The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-04-11
WASHINGTON
From our Regular Correspondent.

Washington, d. c. April 8, 1907.
Most think ing people in Wash
ington believe that the controversy
between Mr.. Hartman and the
president over Harriman's alleged
contributions to the campaign fund
Of 1904 is a part of a wide spread
scheme for discrediting the admin
istration with the public in order
to divert attention from themselves.
1t is simply drawing a red herring
across the trail to confuse the scent.
Nobody particularly cares whether
Mr.. Hartman contributed $50, 900
to the campaign fund as he says he
did, or not. After the way he had
looted the Alton railroad, he was
we'll able to contribute million If
he wanted to. But that he came
to Washington at the solicitation OF
the President, nobody for moment
believes. There would be very lit
tie hesitation in the minds of most
people in accepting President
Roosevelt's word before that OF Mr..
Hartman, and the mere fact of
whether he ever made the contribu.
tion at all, ought to be easily es-
tablished from his own check book
or the records Of the Republican
Campaign Committee. Secretary
Cortelyou, who was then chairman
of the committee says that no such
contribution passed through his
hands, and Cornelius N. Bliss, who
is notoriously taciturn, unap-
proachable old person, refuses to
discuss the matter at all 1t would
be a good thing, however, for the
reputation of the party. if the men,
bers Of the committee would for
once come out into the open and
admit whether or not they received
the money. Conclusive proof that
the contribution as we'll as the
method of it was fiction, would
do more than anything else to stop
the campaign of elimination that
the railroads are now waging
against the government simply be-
cause they fear the government is
going to make them act fairly by
the shipping public. This is not a
party matter, and the bitterest partT
man can afford to look at it fairly.
Ifit were the Democratic party that
was in power, the same campaign
of investigation would be waged
against the railroads, perhaps all
even more severe campaign. And
in that case, the railroads would be
just as ready to attack the investi-
gators. The fight that is now on
is no party matter. 1t is one OF
public policy, and the people at
large will be wise if they see it in
that light.
The Interstate c ON IN erc C e
Commission is going on this
week to put Mr. Hartman OH the
grill again. They will not have
him on the witness stand, but the
representatives Of his railroad syS-
TEN will present arguments before
the commission as 10 why he should
not be compelled to answer the
questions that he evaded during
the recent New York investigation.
When the arguments OF the rail-
road and the government attorneys
have both been presented, the COM
mission will decide wheth er to take
the case to the New York courts
and ask for a rule compelling Har-
riman 10 answer the questions as to
his private stock jobbing exploits.
Whether this is done or not, the
evidence accumulated in the case
will be certified to the Department
of Justice, where the Attorney Cen
eral will decide whether to institute
a civil or a criminal action against
Mr.. Hartman.
***
One of the most inte resting ex-
periments in the world is likely to
be tried in Washington in the near
fulure It is no less than the re-
vival of the Langley flying machine
experiments by the man who built
the original machine. Of course,
this will create smile among a
good many skeptical people, but
there is more than fair chance
that the machine will fly after all,
and the Smithsonian officials are