John Sherman

It seems to me that we ought to carry the state by an overwhelming majority, and if we do so we will establish the beneficial principles of our party beyond danger of overthrow by reaction, and we will secure the peaceful and orderly…

Here it is demonstrated by the cordial reception of the President in the south, by his hearty indorsement in Massachusetts, and by a public sentiment now growing and spreading with amazing rapidity, that in his southern policy he has…

What a magnificent chance the Republican party in Ohio now has, not only to place itself in the vanguard in the United States, but to do this country a service as great as any victory won by the Union army during the war.

I am disposed to be tolerant about differences on the resumption act, for I think it will demonstrate its success or failure before Congress is likely to tamper with it.

While the people differ about the resumption act there is time to change it if it needs change, but Ewing would go back and commence the process over again.

Upon the question of resumption I believe we are all agreed that it must come, and that the only standard of value is gold or silver coin.

You can very easily show the effect upon the reviving industry of the country of the withdrawal of these loans and disturbing all this business.

The right conferred upon banks to issue circulation is not conferred for their profit, but for the public convenience, and all Republicans can agree that that right should never be permitted to exist except when it is for the public…

The difference in the Democratic party about interconvertible currency is vital, and Ewing's doctrine overthrows the whole Democratic theory of finance before the war.

He ought to be so no longer, and the moment that a bond could be bought with currency at par in gold, all discrimination in favor of the bondholder would disappear.

If I had the power to sell bonds for greenbacks I could make greenbacks equal to coin with scarcely a perceptible change.

We make discrimination against the greenbacks by refusing to take them in payment of bonds.

The most beneficial financial act of the administration is the reduction of the interest on the public debt.

I said: "The power can be, ought to be, and will be, executed if not repealed.

The actual experiment only proves the folly of the cry we had for more money, more money.

But the reason of the refusal of Congress to grant this authority, often asked of it, was that it would contract the currency, and this fear of contraction has thus far prevented Congress from granting the easiest, plainest, and surest…

The process of selling for United States notes need not go far before the mere fact that they are receivable for bonds would bring them up to par in coin, and that is specie payments.

Beyond this the issue of paper money, either by the government or by banks, was a dangerous exercise of power, injurious to all citizens, and should not continue a single day beyond the necessities that gave it birth.

What right had he, in law or justice, to insist upon maintaining in circulation his note, which he refused to pay according to his promise, and which he refused to receive in payment of a note bearing interest?

Why ought not anyone who issued a promise to pay on demand be made to pay it when demanded, or pay interest thereafter?

Objection had been made that under the first mode resumption would be a process of converting a non-interest bearing note into an interest bearing note, and that was true, but what right had we, as a nation, or had any bank, or individual…

There are two modes of resumption; one is to diminish the amount of notes to be redeemed, which mode is commonly called a contraction of the currency; the other is to accumulate coin in the treasury, to enable the secretary to maintain the…

Until this is removed, there will be no new enterprises involving great sums, no active industries, but money will lie idle, and watch and wait the changes that may be made before we reach the specie standard.

If resolutions and promises would bring about specie payments, we would have been there long ago; but the diversity of opinion as to the mode now-- twelve years after the close of the war--still leaves our paper money at a discount of five…

Now, the question is as to the time and mode by which this may be brought about, and on this subject no man should be dogmatic, or stand, without yielding, upon a plan of his own, but should be willing to give and take, securing the best…