of you, and to talk with
you free from all artificial restraints."

I went from Mansfield to Toledo, where I had agreed with the state
central committee to make a speech, and where the opposition to
resumption was stronger than in any other city in the state. Here
the so-called National party had its origin. I knew a great many
of the citizens of Toledo and the prevailing feeling on financial
topics. I, therefore, carefully prepared a speech, covering all
the leading questions involved in the campaign, especially all that
related to our currency. The meeting was held August 26, in a
large opera house, which would seat 2,500 people. I found it full
to overflowing. Every particle of space in the aisles was occupied
and it was estimated that 3,000 people were gathered within its
walls. I will give the narrative of a correspondent of the St.
Paul "Pioneer Press," who was an eyewitness of the scenes that
followed:

"Secretary Sherman was not received with that hearty greeting common
to a man of such prominence at first, while the organization that
had been picketed in different parts of the hall at once commenced
hissing at the first sight of the tall, slender form of the speaker.
Until his introduction the emotion was the same, and as soon as he
commenced to speak he was interrupted with jeers and insults from
what Nasby, in his paper, called the 'hoodlums of the city,' who
came organized and determined to break up the meeting without giving
the speaker a chance to be heard, by shouting at the top of their
voices such insults as 'You are responsible for all the failures
in the country;' 'You work to the interest of the capitalist;'
'Capitalists own you, John Sherman, and you rob the poor widows
and orphans to make them rich;' 'How about stealing a President;'
'Why don't you redeem the trade dollar?'

"These, with many other like flaunting sneers, were constantly
indulged in by the disorderly element, which had been distributed
with care throughout the hall. So boisterous and moblike was their
behavior that it was apparent several times that it would be
impossible to maintain order, and notwithstanding the speaker stated
that if any gentlemen wished to ask any question, upon any point
that he might discuss, in their order, he would be glad to answer
them, and invited criticisms, but one such question was asked by
Mr. F. J. Scott, one of the leading lights of the Nationals, who
wished to know the difference betw