El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-10-22

His interest in all legislation relat-
ing to finance was shown early in his
service in congress he had enunciated
the principle. now recognized. that the
system of making contracts in ad-
vance of appropriations was Illegal
Four years after he became repre-
sentative Mr.. Sherman was the can
didate of ,de republicans for speaker
of the house and was recognized as the
foremost man in that body. ne was
then only SO. Suspicion on the part of
some of the southern wings that he
was an abolitIonist caused his defeat
for the speakership after he was with
in three votes the coveted place.
The southern wings had asked him to
declare that he was not hostile to- slav-
| cry. and his refusal to do so brought
him defeat.
As chairman of the ways and means
committee he provided for the re-
Mobilization of a crippled treasury by
the issue of the treasury notes of 1860
On March 4. 1861. the day on which
Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as
president of The United States. Mr..
Sherman took his seat as senator
from Ohio.
Few people know that he served rs
aide-de-camp. without pay. to Gen.
J Robert Patterson during the. recess of
congress and raised a brigade of 2300
Ohio men. largely at his own expense.
which was known through the war as
the Sherman brigade.
Mr.. Sherman was in the thickest of
the legislative battles during the war
period and was largely through his
! efforts that the United States notes
Oh 1862. issued after the suspension of
specie payments. We're made legal ten
der.
His was the only voice raised in the
senate in favor OF the national bank
bill, and through his influence and that
of Salmon =. Chase il became q law.
Rutherford b. Hares appointed Mr..
March 1877. Under the law specie pay
ments were to be redeemed on January
l. 1879. Before that time Mr.. Sher-
man had accumulated $40 coo. 600 in
gold in the treasury
When the republican national con-
vention met in 1850 Mr. Sherman was
nominated for president by James A
Garfield " no himself secured the nom
nation
In 1881 Mr.. Sherman returned to the
senate and served there continuously
until the beginning OF the present ad-
ministration. when he entered presi-
dent MckinIey's cabinet as secretary
of state. Twice during that time he
was candidate for his party's nom
ination for the presidency. and he was
elected president pro TEN of the sen
ate on the death Of vice president
Hendricks
IN his later senatorial career he
served as chairman of the committee
on foreign relations and as such was
a notable figure in the debates ON the
Hawaiian and Samoan questions and
his voice was always heard when they
were under discussion.
Throughout his career Mr.. Sherman
was recognized as a leader. He was
no orator but he had STRAIGHTFORWARD
forcefui way of speaking that always
held the attention of his audience He
cared little for nice terms of speech or
for absolute accuracy in pronunciation.
IN the debates on the Samoan ques-
ton he invariaD.y spoke OF Samoa
as 'Sammy-oh." and of Hawaii as
'Hay-way.' But every man with
whom he came in contact recognized
him as a power in national affairs. and |
he unquestionably welded a remark |
iod of his Legislative career.
After the Spanish war Mr.. Sherman |
made trip to- the West Indies for /
the benefit of his health and while ,
there contracted pneumonia. For a
time mis- life was despaired of. and
once the report that he was dead was
and believed in this country.
President Mckinley. whose persona,
affection toward the venerable states
man had never changed despite at
tempts made To estrange them. sent a
To Santiago to bring Mr.. Sher-
man back To the United States. That
iat saved his life. Careful nursing
his health. but he never fully
has regained his strength.
Since then John Sherman had lived
in comparative retirement. The dead
statesman was in public office longer
and more prominently than any other
american He held public Office CON
inualIy for forty-three years.
Metal Market.