John Sherman

Laws are to govern all alike, those opposed as well as those who favor them.

I shall on all subjects have a policy to recommend, but none to enforce against the will of the people.

But all laws will be faithfully executed whether they meet my approval or not.

On all leading questions agitating the public mind I will always express my views to Congress, and urge them according to my judgment; and when I think it advisable will exercise the constitutional privilege of interposing a veto to defeat…

I bring to it a conscientious desire and determination to fill it to the best of my ability to the satisfaction of the people.

The responsibilities of the position I feel but accept them without fear.

I have taken this oath without mental reservation and with the determination to do to the best of my ability all that it requires of me.

I think his determination never to give up his present position a wise one, for his own comfort, and the public, knowing it, will relieve him from the suspicion of acting and speaking with reference to the effect his acts and sayings may…

I would do all I could to prevent any such legislation, and believe that without my doing anything the confidence in you is too genuine with the great majority of Congress for any such legislation to succeed.

I do not believe it will make any difference to you in the end, but I do fear that, in case I am elected, there will be men to advocate the 'abolition of the general' bill who will charge, in support of their motion, lack of evidence that…

The real issue was not one of measures, but of men.

Our debased currency must be retired or raised to the par of specie, or cease to be lawful money, before substantial progress can be made with other reforms.

If this is debased the whole current of its commercial life must be disordered and irregular.

A sound economy is the lifeblood of a commercial nation.

It is, in fact, a fundamental question; and until it is settled, and settled in accordance with the teachings of experience, all attempts in other financial and economical reforms will either fail absolutely, or be but partially successful.

The question of a solvent, convertible currency, underlies all the other financial and economical questions.

The country will not be really and reliably prosperous until there is a return to specie payments.

The financial difficulties under which the country is laboring may be traced directly to the issue, and continuance in circulation, of irredeemable promises as lawful money.

The first and most important of these measures are those which shall bring about, without unnecessary delay, the restoration of the specie standard.

The lessons of the past admonish the lender that it is not well to be over anxious in exacting from the borrower rigid compliance with the letter of the bond.

But one vital question had been settled, that no further contraction of the currency should occur; and it was well settled, though not embodied in law, that no question would be made as to the payment of bonds in coin.

It is more important to be right than to be consistent.

Let us make the dollar of our promise in the pocket of a laboring man equal to the dollar of our mint.

Our duty is to elevate the 'greenback,' the standard of national credit, to the standard of gold, the money of the world.

The committee, therefore, recommended that both the notes and bonds should be received in exchange for the funding bonds, and that the notes should be reissued and maintained at par with coin, and be supported by a reserve of coin ample to…