The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-05-04
WHY SHERMAN RETIRED,
Failing Faculties Said to Have Made
Him Useless.


w. E Curtis, writing from Washing
ton to the Chicago Record, under dat
Of April ., says: Mr.. Sherman has a
last been crowded out of the cabinet
His resignation of the portfolio o
State was handed to the President TO
day and accepted. His failing faeul
ties have made him useless for nearly
year, and he has been intrusted will
no important responsibilities Judg'
Day, who is to be appointed to succeed
him, has been de faeto Secretary o
State with the aid and advice Of th'
President and the affairs of the depart
ment have been conducted withou
Mr.. Sherman's knowledge. He ha.
attended the meetings Of the cabinet
but has had very little to say, anC
what he has said carried no weight
The members of the diplomatic corp:
have not treated him seriously for s
long time, not since little affair with
the Japanese minister about year ago
which taught them that his assurance:
could not be depended upon.
Mr.. Hoshi called upon him one day
to inquire concerning newspaper re,
ports about the annexation of the
Hawaiian islands. Mr.. Sherman told
him there was nothing in them; that
he was opposed to annexation, and,
getting down volume Of his political
"reminiscences, pointed out TO the min
ister from Japan extracts from a speech
he made in the Senate several years
ago on that subject, in which he took
strong grounds against the addition to
the United States of any outlying ter
ritory. Mr.. Hoshi cabled to his gov
ernment what Mr.. Sherman said. A
few days later, reading the announce
ment that The treaty had been perfect
ed. Mr.. Hoshi again called at the de-
partment and received a second assur-
ance from Mr.. Sherman that the an
nexation Ofthe Hawaiian islands was
not to be thought Of He sent another
cablegram to his government and the
next day the treaty went to tie Senate
bearing the signature Of the Secretary
Of Stale. When he called for an ex-
planation the Secretary of State con-
Iessed that the treaty was negotiated by
one Of his subordinates and that he
knew nothing about it until he
attached his sig iatuTe, as matter
Of form, at the request Cfthe President.
The Peruvian minister had similar
adventure shortly after, and most of
che members OF the diplomatic corps
learned by experience long ago that
Mr.. Sherman was only the nominal
mead Of the department, and when they
nad any business 20 transact they cali
ed upon Judge Day or Mr.. Adee, the
second assistant secretary. OGly day
Jr two ago one of the ambassadors
went to the dep .rtment with slip he
nad cut out Of a newspaper purpOrting
10 be Il semi official declaration of the
altitude of this government toward
privateering. While be was waiting
Tor Judge Day Mr.. Sherman came in,
aud out of respect the ambassador ad-
dressed the inquiry 10 him Dir. Sher-
.nIa lOJk a over the clipping, return
ed il aud said;
FMS is nothing but newspaper gOs-
sip. We stand on our treaties with
spain. We shall observe all oftheir
slipulations, and we shall expect Spain
to do the same.
Ine ambassador looked up with great
surprise, but when he saw the secreta-
ry had spoken seriously, observed that
one would suppose all the treaties be-
tween Spain and the Uuiled States had
been blown UP with the Ni;..s.s. Then
he passed out of the room an sought
Judge Day, who told him that the pub
-icatiOn was authorized, and, while ii
was not an official uiteranee, it repre-
sented the views of this government.
There have been many little incl
dents of this kind, which, but for the
forbearanee of the ambassadors aai
ministers here, might have given the
United States great deal of trouble.
If they had taken Mr.. Sherman serious
ly and had insisted upon transaeting
their business with him they might
have involved the United States in the
most embarrassing complications. But
they have understood his case and have
not allowed themselves to be guided by
anything he says. Mr.. Sherman has
supposed all along that he was direct
ing the policy of the government in
our Cuban and other foreign relations,
whereas he has had nothing whatever
to do with them except to sign such
documents as Judge Day placed before
him, aud il has been pitiful to see a
grand old man of his record and abili.
ty standing in such conspicuous posi-
ton, helpless and ignored.
For some time the President has fell
the necessity of having a strong man
in the Office Of Secretary of State. Un-
der ordinary circumstances its business
might have been carried on by Judge
Day and himself, but during the pres
ent emergency he cannot carry two
loads, and he was compelled with the
greatest regret to intimate that Mr..
Sherman's health was so feeble that he
had better retire, as Postmaster General
Gary bad done, in favor Of a younger
and stronger man. If it had not been
for Mr.. Gary's resignation the task
would have been more difficult than
it really was. Even then, Mr.. Sher-
man clung tenaciously to his position.
He insists that he was never in better
health in his life; that be has only been
absent from his Office five days this
winter and that he is perfectly capable
Of performing its duties, although he
admits that his endurance is not so
great as it used to be. What occurred
between him and the President nobody
will ever know, unless Mr.. Sherman
himself reveals il. But the President
has finslly Hnloaded him and has per