The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-23


May 10. 1S97-shows today few traces
of his advancing years. He has dis
played as much alertness and vigor in
the prosecution of his legislative duties
this winter as at any time in ten years
past. In a speech last month on the
condition of the treasury and the
urgent need of legislation to make good
the annual deficiencies, he disclosed all
the fire and spirit to which discussion
of this sort is sure to stimulate him.
OF recent years Mr.. Sherman has taken
no very considerable share in the rou-
tine debates in the senate, but he is
rarely absent from the Capitol, and on
all financial measures he has spoken
both freely and effectively His speeches
in opposition to the various free coin
age bills which have been pushed to
the front in the "deliberative branch"
have attracted universal attention, and
many of his appeals to the senate to
put aside demagogy and factionalism
and to legislate with prudence and
moderation have been both noticeably
dramatic and of genuine political effect.
Mr. Sherman is not natural and
easy talker. His sentences arrange
themselves with difficulty, and the
thought seems always to be struggling
with the expression. But when the heat
of the occasion carries him away, his
oratory is vividly and passionate, and
seldom fails of it's purpose. Few who
heard him during the long summer
session of 1894 rebuke the Democratic
majority in the senate for failing to
agree on some scheme of tariff sched
ules will forget the stunned sensation
with which the Democratic leaders lis
tened to the Ohio senator's impetuous
reproaches, or the deep impression on
the subsequent course of legislation
which that brief speech made.
A STUDENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Senator Sherman's great reputation
as a legislator was built up chiefly
through his mastery management of
financial measures, yet he has always
been a close and earnest student of for
eign relations, and since his return to
the senate in 1881 he has been a lead
ing member-and for the greater part
of the time chairman-of the Foreign
Relations committee. He has taken an
active part in the consideration of
every treaty submitted to the senate,
and has had to weigh and discuss time
| and time again the veXed problems
with which successive secretaries of
state have been called upon to deal.
His selection for the chief post in
Major McKinley's cabinet has there
fore both logic and common sense to
/ commend it, and the new secretary of
state will enter his office with the
adj cd a. We II TO Of Nrh f,,;a 1l,,
interest in and cooperation with his
purpose on the part of the colleagues
whom he leaves behind in the co-ordi-
nate treaty making branch of congress
| In the selection of his secretary of
state the president-elec is not more
happy than in the good fortune which
will place at the head of the new cabi-
net circle a household so widely and
favorably known as Senator Sher-
mans. When Mr.. Sherman's public
life in Washington began, forty-twC
years ago,it may be said that Mrs Sher-
mans public life began also, so closely
has she been identified with every in.
terest and every step in his career.
young and attractive woman, of strong
character and sincerity of purpose
| Mrs. Sherman quickly impressed hel
individuality on official circles, and hel
| prominence kept pace with her hus
bands advance and high place in tn,
| political world. AT no time in her Ions
and varied experience would Mrs. Sher
man be termed society woman" il
the most limited sense. But as a fin,
type of American womanhood she rep
resents official society in it's best sense
During all the shifting political for
tunes around her, with their many
| changes, she has retained the simple
ity of manner and genuineness of heart
| giving assurance of a sincerity whicl
has made her popular woman, and /
woman Of close friendships.
MRS. SHERMAN'S INFLUENCE.
That Mrs. Sherman's judgment ant
political foresight have had marked
influence over her husband there cal
be no doubt, and more than once sh
has turned the scale in some importan
political decision. 1t was Mrs. Sher
man who practically settled the ques
tion of the senator's candidacy for hi
last denomination to the senate fou
years ago. Mrs. Sherman herself wish
ed to return to private life. For a yea
or two she felt this desire growing
stronger and stronger until she ha
fully made up her mind that after tn
senator's long service to the public the
owed the duty of service to themselve
in the enjoyment of few years of pri
vate life. To keep their Washingto
home, and with it time for their friend
and time for foreign travel, and othe
agreeable recreations was the pictur
framed by Mrs. Sherman for their late
years. II grew upon her more an
more, and one day she said frankly t
a friend:
IF ! thought my husband woul
come back to the senate another term
should be an unhappy woman"
Time passed on, and when the hou
came for the senator to declare his in
tentons to Ohio he was ready to writ
the letter declining to be candidat
for denomination. Then 1t was tha
Mrs. Sherman at once realized the out
look for her husband-the step from
long and busy life into-what? Ths
was the question which confronted an
startled Mrs. Sherman, but which tn