The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-10-22
John Sherman.

In the passing of John Sherman there
finally disappears from earth one OF the
great men of the nation and a figure which
for forty years had been conspicuous in the
front rank of Republican politicians, until
his enforced retirement not long ago. due
to the ingratitude and treachery OF old
party associates.
Mr. Sherman was a man of commanding
ability, which he did not always use for
the good of his country or in a way TO pro-
mote public honesty. But it Elust be said
of him that the second half Of the cen
fury has produced few men who were his
equals as an administrative officer charged
with the care of vast and complicated ma
tional affairs, and none who be called
his superior.
But, unfortunately, while his force, his
astute mind, and his many accomplish
ments in the domain of craftsmanship
were entitled to high respect, they were
combined in an extraordinary de re with
intellectual sinucsity which to him con-
secrated any means to an end he desired
20 reach. Thus. in 1873. he succeeded n
demonetiZing the standard silver dollar
by a trick so transparent that it is one
of the greatest mysteries of American
legislation that it was not detected either
by any other member of Congress OF By
the President of the day, who unknowing
ly lent himself to its final accomplish
ment.
Among the coterie Of men who were
primo movers in the political trcu les CT
1875. it may be said with entire confidence
that TO him. more than to any oth5T ran
Rutherford B. Hayes owed his success in
attaining to a Presidency to which the
American people had elected Samuel ].
Tilden. There are many other circum-
stances and incidents connected with his
long and conspicuous career which are
familiar TO readers OF The Times. and
need not be reviewed at this tine While
Mr. Sherman held the Treasury poItf LID
under the spurious Hayes Administration
he developed remarkable power and Won
unusual distinction as a fnancier The
achievement in this connection, upon
which his fame as one CT the greatest
finance ministers of modern times rests.
was the resumption of specie payments in
1879, which was almost entirely a result
of his patient and vigorous methods, and
the confidence he had inspired among the
foremost financiers of America and Eu-
rope.
Finance was Mr.. Sherman's strong point
Through his genius in that direction he
amassed a large fortune, although all his
life, until two or three years ago, exclu-
sively employed in holding Offices not in
trinsically calculated to promote the ac-
QUESTION Of wealth. Since his expulsion
from the last post he heId-that of Secre-
tary Of State-and from the councils of his
party, Mr.. Sherman has been most of the
time in Washington, but seldom heard
from in the speech of the day His life
ended as a public man when his party
passed from the control of the Ohio syndi-
cate Of which he had been the leading
spirit, and became the personal affair of
Marcus a. Hanna as the representative
and general manager of its proprie-
tors, the trusts. Now his physical
body is as dead as his political infiu-
ence has been since his official decapitation
by Messrs. Hanna and Mckinley He will
be long remembered by the public and pub
lie men of this generation, and the history
of his times will surely speak of him as one
OF the most important actors on the stage
OF American political development from the
middle of the nineteenth century 10 within
five years of its close