The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-04-12

Senate 10 the post Of Secretary Of tho Treas
ury Sherman became his SUCCESSOR in the
former ONCE. At this point II Is convenient
to take a brief retrospect Of Sherman's
career up 10 his assumption Of this position
Of superlative distinction. IL Is well 10 do
this lest we fail 10 mark how far and swiftly
the man had advanced In a public service
Of less than ten years. Within a period Of
four years he had been chairman OF the
Ways and Means Committee Of the House
Of Representatives and now was chairman
OF the Finance Committee Of the Senate,
an achievement which no other man
has accomplished in the parliamentary
history Of the United States. The achieve
meat seems the more marvellous when we
bear In mind that In 1894 he was only Al years
old. 1t is only approached by George
Evans. who after twelve years service In the
HOUSE became a Senator from the State
Of Maine, and upon his entrance into the
Senate was made chairman Of the
Finance Committee, Many statesmen
eminent in the House have gone TO the
Senate only TO languish In o%bscurity.
They have not found the air Of the upper
chamber ~congenial. Blaine, the unrivalled
leader Of his party In the House and three
times Speaker, made no impression on the
Senate, although he continued 10 DO the
idol Of his party and surpassed most Of his
colleagues in fame and popularity. That
In the Senate Sherman should have rem
dered such important services and acted
with such remarkable ability upon questions
so dissimilar and belonging TO such widely
separated fields Of craftsmanship as slavery
and finance, is rightly deemed by the author
Of this work incontrovertible evidence
Of the Ohio's Senator's breadth OF under
standing and Of his capacity to deal with
any public question.
After the assassination Of Lincoln and
the accession Of johnson TO the Presidency
John Sherman made an effort TO get the
new Chief Magistrate and Congress to-
gether upon some plan Of reconstruction
and 10 avert II possible an indefinite con-
tinuation Of the quarrel between the Federal
legislature and the Executive, which threat
ened a disruption OF the Republican party.
Subsequent events, however, demonstrated
that reconciliation upon any line Of action
which Congress would accept could not
be accomplished.
John Sherman's career in Congress dur
ing and before the civil war has been
eclipsed, II not lost sight OF, in the fame
which came to him as the central figure
and principal force in the great financial
achievement Of the Government. namely,
the resumption Of specie payments, The
resumption bill reported to the Senate on
December 2l, 1874, by Sherman as chairman
OF the Finance Committee was largely the
product of his own composition, and 10 him
was accorded the chief credit for it's passage.
Touching this fact Mr.. Blaine, in his Twenty
Year Of Congress- remarks that ii sell
dom happens that the promoter Of a policy
in the Federal legislature has the oppor-
tunity to carry il out in anexecutive depart
ment. But Mr.. Sherman was the principal
advocate Of the resumption bill in the
Senate, and during the two critical yeas
preceding the date fixed by the act for
coined payment he was at the head OF the
Treasury Department. He thus estab-
lished a financial reputation not second 20
70 that Of any mar in our national history
While, however, Sherman received most
Of the credit for the passage Of this measure
Of superlative importance, he also had to
bear most Of the weight Of responsibility
for the real or alleged defects Of the law.
He himself never renowned his original
belief that the simplest and least costly
plan Of resumption would have been the
conversion Of the greenbacks into coin
bonds, but he was always ready to support
any plan which gave promise Of an ultimate
return to specie payments. The real
strength and utility Of his labors for re-
sumption will be found in the fact that he
was not irrevocably committed or welded
TO any one project. The chief purpose Of
all his speeches during the long discussion
Of the subject was to impress upon public
men, upon political parties and the people
as a whole that the supreme duty OF the
time was an early reversion to a specie
basis, the fulhlment Of the nations prom
Use, often made, TO redeem it's notes in coin
the earliest practicable moment Much
Of the force in his position and influence
would have been wasted had he adhered
dogmatically 10 a particular plan and con-
kept that to the fore. He chose the
course and exhibited a broader states
.anship by his endeavor to crystalline and
conserve all resumption sentiment, how
ever divergent as to means, upon and
the desired results,