Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1900-10-24

family were at his bedside at the end
Mrs. Callum, his adopted daughter;
Miss Sherman, daughter of the late
General Sherman; Mr.. and Mrs. Col
gate Hoyt, Champion Sherman of Chi
cago; the Rev. Father p. Il. Sherman,
Mrs. Frank X Wiborg of Cincinnati;
DR.. and Mrs. Paul Thorndike of BOs-
ton, General and Mrs. Miles.
Sketch of Mr.. Sherman's Life.
John Sherman was born in Lancas-
ter, O., May 10, 1923. When he was
6 years old his father died, leaving a
widow and eleven children, with only
the homestead and an income of $500
a year for support. The family was
broken up and most of the children
went to live with relatives and friends.
John remained with his mother. He
went to school for a year or two, and
in 1881 his fathers cousin, John Sher-
man, a merchant of Mount Vernon,
took him to his home and offered to
prepare the boy for Kenyon college
He stayed there for four years, but at
the end Of that time gave up his school
and began to work as a rodman in the
improvements then being made by the
state in the Muskingum river.
LII lofU lt went W where
he made his home the remainder of his
life, and began the study of law He
was admitted to the bar on his 21st
birthday. and soon made a success
In 1913 he married Margaret Stewart
Mr.. Sherman cast his vote and made
his first speech for Clay In 1874. In
1S4S he was a delegate to the Wing
convention in Philadelphia which NOM
mated President Taylor. Sherman
was nominated and elected one of the
secretaries. and took the stump. The
fight over slavery had just been made
an issue, and on this Sherman was
nominated and elected to congress. In
1855 he presided over the first Repub-
lican convention ever held in the state
Of Ohio.
Long Service In Congress.
Mr.. Sherman made his first speech in
congress In 1856 and from that time
on took prominent part in the af-
fairs of the house. His first financial
speech was made in 1858. In 1858 he
was reelected. and again in 1860, and
had every prospect of being elected
speaker. but resigned to go to the SEN
ate in 1861 in place of Salmon p.
Chase, who resigned to fill a place In
Lincoln's cabinet
When the war came on Mr. Sherman
went to Ohio to encourage enlistments,
and for a time served as a volunteer
without pay on the staff of General
Patterson. The congressional problems
OF the next four years were banking
and currency questions, and I'm the de-
bates on these Mr. Sherman took a
prominent part. During the stormy re-
Rod of the reconstruction he acted as
peacemaker between President John
son and the senate, but after the veto
Of the civil rights bill and other re-
construction measures he acted heart
lily with the majority of his party.
As n Cabinet Officer.
Senator Sherman's greatest financial
achievements were in connection with
the resumption Of specie payments i'm
1879. After long fight he secured
the passage of a bill providing for the
resumption of specie payments on Jan.
j, 1879. As secretary of the treas
ury in the cabinet of President Hayes.
Mr.. Sherman was able to see the bill
become fact.
Mr.. Sherman returned TO the senate
at the end Of his services as secretary
OF the treasury, and remained an ac-
tive member of that body until he was
called to I'LL the position of secretary
Of state. the most important position in
President McKinley's cabinet. This he
resigned in April, 1898, ON account Of
age and ill-health, and since that time
had taken little part In public affairs.
Religious Liberty in Ohio.
Mansfield, O., Oct pa Dowieite