The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1908-09-18
TRUST MANAGERS OF
Mr.. TAFT'S CAMPAIGN.
Antecedents of Trust Affiliations OF
thu Mon in Charge OF Repubh-
can National ampaisn.
BY THOMAS j. Pence

chapter, which will he read with in
terest, is devoted to the personne
of the men whom MIR. Taft has Sc
lected to conduct his campaign, ant
"cutive, advisory and financial way
William Nelson Cromwell, the per
sonal and legal representative of T.
II. Hartman, and probably the
most conspicuous trust lawyer II
this country, is the central figure
of these "Republican Guardians oI
Reform" The others who share
houors with him in this chapter IN
the text book are the nine members
of the executive committee whom
the Republican Presidential cnndi-
date selected Immediately following
his nomination at the Chicago con
vention.
The story Of how Vim. Nelson
Cromwell succeeded to the mantle
of his employer, f.. II. Hartman
as official fiat fryer" for the Re
publican party in this presidential
contest il told in detail 1t begins
with telegram Mr.. Cromwell sent
from New York to Judge Taft at
Hot Springs, Virginia, in which
the request was made that the Sc
lection OF treasurer Of the Repub-
lican National Committee be de
ferred until the arrival of the New
York Trust promoter at the Virginia
resort. This telegram is IA matter
of historic record, having been pub
lished generally in the press at the
time. The following day the press
associations chrOnicled the arrival
OF Mr.. Cromwell at Hot Springs
according to schedule He immedi-
ately went into executive session
with Presidential Candidate Taft.
For several days it had been the
general understanding throughout
the country that COngrcS Me
Kinley Of. Illinois was to be chosen
treasurer of the Republican National
Committee. AS the result of VIM.
Nelson CrOmwell's visit the origi,
nal slate was broken and his candi-
date, George K. Sheldon, was named
as the treasurer of the national !
committee.
This was only the beginning Of
the potent influence that VIM. Mel |
son Cromwell has exercised in high |
up Republican circles, following the |
adjournment Of the Republican |
National Convention. After nam
ing the treasurer of the Republican |
National Committee Mr.. Cromwell |
WAS MADE A MEMBER OF THE EN-
ECUTIvE COMMITTEE or NINE,
whice has immediate direction of |
the campaign, and later "A member
of the advisory committee of nine,
which has immediate direction OF
the campaign, and later IA member
OF the advisory committee, which
means that his services and talents
will be utilized in every way posi-
BILE by Presidential Candidate Taft.
Both VIM. Nelson Cromwell and
Geo. X. Sheldon are known to the
public by reason OF their numerous
big trust connections. Their Sc
lection by Mr.. TAFT for important
confidential positions In the conduct
of his campaign can have only one
significance. Their part will be to
collect funds from the wealthy cor
porations and monopolies with
which they are identified and associ-
ated. In the light Of the letter sent
out from Republican National Head
quarters in this city addressed to
corporations, In which appeals are
made for campaign contributions, 1t
is not difficult to locate the reason
that actuated the appointment Of
Republicans Of the Cromwell and
Sheldon type as shat passers" for
the Republican party. The per-
sonnet OF these Republican Guard
ians of Reform" becomes still more
important, when the failure of the
Republican National Convention to
enact publicity law and the defeat
of a publicity plank by an over
whelming majority in that conven-
ton, is taken into consideration.
The campaign text book gives
something of the personnel of the
finance and executive committees
with witch Mr.. Taft has surrounded
himself In this campaign. Some Of
these Republicans Guardians of
Reform" are thus identified for the
benefit ST the voting public:
"Wm. Nelson Cromwell of New
YORK, the great Wall Street lawyer,
attorney for the Panama Canal
Combine, Kuehn, Loeb & Co., the
interests, the Sugar
Trust, Standard OIL Trust, ct al.
"George Rumsey Sheldon of No.
} Wall Street. multi-millionairc and