The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-24
The Passing of Sherman.

~ IklNG the uays Wnen 'his couh-
iOJ try was organizing itself for the
realities of the civil war. nearly
forty years ago, JOIN Sherman was Of
tener heard than he has been during
the past ninety days. although he is
secretary of state now. whereas at that
time he was just merging from his ca
reer in the house OF representatives. In
1861 his brother, who was a teacher In
a military school in Louisiana, was
MORALLY In fear that John would turn
abolitionist. IL vas not long before
the teacher became one of the wars
conspicuous figures. while John Sher-
man ranked as one of the most infuen-
tial men in the senate of the United
States; and after Lincoln had man.
aged national affairs for a time, the
two Shermans, like Lincoln. were sure
enough abolitionists.
All the gossip from Washington con-
firms the prediction that Mr.. Sherman
Is about to retire from the abine He
will go into private life. there Is no ave-
nue. i'm public service open to him: in
deed. mentally. Sherman is passing I'M
der the ~cloud-his most consfderate
friends realize that he has reached the
end of his term In public life.
John sherman had served six years
i'm the house at the time. I'm 1861. when
Lincoln was inaugurated. He had a
strong hold there-he expected to be
speaker. Salmon p. Chase had been
So, nL.A 4. 5000
i'm the senate one day, resigning then To
become secretary of the treasury i'm the
Lincoln cabinet. and Mr.. Sherman was
elected to the senate vacancy thus Gre
ated. From that year, except while
| he was performing cabinet duty. Mr..
Sherman was continuously i'm the SEN
ate until Mark Hanna crowded him out
II was the coarsest and most indecent
performance I'm our modern politics.
Uniformly. during his eventful career,
Mr.. Sherman was at the front in sen
ate service. Practically he managed
this country's fnaciai legislation for a
period of about twenty-five years. He
had much 10 do with the war legisla
ton that gave the greenback its legal
tender function and that organized the
existing national bank system. He
had a hand I'm directing every step tina,
was taken in the memorable days wher
the government fairly rushed from
annual budgets that were of small ac-
count into the financial legislation thai
had to be passed hastily in order, In
time of war. to hold this ountry's CHR
above water and keep things moving or
for military purposes alone. an ex,
penditure OF nearly two million dollar,
a day.
Nearly twenty years later Sherman
was in control of currency Legislation
when. with the war debt brought into
good form. this country resumed speci,
payment. Not a measure relating 1,
the prelimlnaries of the civil war. to tn,
conduct Of the struggle. to the r~econcil
iation that was the sequel. to the recon.
struction of the union. that John Sher,
man did not have a conspicuous part IN
shaping II. So great was his infuenc,
that he was chiefly instrumental In
bringing this great country to the gol,
basis by legislation which was an &C
compllshed fact before congress or ever
President Grant had n suspicion o.
what his legislation signihed.
We who believe that this act was {
crime cannot possibly forget John Sher
mans important part in IL, yet. aftel
all, we ann help thinking how bruta
II was that he should be driven out o
the mate by a coarse, unprincipled
corrupt political a~uctioneer. who hat
simply made up his mind that tn
cheap way TO get rid of sherman wa,
to thrust him into the cabinet. wher'
Sherman did not want TO be. and ex
hibit him 10 the whole COUNTRY as on
not able. because of his declining menta
powers. to discharge the duties Incl
Zen to the Office Of secretary of stat
There's something u~nspeakably harsl
- 49,. AZ