The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-08-18


by their partisanship or their enmity.
The praise and depreciation of a cam
paign is a poor guide to just opin-
Ion. What the newspapers say about
man often reflects but superficial
judgment based on those occasional
striking and spectacular acts which
constitute news rather than upon the
inconspicuous. steady, and most use
full labor and conduct that make up
the true record of life. The members
of the national government for the
past 20 years know what Mr. Sherman
has done in the broad field of national
legislation. They know with what
fidelity and painstaking industry he
has done the countrys work in COM
mittee They know with what modest
disregard of personal display, thor
ough knowledge, clearness of express
sion and force of mind and character
he has maintained upon the floor of
the house his views of what was best
in legislation until the time has come
when every member listens with at
rtention and respect because it is he
who speaks. They know that the rare
combination of quick perception, judg-
ment of decision of character which
through long experience as chairman
of the whole has made him the best
parliamentarian of the hour and
member of committee of five which
directs the difficult and complicated
administration of the rules necessary
to enable the house to do business and
of necessity which in a great meas
ure directs the conduct of business
But we know our friend and
neighbor better than the men at
Washington, better than the newspa-
pers, better than the politicians. We
know the man himself through and
through by his living. by the multi
tude of little things that in the long
course of years make up record that
can not be untrue. We know the
stock he came from, sound and honest
stock We know his respected father.
Some of us go back to the knowledge
of his grandfather. My own recollec-
tions of earliest childhood are of
farmhouse in the town of Vernon, and
a stones throw away the simple house
of his grandfather, Willett Sherman.
an honored and conspicuous figure re-
naming from the early settlers of the
county. leader in the first manu-
factures of central New York. We
have followed the grandson through
his boyhood and manhood. We know
that he has been good husband and
a good father and good neighbor.
That he has always been upright in
business, self respecting, just, fair and
considerate; that everybody in the
community trusts him and believes his
word without any bond. We know
that no desire to make money ever led
him to do a mean or unfair or unkind
act. and that he never sought to grow
rich by making anyone else poor: we
know that he is a true and loyal friend
and that from all this region the weak
and unfortunate have learned to go
to him, always to find help in his sym
pathy We know that he has always
borne his part as a good citizen in
the public affairs of the community
and that he is universally respected
and beloved.
1--WE are competent to testify, not
upon hearsay, but of knowledge and
we do now testify to our countrymen
everywhere, to the people of all dis
tant states, that this is man for
Americans to be proud of, to respect,
to honor and to love.
1--WE certify to all the great elector-
ate that when their votes in Novem-
ber shall have chosen James School
craft Sherman to be vice president of
the United States, the senate will be
sure of a presiding officer in charac-
ter and competency worthy of the best
traditions of that great deIiberative
body and that if which God forbid.
the sad contingency were to come
which should for fourth time call a
vice president from New York to the
executive Office the interests of the
country would be safe in good hands
and the great Office of the presidency
would suffer nodecadence from the
high standard of dignity and honor and
competency of which we are are so
Justly proud.