The Washington herald., 1909-02-28


majority than il has since given me. He
was particularly successful in settling
quarrels among the men Of his neighbor-
hood
Proud of His Mother.
= am glad 10 talk OF my father" MI
Sherman went on to say, but I should
Ike to volunteer some information about
my mother. She was an unusual woman.
having. with a good education, great
kindliness. much determination, and an
extraordinary measure Of common sense.
I was brought up in the Presbyterian
Church. and my mother managed large
Sunday school class, but she was not q
Puritan. She taught her sons 10 play
cards. and played with Us when she had
the time None OF her boys, therefore,
had 10 sneak behind the barn when they
wanted 10 enjoy that form Of amuse-
ment.
She organized Sunday school picnics.
and always had a platform built for dane
ing. However. she never permitted round
dances, either in her home or al the pic
nicS, regarding them as being immOdest.
On Sundays boys whom We knew would
come 10 our house. and she would read TO
Us from the Bible and from interesting
them sixty years old. cherish her mem
ory and are grateful for her influence.
After she came into her Inheritance
she gave her sons liberal allowance, but
she expected them to tell her how they
spent the money We might entertain
friends at dinner. away from home. al a
hotel or restaurant. OF go 10 some athletic
contest fifty miles distant, and she would
approve the expenditure. But not one OF
us dared 10 pay out a penny for liquor OF
tobacco. She controlled all her sons with
respect 20 drinking and smoking but my
self-I learned 10 smoke when a young
man. She played beautifully on a piano.
and short time before her death, old
as she was, entertained my children one
evening for an hour and half with the
tunes Of her girIhoOd. her touch being as
delicate as II was when was a young
ster. While she was on the farm she
spent many happy hours among her flow
ers"
You have great flower garden?7 I
said
Fond of Flowers.
Ny flower garden. Ike my fortune.
has been much enlarged by rumor Ny
lot in Utica is 120 feet wide and 800 feet
long. I live in an old, but comfortable,
wooden house which cost the man who
built It considerably more than It cost
me- At the foot OF the lot there IS small
stable. We have some roses and other
flowers. OF course. and We grow our own
vegetables. but my home is not a cOun-
Try estate. although it has been 50 rep
resented.
You were not compelled then, 20 work
and help pay for your education az col
lege nor for your way 20 the bar2
No: I attended a district school In the
country. afterwaTd going TO Whitestoue
Academy. and was graduated from Ham
iIton College in 1875. A relative being a
lawyer. I concluded to prepare for the
bar. I read law in an Office at Utica
There were no typewriters in those DAYS
and all OF our papers were written out
By hand did some work Of that kind
and occasionally got a dollar for going
on a legal errand. Ny first fee Of any
size amounted. I think. to SO. I was
made the assignee. under the State law.
Of some little man who had failed IN
business. remember that I had not yet
been licensed 10 practice. After being
admitted 10 the bar I formed a partner
ship with Henry J. Cookingham. my
brOther-in-laW. a relation which cOntin-
Ued until January Z. lS07.
Did YOU earn living during your first
year IN the law"
We'll, 1 slept at home. don't you know.
and didn't have 10 pay anything for my
board. I earned all the money 7 spent.
which wasn't very much"
What did your father say when you
refused 10 accept his political principles
and become a Democrat2'
He was not much given 10 talk. but he
asked il 7 had carefully gone over the
history Of the country and if / understood
what the Republican and Democratic par
ties stood fo-. When ! told him 7 had not
reached q decision without study and re-
fectiOn, he said Very well: do as YOU
think best Nothing more ever passed
between US on that particular subject"
Brother "A Democrat.
Your brother. Richard ". Sherman. IS
one Of the leading Democrats Of Central
New York;
Yes: he has been mayor OF Utica
twice. I asked him 70 come 70 the inau-
guration OF Mr.. Taft. and here is his let
ter declining the invitation to be my
guest. He says he is obliged to me- but
that he cannot believe the inauguration
viii be Of stimulating interest TO Demo-
crat However. he promises to be here
IN 1913 There IS a good understanding
between US When he runs for Office in
Utica ] work and speak against him.
Last year when was candidate for Vice
President he presided az several Bryan
meetings. We are brothers in everything
but politics"
What sort Of campaign did you make
n 1854, when you were elected mayor uf
Utica. Democratic city,"
-or,,r-o4a4 ~, r-rf-o~-
election was held on the Tuesday follow
ing There was 10 time. you see for a
campaign Of any kind However, I was
successful still. 7 took the nomination
with much reluctance meant 70 be ac-
tive in public affairs and had made al
legged speeches in 1852 for Gov. A 3. Cor
nell. but I had no desire to hold Office
While I proposed to stay out OF politics
IN a personal sense. I didn't care 70 be
put I'D simply because some Republican
had to BE knocked down. Besides. the
mayoralty Of Utica had been a notorious
tomb-once in it no man had ever come
out OF It alive. Ny majority was 100"
What brought about your nomination
for Congress IN 1852"
7 seemed to forget my early resolu-
tions. as one viii when he gets into the
rOugh-and-tumble Of aggressive politics,
c-lil L4lE tiltHE4iA Ntillc ~ lllc tAldl ~ anu
b. I might be elected 10 Congress. Take
the nomination when you can get it my
friends said. and not when you thing
you ara ready I followed their advice
The campaign for election kept me busy
although I didn't make a solitary speech
I Just went around and met the voters
personally. Since then I have been IN
Congress steadily. missing the term. how
ever, following the enactment OF the Nc
Kinley law. when the Republicans in my
district We're quarrelins about Federal
patronage and Democratic workers. pre-
tendizg TO be peddlers Of tinware. dou-
bled the prices Of milkpans. diDpers. and
coffee pots.
Banking Attractive TO Him.
sryou were made president Of = t-,rst