.
| 1t is said that free coinage would
bring up the price of silver bullion to
slightest ground for this opinion Sill
yer has gone down in price precisely as