The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-12
Looking Into Mr.. Hartman.

n announcement is maze In WASH
ington that the Interstate Commerce
Commission proposes to make a critical
investigation of the so-called Hartman
properties, and a member of the COM
mission is quoted az saying that a con
dition is involved similar to that which
was disclosed in the case of the Northern
Securities Company, which was dis
solved by the United States Attorney
General.
The news appears to possess a peculiar
significance, coming as it does close
upon the heels of the election and fol-
lowing hard upon the election of Mr..
STUYvEsANT FISH from the presidency
Of an important railroad system and the
~ensconcing therein Of HARTMAN in his
place. Not unrelated, perhaps, is the
election as Governor of California of one
of HARRIMAN's creatures as the outcome
of a characteristic deal with HEARST.
We incline to reject the political part
of the theory, and we hope we are justi-
fed in doing so. Politics ought never
TO have, however remotely, any part in
suggesting or inspiring the course of the
Interstate Commerce Commission. Poll
tics has had a good deal to do with its
action in the past, it is true; but the
political necessity which then existed
has apparently vanished for good. Mr..
HARTMAN was on the Hearst side in the
late campaign, and there is every reason
to believe that his attitude, which was
particularly offensive, has been dis
cussed with some warmth in Washing
ton. 1t is unfortunate that such is the
case, particularly since Mr.. HARTMAN
is understood TO have been explicit in
explaining Ills preference for a Demo-
cratic Legislature at Albany. The mat
ter has no relevancy to the legal or
illegal status of the gentleman's railroad
systems, and it is TO be hoped that it
will be thoroughly ASSOCIATED from the
proposed inquiry.
IL is very difficult to see wherein any
parallelism ran be detected between the
Hartman systems and the Northern
Securities Company. 1t must not be
forgotten, though, that the latter concern
was condemned and tried not because
Of any illegal act that it had committed
or any lawless act that it planned to
commit, but because as it stood consti-
tuted it was feasible and competent
for it to commit various illegalities and
irregularities. This principle in law is
now recognized as identical with that
which contemplates the sequestration Of
all married couples in order TO do away
with the crying abuses of divorce.
Regarded, therefore, as an established
precedent, which, indeed. it actually is,
the prospect Of an inquiry should disturb
Mr.. HARTMAN. His reputation has been
established with singular felicity and
entire lack Of ~equivocation by various
and several matters OF history in this
State. His career with his accomplice
ODELL, the robbery of the State Treasury
by the Furnaccville Iron Company, the
shocking disclosures touching his rela-
tions with the Equitable Life-these and
other matters would seem to create a
suspicion that an active inquiry into his
domestic circumstances so far as the
Hartman systems are concerned might
not prove wholly infructuous. If n high
tribunal should gravely hold that Mr..
HARTMAN was not guilty, but that he
was extensively susceptible Of enOrmity,
and therefore that he was subject to
restraint and dissolution, then the grav-
ity of this entire community would be
profoundly endangered.