Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1907-03-22
Hartman, the Jonah

'Tls said by correspondents who are
in position to get inside facts that
the late 'snowstorm" in Wall street
was the direct result Of j. p. Nor
gan's tip to force down all the Harri-
man stocks and compel that highway
man to unload and retire from rail-
road business. and thus give honest
men chance to regain the confidence
so ruthlessly destroyed by Hartman s
disgusting tale Of robbery.
There seems to be grounds for this
statement after reading the following
extract from telegram from Wash
ington to the Minneapolis Journal:
MORGAN SEES PRESIDENT.
On the understanding that Presi-
dent Roosevelt was not unappeasab-
ly in conflict with all the railroads,
but only with those which detied the
authority of the government. Mr..
Morgan then requested personal in
terview. AT this meeting he assured
the president that the wiser presi-
dents of roads were sensible of the
fact that they were the creatures,
not the masters, of the government.
He declared that they were willing to
show that they were amenable to
reason and would be glad to come to
an understanding by which they
could seek to satisfy the president Of
their purpose to obey the law and full
fill their conditions Of good citizens.
President Roosevelt answered that
this was not enough.
what is the matter, then?" asked
Mr.. Morgan.
HARTMAN IN THE WAY.
Hartman, answered Mr.. Roose-
velt grimly. "He has no conception
of what is lawful and what is unlaw-
full. He has a lawless nature. He
has no moral sense. He is a menace
to this country. He is disgrace to
the institution of railways. He is a
stigma upon those railway men and
bankers who tolerate and condone
and help him. Hartman doesn't
know how to come within the law; he
has got to 60. The government pro-
poses to follow him up and expose his
dealings and practices against public
morality and business decency until
it will be impossible for him to stand
up longer against the storm Of public
opinion that will overwhelm him.
4 Mr.. Morgan warned the president
that continuation of the onslaught
that was being made against the rail-
roads would destroy their market
values, cause a panic and perhaps
bring ruin on the whole country. Mr.
Roosevelt replied that he had no such
fear for the safety of the country
merely thru assuring it OF its rights
and protecting the interests of its
people: that there might be stock
market panic; that the values of rail
road securities might be impaired or
destroyed. But that could not alter
his determination to do his duty. Ii
the banks and the railways were
afraid OF panic it was Tor Them SO
to conduct. themselves and to compel
their associates to conduct themselves
that there would be no occasion for
federal action that would threaten a
panic He was going on with MS
work of stopping such acts as Harri-
man was committing. Ii the fnanci-
al powers thought more of Hartman
ism than of anything else. ali right;
they could have their values destroy
ed, IL need be, but the Roosevelt
program would go on.
1t is farther reported that Mr..
Morgan asked for time and after see
| ing the anti-fIarriman crowd he left
| for Europe and the "snowstorm'
fcaue.