The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-07-13
JOHN SHERMAN ASHE IS
Lively and Active at Seventy
four Years of Age.
YET HE TAKES THINGS EASILY.

willing That tho burdens of State Should
Fail Upon Judge Day-A Long and Dis
tinguished Public Career-His Strength
and Weakness.
WASHINGTON. July 13.-ISpecial John
Sherman Is still secretary of state. A great
deal has been printed to the effect that Mr..
Sherman has broken down completely and
that he is secretary of state only In name
There is, of course, some truth In the lat
ter part of this statement. Mr.. Sherman
Is not the real head of the department..
The hard work, the knotty questions the
difficult problems, fall to the hands of AS
sistant Secretary Day and the other assist
ant secretaries. Judge Day, so far as ac-
tual work Is concerned, is more nearly
secretary of state than Mr.. Sherman. But
It should be remembe red that this is just
what Mr.. Sherman wanted. He accepted
the office with full consciousness of the
fact that he was not strong enough to cope
with all of it's duties He stipulated that
he should have IA strong first assistant SEQ
rotary who could and would relieve him of
great part of the burden.
Happy In His Work.
Secretary Sherman goes TO his office ev-
cry day about o'clock in the morning.
He leaves promptly at in the afternoon.
While at his desk he looks over all the cor
respondence, signs the department. mail,
receives ambassadors and ministers, sends
for the assistant secretaries and other en-
ployees and goes through all the forms
and motions of managing the department.
He is perfectly happy in his work. He Is
not jealous because all the important cases
are prepared by Judge Day or other assist
ant secretaries at the presidents direction
and brought to him for his approval. He
signs his name after little conversation
as to what is going on, and is content.
Most men would chafe under such sys
], TEN. Ten or 20 years ago this method
I would not have been tolerated five minutes
lby Mr.. Sherman himself While secretary
y Of the treasury, for instance, Mr.. Sherman
twas actually secretary. His will was gu
| preme No one pretended to question 1t
| Bnt Mr.. Sherman is sensible enough t.
know that his days for arduous toll, fo
Isaiert attention to delicate and Difficult
diplomatic questions, has passed. He i
l.content to permit others to do the hare
4
\ done in the state department than any on
man could possibly do, and he is not wor
j Trying because there are other and younge
| men at hand to do It, Mr.. Sherman Is
good deal of philosopher.
i shMr. Sherman attends cabinet meetings
aud the affairs of the state department. ar
talked over at the council board. His fel
i Low members OF the cabinet do not motto
! That there is anything wrong with his in
I tellectuals, aside from forgetfulnes
(which is common to most men of advance
age. Mr.. Sherman has just passed hi
seventy fourth birthday, and, while that
not a great age, it must be remembers
that the secretary of state has performe
protli gies of mental toll during his Ion
and most distinguished career. AS COL
gressman, senator, cabinet officer and cal
didate for the presidency he has passe
through an ordeal well calculated to brea
down the retentive powers Of the stronge
mind. Mr.. Sherman forgets names an
faces, dates, incidents, occurrences, bl
when he concentrates his mind upon pril
ciples he is still wise and strong coul
selor. He has all MI life had the habit
thinking i'm the abstract. Logic alwa.
came easier and more natural to him tina
% marshaling of facts. As he grows old
this bent of his mind intensifies. Son
amusing stories, part of them true and
part of them imaginary, are told of M
Sherman's forgetfulness.
A Lapse of Memory.
am assured that when tho recent pu
lications concerning the seal correspon
once with Great Britain came out in q
newspapers MIR. Sherman sent for sta
! 40 tnI lytnn
what all this was about. Had there bee
any such correspondence with Great Brl
ain? Were the newspapers correct III the
characterization of itp The official sto'
, aghast, for he had himself talked tn
: matter all over with the secretary only
few months before The secretary had re;
; the correspondence in question and hi
signed his name TO it, AS soon as he b;
, been delicately reminded of these fact
Mr.. sherman recalled the whole afTai
and when ne had recalled it he talked of
in most interesting and comprehend
way. His mind easily brought TO view
. the principles involved.
The foreign ambassadors and ministo
e well understand the nature of tho cas-
They make their formal calls upon N
sherman. All their minor matters th
{ call to his attention, but they do not trr
E to oral communications. They talk
tie about the matter in hand and then su
e NIT written memoranda. 1t is only in q
/. way that they are able TO be sure of actio
The memoranda are turned over To
regular bureau of the department, and
suits are obtained. If the matters We
left to Secretary Sherman, they wou
{ probably be forgotten the next minute.
The Virtual Secretary of State.
: Whenever the foreign ministers Ina
a matters of real Importance to deal with
: the state department, and conferences q
necessary in addition to the submission
!. written communications, they call
a Judge Day. In such cases the slight. sic
Q der Ohio judge who has for so many yea
q been the intimate friend and confidant
\ President Mckinley is virtually secreta
| IF state When the president wishes