Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-09-02
MR.. SECRETARY SHERMAN.
St. James Gazette, Angus. iish, 1897.


ST.. James Gazette, August lith, 1897.
The American press seem at last to
he getting seriously alarmed at the
goings-un" Of the Secrelary Of State.
The hot weather, or some other cause
has produced such an aggrayation Of
Mr.. Sherman's natural aud acquired
mental deficiencies that nation which
docs not like being made ridiculous in
tine eyes of the world has hegun vigor-
ously to call on President mckinley
to get rid of him. "6enllity, ! ''senile
decay" mental collapse. 81 Tho in
firmiIies of age. ""an intulerable scan
dial, "weak, shufiling, incompetent,
indecorous' are few of the
epithets which, us We gather from this
mornings kilograms, arc being applied
by the New York newspapers 10 Mr..
Sherman and his diplomatic attitude.
We do not quits know whether to take
it as an aggravation, or as mitigation,
of this deluge of censure. but il an,
pears that the "World" and the
"Journal, " two New York papers OF
largest circulation, regard The cuuiugt
thus characterized by tho respectable
press MS strilSingly American and
putriotiG We fancy, however, that
most Americans would prefer TO lie
without the praise of the " Yellow
journals. The immediate cause Of the
present attack on tho secretary appears
TO DO not 80 much his feebly violent
method OF carrying on International
controversies MS the shocking lack OF
ordinary decent feeling which he dis
played on the occasion OF the assassinn-
ton OF Ssnor Canoyas. Thu Americans
ara at bottom sinaularly sentimental
and emotional people; and the fart
that, twice during tho present genera
tion, they have been thrown into
mourning by the assassination OF the
head of the State, has served to create
an iustinctively correct public opinion
ON the subject OF such crimes The
sight. therefore, of the man who stands
for the Republic in it's foreign relations
seeing nothing in tho murder OF Senor
Canovas but the circumstance that it
may facilitate the territorial expansion
of his country. has called forth general
JiBgust and reprobation.
1t would he unfair to blame the
nation at large for the babbliDg folly Of
an old gentleman who, it ia said, is at
times not in condition even to recoe-
ni2e his own colleagues or subordinates.
We ourselves have suffered many things
from the superhuous veteran, whu in
sets on tagging on the stage long after
il is apparent, to colleagues and OPP
ponsnts alike, that he ia ''pHst his
work. " 1t is stated. indeed, by one
correspondent that the President is
so far aware of his Secretary's in
capacity that he has appointed an as.
sistant secretary, who will do all tho
real work, leaving to his chief the
purely formal duty OF signing dis
patches and other State documents. but
this is only a partial remedy; for, as
the correspondent adds:
"Mr. Sherman remains numinally at
the head Of the department and inslsts
upon being regarded as it's actual con-
troller. The result is that he signs his
name TO dispatches which be either
does not understand or does not re-
member next day, like the recent re-
markable dispatch about the seal con-
troversy, and makes the most astonish-
ing utterances, ike those in the inter-
view about the Spanish Cuban situa-
ton yesterday, which his subordinates
compel him to disavow.
In a country like America it is i'm
possible to ensure that such an official
shall play the foot only in his own
house. - The ubiquitous reporter, greedy
for "spacc, gees to that; and the re.
suit il discreditable and humiliating to
all except the specially illuminated
gentlemen who regard such perform
Rnces as "strikingly American and
patriotic.
So far as concerns other nations the
moral OF the incident lies In a nutshell.
Mr.. Sherman differs from certain oil
his predecessors only in degree. He ID
a striking instance OF the failure OF the
machine politician, pitchforked into az
office, for which he possesses not the
remotest semblance OF qualification,
America is q wonderful country. nnd
from time TO time she rises TO the
occasion and produces gfeat man. The
secession crisis found it's great man in
Lincoln but then it might as Likely al
not have been Sherman and in inter
national affairs, 1t is Of even greater im
portanca TO have a competent man al
the wheel than in merely national
troubles This has not up to the present
occurred to practical minds across the
Atlantic, for their real crises hava been
up to the present domestic and not for
eign. But, aa we pointed out some time
ago, all that is being altered Just now.
America, like the older countries il
this hemisphere, is feeling the need
of expansion, and is grasping out al
Hawaii, Cuba, Samoa, and other unap
propriatsd or illguardod portions Of
the earth's surface. She will doubtless
acquire them or some OF them, ant
then she will begin TO have a foreign
policy. She will have passed out oil
the chrysalis stage. For a century sht
has remained at ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
She has now decided on tho luxury Of
making acquisitions beyoud the seas
and before long she will find for thu
first time that she has given hostages
for good behaviour. She will Therefore
feel the lack of experience, tact
courtesy, in international relations. SIN
will no longer be satisfied with office
aeelsers of tho Sherman type. even II
the stage before senile decay" sota in
Diplomacy is business, and very
serious business; and every nation ha
fountl sooner or later that it must bl
carried on by men who have beoI
taught their business IN a prope
schunl and who have shown some apti
tude for carrying II on.
Gasoline Stuve Exploded.
Lcwes. Aug. 30. Mrs. John Leamar
i Il a. 49, a.Vr