People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 February 1895 — BANKERS'CONSPIRACY [ARTICLE]

BANKERS'CONSPIRACY

MAY FIND THIRTEEN AN UNLUCKY NUMBER. Mr. J. W. Shuckers Exposes the Secrets of the National Bank Conspiracy to Prodace a Panic —Gives the Names, Dates and Places. Washington, Jan. 5. —Special—Mr. J. W. Shuckers, who was private secretary for Salmon P. Chase during all the war period, has created quite a sensation in Washington by making public the secrets of the national bank conspiracy to produce a panic and secure the repeal of the Sherman act. He goes into the minutiae of the whole affair and gives the names, dates and places. An attempt was made at the last session of the 52d congress to pass a refunding bond bill, and Villard and Don Dickinson were sent to Washington to push the matter. Sherman introduced such a bill but the effort failed. It was then resolved, says Mr. Shuckers, to force the passage of the bill by wrecking the fortunes of tens of thousands of business men and throwing 3,000,000 of men, women and young people out of work, with all the sorrows and disaster which that implied. He claims that the conspiracy was composed of only thireen men: Grover Cleveland, John G. Carlisle, Assistant Treasurer Jordan, Chas. J. Canada and nine national bank presidents, viz: Henry W. Camron, Chase National Bank; Edward H. Perkins, Importers’ and Traders’ National; Geo. S. Coe, American Exchange National; James T. Woodward, Hanover National; Brayton Ives, Western National; W. W. Sherman, National Bank of Commerce; George C. Williams, Chemical National, and Frederick Tappen, Gallatin National. There were nine different conferences held before the final details were arranged, and Mr. Shuckers gives the dates, places and names of parties in attendance. The most important of these was the meeting held at the private residence of the president of the Chemical bank, at which all of the above named were present except Cleveland, and Carlisle was his direct representative. This meeting was held April 27, 1893. At this meeting it was resolved to bring on a crash by a universal refusal to renew loans. The bankers left the Willianfs residence, rushed to the telegraph offices and wired orders to every part of the United States to stop loans, and then the crash came. Within twelve days after this meeting, banks and business houses in every part of the United States were failing. Nothing for years has made a profounder sensation than these revelations of Mr. Shuckers. They bear the impress of truth.