The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1907-04-19
POLITICAL POINTS
Weekly Letter From The
National Capitol

AT last the Interstate Commerce
Commission has decided that 1t
will apply to the Circuit Court of
the State of New York for author
ity to compel E. II. Hartman to
answer the questions that he re-
fused to answer when he was on
the witness stand in New York.
This on the face of it may not be
a very important decision. 1t will
have no particular effect on the
question of a civil or a criminal
prosecution. But it will probably
ruin Mr.. Hartman as a railroad
promoter if the decision of the
court is against him and in
favor of the commission. 1t is for
this reason: The questions he
evaded in the New York inquiry
were how much private interest he
had in the stock for the purpose
of owning the competing road.
The question in connection with
the Alton was in the same direc-
ton. The Commission wanted to
know how much of the stock of
the Alton Mr.. Hartman bought
before he turned it over to the
stockholders reorganization syn
dictate, how much he sheld in the
syndicate and how much, if any
he now holds and at what price
his various holdings we're bought
and sold.
The financier refused to answer
these questions on Che ground that
they were his private transactions,
bluntly that it was none of the
Commissions business. This
might seem so on first view. But
it has a very pertinent bearing on
the manipulation of the several
roads under the Hartman man
agement. 1t is believed that an
answer to these questions would
show that Hartman had profited
vastly by the several railroad
deals, that he had skinned most
of his partners as well as the pub
lie, and it would ruin his chances
as a promoter in the future. 1t is
of little moment to the big ones in
New York that a fellow promoter
loots a railroad or gets the best of
the general public in a deal. But
it is a. very different thing when
they find that they have been
"whipsawed" themselves and that
their partner in a deal had bought
cheaper and sold dearer to them
than they had any reason to
suspect. Mr.. Harriman's fortune
vast rs it is will not yet suffice
unaided for buying and selling
whole transcontinental lines, and
if his business associates find
reason to fight shy OF him, his
career as a promoter is perilously
near done.
For this tease there will be a
hot legal fight owe the demand
that Mr.. Hartman answer the
questions of the Commission.
Whichever party is beaten in the
New York court will be sure to
appeal Immediately to the Su-
preme Court of the United States.
There Is no chance of getting a
hearing for it before the court
meets for the October session.
Then at the request of the Attor-
ney General the case may be made
special and set forward for an
early hearing. But the decision
can hardly be looked for before
the middle of the coming Ginter,
1t will have no effect, however, or
the question of a prosecution Of
Mr.. Hartman under the anti -trus,
law, There is already materia,
enough to warrant a report to the
Department of Justice and thu
question of a prosecution and tn
nature of it, whether it shall b.
civil OF criminal, will be left to tn
Attorney Feneral. This repor
cannot be made in less than
month.
The decision of the Suprem
=, COURT of the United States tina
the Isle of Pines.is Cuban and nc
! United States property will be
Q severe blow to hundreds of Ameri
. can citizens who have invested a