The times., 1898-04-27
Exit John sherman.


For a little over a year the Admins
tration has been making an exhibition
OF its underlying hypocrisy and double
facedness in a small and contemplate
way that must bring the sense of shame
to every decent Republican and indig
nation to every member of that party
in Ohio who has been in the habit of
locking upon the Hon. John Sherman
as its Nestor and brightest light. The
plot which eliminated in the old gen
tleman's final retirement yesterday is
neither a nice thing to talk about nor
will it rebound to the glory of the par
ticipants in it.
1t is remarkable that every person
connected with the conspiracy to dis
rate and humiliate the old Ohio leader,
and its greatest and richest politician.
has been an Ohio man. 1t is almost
inconceivable that. intrenched as he
was in the affections and ownership of
the organization in his State, the young
er and upstaFt element which owed its
training in political chicanery and cor
ruption to his shrewd methods and ex-
ample should dare to single him out as
the shining mark for their shafts of de-
structive malice.
1t is true. however, that from the day
when Mark Hanna and his partners in
the mortgage syndicate bought a pros
pective presidential candidate the po-
litical doom of John Sherman was
sealed, He had barred the path of pOliti-
cal preferment to many a man before;
but new he was TO encounter one whose
purchasing power and sound business
methods" were superior even to his own.
Confident within the fOrtification of
success for a generation; grimly smiling
in the sense Of millions in possession;
the individual who would have told
Senator Sherman early in 1896 Tat his
venerable head was marked for the po-
litical guillotine would have been called
opprobrious names, such as brother
William Tecumseh used to use, and re-
garded in the mephitic light of their
full intent and meaning.
But every dog has his day" and
/ John Sherman lived TO realize that he
I had had his and that it was over. No
! sooner was his old protege, William Nc
/ I-inley, in the White House than he was
made 10 feel that his seat in the Senate
was not only coveted by that protege' S
proprietor but that he must give it up
to him. whether he would or no, What
resistance could he offer 10 the cam
paign forces which were brought
against him? What could the aged
leader oppose 10 the combined influ-
ences Of finance, monopoly and political
coercion TO which he himself had been
subservient for nearly half century?
1t was a rotten potato which was
dangled under his nose and he knew it;
/ but it was a doUble-gilt one. labeled the
portfolio of state" He bit at it, be
cause he had no option and the iron
monger peace monger and vote monger
from Cleveland sat in his seat like a
I fat dollar marked toad from Tophet
What then?
/ The ancient senator realized at once
that cruel game had been played up
on him. In a very few days he found
that, although the Blue Book said he
was Secretary of State, the Blue Book
lied like a Republican platform. Nomi-
nal master Of his department, from the
/ first he was denied the least knowledge
| Of its business. A rubber stamp was
/ made with his name on it and that was
/ thumped on the documents he was Of
ficially presumed TO have written and
most Of which he would have repudiated
with scorn if he had ever learned OF
their contents. \ subordinate from the
village Of Canton, o., was put over
him. and instructed to tell the repre-
sentatives of foreign nations that the
| old gentleman was wrong in his minC
and would be disposed of as soon as po-
litical eXigencies might make that safe
His sagacity, his sense and his sanity
were in turn secretly attacked in the
house Of the friends he had befriended
in their youth. But this was necessary
TO the conspiracy which took him out OF
the Senate for the benefit Of Mark Han
ma and placed him in the office Of Sec
retary of State only because that posi-
ton would elevate him to a convenient
kicking level
At length the Presidential boot has
been applied and the object has beer
accomplished. The old man terribl.
Of Ohio Republican politics in former
years as been turned out to grass with
no more concern than would be shown
1 in the case Of a broken -kneed, wind
foundered, spawned and pink-eyed old
horse. But of course the operation is
| covered or attempted to be by bit of
1 SNUG hypocrisy in the form Of letter
Of recommendation: a character" such
as is given to a superannuatcd servi5ol
whom ii is necessary to discharge. On
dispensing with the services of the Sec
| retary Mr.. Mckinley wrote to him:
Executive Mansion April 20 Isgs
! Hon. John Sherman, Secretary State:
Dear Sir: Your letter Of the 18th instant
Z rendering your resignation OF the office of Secre
/ tary OF State. has been received, and the resig
I nation j. accepted.
] cannot let this occasion pass without con
/ graduating You upon your useful and distin
Z guishcd career, covering a period OF nearly hal
a century, in the public service and filled viii
! exceptional honor and success.
Your great service has added lustcr TO American
ststesnan-hip, and viii always be gratefully re-
( membercd by your fellOW-CouHtrymeH. viii
cordial good wishes, very truly yours,
WILLIAM MCKINLEY.