Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1907-05-15

them write the matter In the third
person and never quote him.
He then is in position to deny
anything that may come out that is
not pleasing TO him, which he does
with u flourish of trumpets and
thereby adds new members To his
Ananias Club. He can not and
does not fool Il lot of the older cor
respondents here. They have
looked in his trunk and they know
him. But it is very fattering to
the young correspondents To have
the President of the United States
pat them ON the back and call them
"old boys" " and tell them what
they believe TO be the innermost
secrets of the White Houee. They
all 90 away and print the same
story. thus heading off the story as
il should have been told in the IN
tercst nf the truth.
Every 5cdy sees the same story
in the papers all over the country,
and they believe 1t to be true, else
why should all tho papers have
printed it simultaneously. The
man who could have told the truth
about the matter has no show. He
does not occupy the position of
President of the United States, and
If he were to come out with the
truth the people would not believe
him. So, what's the use, as the
skunks said to one another when
they smelt an automobile as it
passed them on the road.
Here is little chapter of the Chi
cago and Alton railroad deal that
has been one of the leading sensa-
tions of the country for some time
past, that never has appeared in
print SO that the people could di-
geSt the truth. The administration
OF Theodore Roosevelt has pro-
ceeded against Mr.. +. III. Hartman
on account of this Chicago and
Alton deal. Mr.. Roosevelt is pos
ing in the attitude of the peoples
avenger and trying to place Mr..
Hartman i'm the attitude of the
man who has been injuring them.
Now, what are the facts anent
this socalled deal!
twill be recalled that the Alton
readjuStment took place during
Mr.. Hartman 5 absence in Alaska.
He has nevertheless been held by
public opinion chiefly responsible
for it, and his associates in the
scheme, Messrs. Gould, Stillman.
and Schiif, has in large measure
escaped the condemnation which
has been his portion. The idea has
prevailed that Mr.. Hartman plan
ned the deal before he left for
Alaska, and that what took place
during his absence was simply the
carrying out of his ideas.
Mr.. Hartman, to his credit be
1t said, has not sought to escape
any blame which attaches to the
transaction by shifting the burden
uron the shoulders of his associ-
ates. His friends say, however,
that upon his return from Alaska,
he was, in fact, displeased at what
had been done while he was away,
feeling that mistake had been
made.
This, however, did not prevent
him from going ahead with his ac-
customed energy to make success
of the transaction. Complete sue
cess depended upon making a
market for the bonds which had
been issued to the Hartman
Gould Stillman Schiff syndicate
at So.
1t is said Mr.. Hartman secured
the passage by the State legislature
of law extending the permissible
savings bank investment to these
Alton bonds.
A fact of extraordinary interest
in view of recent developments is
that this law was signed by Gov.
Theodore Roosevelt. Thus the
signature of Roosevelt completed
the Alton deal by giving the Alton
bonds the prestige which attaches
to a savings bank investment. Yet
at this very time the essential facts
of the Alton readjustment-stock,
stockwatering, and all-had been
made public.
Seven years later, as President
of the United States, Mr.. Roose-
welt believed it to be his duty to
| ~ ,o.,-t NJ n