Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-11-01

sentative Mr.. Cromwell has directed
the canal work. Although the canal
work was nominally under the charge
Of Secretary Taft. Mr.. Cromwell &C.
companied Mr.. Taft on his visits to
Panama, was present at conferences
both in the United States and Pana-
ma between Mr.. Taft and the subordi-
nate canal officials, and virtually de-
cided who should be appointed anu
who discharged, what work should u
done and by whom and how the con
struction should be carried on. When
the first Lsthmian Commission MA
not obey his instructors it was apof
ished. Chief Engineer John F. wal
lace was removed. When John Is. Nc
Donald bid on building the canal by
contract the bid was rejected.
During these years Of Panama activ-
Itv Mr.. Cromwell found time to DO
many other things. He was counsel
for President Alexander in the intern
the fight with Stuyvesant Fish Tor the
the Equitable Life Assurance Society.
He was in a syndicate with Thomas
F. RYAN. Richard A. McCurdy and
Jacob II. Schiif by which the old Hide
and Leather Bank was turned INTO the
National Bank and consolidated WIN
the Bank Of Commerce. He repre-
sented Charles NJ. Schwab In the
Sheldon ship building syndicate. He
was Edward II. Harriman's counse'
at the meeting OF the Wells-Fargo
stockholders where he rebuked the
protesting minority in the remark
able saying:
Mr.. Hartman Is the one man 10
be thanked for what this company
has gained through the favor OF the
railroads. He cannot be replaced, 1or
he moves in a higher world which We
cannot hope to enter
MIR Cromwell conducted the Wells
Fargo matter so successfully that Mr..
Hartman employed him as counsel In
the fight with Stuyvesant Fish for the
control Of the Illinois Central. where
Mr.. Cromwell was as usual triumph
ant.
He also represented the admins
tration interests in the New YORK
Life election contests against the
policyholders' ticket. OF its conciu-
sion he said: Greatest crediti is due to
Supt. Kelsey for the ability, impart-
ialty. firmness ind care with which
he has conducted and supervised
every detail Of the election
Even Panama and Mr.. Hartman
could not engross his time, because
only last year he was able to attend
to the Milliken Brothers bankruptcy
the Silveria Sugar Company's reor-
sanization, the readjustment OF the al
fairs of the Diamond Association, the
ousting of Oakleigh Thorne from the
Georgia Ce- iral and the restoration
of the Go Ids to the Mercantile Ma
tional Bank, which they had sold 10
Heinze.
As director of the Milwaukee Elec-
trio Railway and Light Company he
Was prosecuted last year by the Al
torney General of Wisconsin. VINO
sought to set aside that company
franchises on the ground that they
were obtained through corrupt prac'
tees.
Besides the Panama Presidential
campaign. in which Mr.. Cromwell re-
Gently brought about the withdrawal
Of Senior Arias and the election OF
Senior Obaldia, who was his Panama
Minister in 1904, he i, next to Pres'-
dent Roosevelt, the chief manager OF
Mr. Taft's campaign. He attended the
Republican National Convention al
Chicago with George w. Perkins,
Chairman Gary Of the Steel Trust and
President Paul Morton Of the Equi'
table. After the convention. when
Mr.. Taft at Hot Springs was consid-
ering the appointment Of Congress
man Mckinley as Treasurer of the
committee. Mr.. CromwelTs telegraph
ed him 10 wait until he got there, and
named George R. Sheldon, whose
syndicate Mr.. Cromwell had repre-
scented in the shipbuilding suits.
Before Mr.. Taft went to his Oyster
Bay conference with President Roose
welt Mr.. Cromwell went over the let
ter of acceptance with him at the
Hotel Manhattan, aud on his return
from Oyster Bay Mr.. Cromwell re
viewed the Roosevelt corrections and
changes. He is reported to have con
tributed $4,000 to the campaign fund.
but denies 1t. He is member OF the
Advisory Committee. He is the chan
mel through which President Roose-
welt is now working to bring the cam
paign fund up to the Hanna Cortel-
you standards.
This is the story Of a remarkable
man. a new type and the most sue
cessful and pre-eminent of that type
II suggests this further question
Is william Nelson Cromwell anOth'
er Of Ny Policies which Mr.. Taft vii!
inherit?