Year: 1879




Speech.


The Boston Herald says:


The story of resumption told by Secretary


Sherman last night is so clear, plain and
straightforward that no unpreiudiced person
can fail to see its truth, or to appreciate the


benefit conferred upon the country. Its elo-


quence is in the figures which illustrate the re-


newed posperity of the republic. 1t does not


leave an inch of ground for the advocates OF
an irredeemable currency to stand upon. All
that they at first demanded has been secured
by making the greenback; as good as gold; and
this achievement has been attended by perfect
security in the place of doubt and uncertainty,
by permanent value in the place Of tiuctuation.
All that the Secretary says the resumption
question can and should be ndorsed by every
citizen, Republican or Democrat, who believes


in an honest standard of value and one kind of


money for the workingman and capitalist. He


shows beyond question that the currency has
not been contracted but that it has been ex-
panded by the reconciliation of gold and sill
yer, which before resumption were merely
merchandise. He shows that the rate of in
terest in public and private transactions has
been greatly reduced, thus comforting bene-
fit on the borrower. He shows that the bur-
den of the public debt has been hghtened by
improving the credit of the government He
shows that there is no bar to the increase of
the currency to meet the demands of business
Finally the resumption has removed the dis
advantages under which we labored as a great
producing nation, and made the face of every
American citizen glow with pride as he con-


templates the redeemed honor of the country.
Compare this clear, simple story of great
country's recuperation, of the reduction of the
debt burden, of the restoration of permanent


standard of value, and the vindication of the


public faith, with the wild demands of those
men who would again launch the country on


the shoreless sea of imitation. On one side is
honesty, certainty, security; the other q
maze of doubt, dishonesty and dishonor.
The Boston Advertiser says:


The speech of the Secretary of the Treasury
at Portland last evening contains a thousand
facts which it is important for the people to
know, compressed into compact form and yet
attractively Set forth. The inconsistency of the
complaints of Greenbackers, and the absence
of all real cause for complaint even from their
own point OF view, have never been more
strikingly demonstrated than they are in this
speech. The Secretary has not the slightest
difficulty in showing that all their demands
have been complied with. Did they wish for
imitation? the addition of the entire stock of


coin in the country to an uudiminished volume


OF paper money has given it to them. Did


they wish the bonds to be paid for with green


backs2 More than 800 million dollars worth
OF bonds have been so paid off during the last
SIX months. Did they object to the discrimin-
alton against legal tender notes at the custom
houses? During the entire period of resunv-
tion paper money has been freely received for
duties on imports. And the catalogue of salts
fed demands might be still further extended.
But this i3 not the whole of the Secretary's
argument. He shows with remarkable force
how utterly the predictions of the opponents
of resumption have been falsifed. The words
of the Greenback orators in Congress are
| quoted against them with crushing effect
Nothing that they professed to expect or to
dread has come to pass. They have been re-
duced il their speeches and in their platforms
to the wretched expedient of juggling with


words to tell falsehoods while appearing only
to state admitted facts. The speech is as strong


and conclusive as could be wished.


The Boston Journal says:


There are now more organized Republican
clubs in Maine than during Presidential year.
and there is more zeal and spirit at this stage
i'll the campaign than there was at the same
date in the campaigns of 1872 and 1876. In
less than two weeks every voter in the remotest
settlement in Maine will have copy of Secre-
tary Sherman's speech to read and ponder over
1t Will carry conviction. The improvement of


business is the unmistakable echo of the sue
cess OF the Republican plau of resumption.


Hard factS-bleSSings seen-will dispel the
Greenback illusions and the blessings promised
by men who are proved false prophets. Then
the Republican Greenbacker will see that his
party leaders have sold out to thej Bourbons
and, as rule, except so far as he is disgrun-


tied office seeker or ex-official, he will not rat-
fly the bill of sale with his vote.


The New York Times says that Secretary
Sherman's Portland speech is more effective



regard TO resumption and of the Greenback
fallacjes in regard to paper currency than as
an exposition OF measures to be completed If
the results Of the Republican policy are to be
fully assured.


The New York Tribune says: The Repub-
liean party opens fire from the heavy artillery


After reading the speech of Secretary Sher-
man IN Maine, few Democrats will be so well


satisfied as they were with the extra session of
Congress and its works. In strong but Just
terms he refers to the doctrine of state rights
which poisoned and estranged a large section


of the Union;" and to the new scheme of
nullitication, by which the Democrats have
tried to deprive of all force q statute which
has for eight years been found useful, the con-
stitutionality of which has never been denied
and which is the only safeguard provided by


the United States against fraud and violence
at elections. The remainder of Secretary


Sherman,s speech, 1T says, as even his oppo-


nents will admit, is remarkably strong,
compact and solid argument in support of


the Republican financial policy. In many


respects it is the best speech Secretary Sher-


man has ever delivered.


The New York Herald says: 1t is a clear


cogent and able presentment of the financial
condition of the nation, and incidentally very
damaging and conclusive reply to Greenback
and imitation Democratic arguments against
resumption, national banks and the general f.


nancial policy of the country.


The New York World takes issue with Sec
Sherman and says: 1t is to be hoped that Sec.
Sherman, before his speech-making in Maine


comes to an end, will explain more clearly than


he seems last night to have done, how it hap
pened that the most successful portion of the
refundlng operations, for which he asks to be


made President of the United States, was ac-


complished during the very month when Re.


publicans were declaring the Union and good
government in the Union to be in great and


alarming peril.


The New York Sun says it is was a shrewd
speech TO honest John Sherman.


The New Yerk Star says: 1t would have
been in better taste if he had omitted the in
troductory part of it and had confined himself


to an explanation OF his financial policy, but


he saw fit to devote some paragraphs to what


he calls revival of old issue" We do not
think he will make many converts from the
Democracy to Republicanism by this ill-iudged
and ill-natured speech.