Evening journal., 1910-11-09
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Only Time J. Sherman
Was Accused Of PeCuIatiOn
BY ~HOIIand."

Once in his long career as a mem
Der of Cong ess, Secretary OF the
Treasury and Secretary of State, John
Sherman was publicly charged with
having allowed some portion OF gov
ernment money which passed through
his hands to stick TO his palms. Gu
riously enough, that accusation was
made az religious meeting in the
city of Atlanta at a time when Mr..
Sherman was Secretary of the Teas
ury and visitor there. It is a bis
OF new news that is vouched for by
the Rt Rev. Benjamin J. Kelley, now
Roman Catholic bishop Of Savannah,
and for a decade a pastor in the
Georgia metropolis.
"As Is well known. President Hayes
was sincerely anxious to bring about
a good feeling in the South" said
Bishop Kelley, "and foY that reason he
made a 70 'mer Confederate Lieutenant
colonel from Tennessee. David Nc
Kendree Key, his first Postmaster
General. For that reason, also. it was
thought advisable that Secretary of
the Treasury Sherman. about the mid
die of his term In that Office, should
visit the South and come into per-
sonal touch with the busines men of
that section. His itinerary included
the city of Atlanta, which at that time
gave promise of becoming n very in
iuential industrial center
ut so happened that at the time OF
Sherman's visit to Atlanta great
meeting Of members Of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church was being
held in te city. When the elders
heard that the distinguished brother
OF General Sherman had reached the
city, they Immediately got busy, and
committee Of the colored brethren
called upon him and asked him TO
honor them by attending one of thoir
meetings. The Secretary replied no
would be greatly pleased to attend the
meeting-and he named the one and
the hour-when he would take oppor-
tunity to show his sympathy for tho
work his callers were doing.
There was a great crowd at that
meeting, the word having been pass
ed along that John Sherman would be
there. and at the proper moment. the
presiding elder arose and said.
Brethren, the Lord be praised that we
have this great meeting; the Lord bo
praised that John sherman brother
OF General Sherman, who so many of
you remember, is with us tonight.
John Sherman is President HayeS's
treasurer Of the United States. All
the millions and millions of dollars
the government has passes through
his hands-sometimes three or four
million dollars a day. Now. you can't
expect man to have millions of dol
lars pass through his hands without
having some of the money stick to
them. And so ! say. Brother Sber-
man. let us cOlored Methodists have
some OF the money that has stuck 10
your hands; put II in the contribution
box TO help along the school we are
going TO endow.'
The appeal created a great shout
ing of 'Ameni But il so hanpened
that at the last moment an impera-
tive matter, that came up suddenly.
made II necessary for Mr. Sherman 10
stay away from the meeting. He in
sisted. however, that some of the suh-
ordinates who We're with him should
attend the meeting. This they did and
10 their unconcealed joy when thew
heard the accusation so ingenuouslv
made that government money had
stuck to John Sherman's hands. And
when the contribution box nassed he
fore them they felt so grateful to the
presiding elder that they put many
dollars into II.
After the meeting was over they
could not pet back to Secretary Shar-
man fast enough to tell him what the
colored brother had said about him
For moment Mr. Sherman was
greatly disturbed, hut when he learn
ed all the circumstances surrounding
the accusation he too was intensely
amused. AT last he asked:
81 hope you put some money into
the contribution boxY
They told him that thew did.
"'Then that is sufficient John
Sherman replied drily. That will
wipe away the stain of the govern
ment money that has stuck to nv
hands,"
Copyright, 1910. hv Associated Lit
erary Press.)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell of
'sfhe Sermons Of Others That Ceorpe
William Curtis praoohod =