The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-06-08
ADAY WITH SHERMAN
WONDERFUL ENERGY or THE VEN
ERABLE SECRETARY or STATE.

He Puts In Long Hours 1t uis Desk w. |
cry Dsy--A vorscious Rssdsr at Novels. (
How Hs Treats CsiIsrs-nis Old Time !
Courtesy.
In these days OF frequent international
controversies one OF tho most conspicuous
OF American officials IL tho venerable John
Sherman.
This IL tho first time Mr.. Sherman has
beon secretary Of state, although II In not
the first time he has been cabinet officer,
and az the premier Of the American cxecu-
tive's privy council he has an interesting
fashion Of passing his days.
Briefly, be works mt his desk from 0
O'Clock I'm the morning until o'clock In
the afternoon; then he goes home and reads
novels. Ho IL an omDivorous consumer Of
novels Of all degrees Of merit, OF all colors
of binding-yellow preferred. He says
they rest his mind. He considers that at
the age Of "a he has earned rest from the
heavy literature Of finance, Of economics,
Of statesmansbip, and Mr. Bsbcock, his
secretary, says that he follows the woes OF
tho latter day heroine, the truly good stilt-
ings Of the modern hero, and the sulphur
Gus ejaoulations Of the fin de steele villain
with really remarkable interest, even II
~
spectacles over what he reads. But all
this happens after o'clock In the after
noon, when Mr. Sherman Is Mr.. Sherman,
and not the secretary OF state, and 1t II
with his manner of putting In his time az
secretary Of state that this article II con-
oerned.
When Mr.. Sherman became the secre-
tary Of the treasury, matter of 20 odd
years ago, he was confronted by one OF the
most herculean tasks that ever loomed mp
before an American statesmaD-tbe re-
sumption Of specie payments-and Mr..
6herman worked away at that Job, and
accomplished IL, from Q o'clock In the
morning until o'clock In the afternoon.
~ first became connected with Ar. Shsy-
man at that time, (" said Mr.. Babcook, his
secretary, "and never knew him 70 work
longer than the Office hours Of bis clerks.
Yet he ooptriysd 10 refund e7O0, ,000, ,000
Of the national debt. The thing was, he
knew how to work. Mr.. Folger permitted
the sedretaryship Of The treasury to kill
him; probably Mr.. Manning did also
Neither Of these gentlemen was generous
TO himself A whole generation of politi-
oal experience taught Mr.. Sherman that
lesson before he assumed the reins Of the
treasury, and, accomplishing more work
In that capacity than did Hamilton, he
emerged from the ordeal with his health
and strength. The secret Of iti He trusted
his assistant secretaries; he allowed his
subordinates to do the work they were ap.
pointed to do.
"As was his rule when secretary Of the
treasury 20 II Mr.. Sherman's rule as SEQ.
retary Of state. When he came here, ne
found, a. he expected he would, that the
state department. was filled with men who
had been here long time, and who had
every detail Of the departments routine at
their fingers ends. Mr.. Sherman perfectly
appreciates the fact that these men know
more about the practical workings Of their
respective branches Of the department than
he himself could hope to acquire In period
Of service here twice a. long a. that for
which he was appointed, and he Is strong
believer In the value Of routine So be let<
them 60 ahead, keeping an eye on their
work. but In no wise interfering with II
without good occasion. And guess this
is the reason that he has all the hair h<
had when he was 30 years old.
Whenever any document reaches Mr..
Sherman's desk that does not absolutely
require his personal attention he sends
Immediately for the official to whose
branch Of the department the document
properly belongs and turns 1t over to him
with q few succinot instructions. He doea
not lay It aside for future consideration,
and thereby accumulate Q monumental
pile Of papers filed with possibilities OF
grief and labor to come. 1t is really quite
entertaining to sec Mr.. Sherman cut open
an official letter as II reaches him hot from
the mail, glance IL over and grasp 1t with
In the compass of 80 seconds, and then
either send for the proper official or else
shoot 1t out by messenger to the place 1t
belongs The result Is that Mr.. Sherman
at his desk does in no wise resemble a
country editor buried up to his ears in
hOpelessly entangled exchanges.
The American citizen loves his country's
consular system to an extent that makes
him quite willing to become a part of 1t.
Seemingly he has never before In his his
tory of the government regarded It with
80 much positive veneration as he has
since the present administration began.
The tens of housands-literally-of ap.
plications on file at the state department
for oonsulships amply illustrate this fact.
An analysis Of the applications clearly
shows that Americans are dreamy, poetic
race, a nation of would be lotus eaters, for
about threc-fourths OF those who have
placed their applications on file for consul.
ships want to be governmentally waited
to lands where tits always afternoon, on
Agean isles In the blue Mediterranean or
on the mainland adjacent thereto; to mag
nolia scented Japan, In Yokohama, or
Kobe, or Nagasaki, or Hakodate, where
the white resident perennially wears
white duck suit and pith helmet and
sips saki through the long rosy day; tc
any land whore nature Is reposeful and
lovely-and the emoluments good. Mul.
titudinously these applications pour In ev.
cry day. But they do not pour through
Mr.. Sherman's Office, else he would never
know what tho inside Of a novel looked
like. II is a separate branch Of state dc.
partment business, th,s reception OF appli-
cations for consular Jobs. That IL is "a very
big branch goes without saying. But al.
though IL IL impossible for Mr.. Sherman
10 scan tho papers Of the applicants for
Iah slx.. taslr