Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-28
HALT. HARRrMANi

lAAO OOutuGiH anu suit LftNkG
lines, and win declare Illegal its owner
ship of stock in competing roads. It is
to be hoped that measure so drastic
in its purposes will be no less effective
in its results, and that at last the
heavy hand of Hartman the Oppres-
sor will be lifted from the Santa Fe
and Salt Lake roads. At last there is
? reasonable prospect of relief for the
shippers of California from the CALLING
yoke of this anachronistic representa-
tive of a bygone age when might was
right, and when obedience to tyrants
was foolishly believed to be obedience
also to God.
Harriman's operations since he began
to enjov what he imagined to be UNI
trammeleo and unrestricted power
have been these of a medieval ma
rauder, not those of the modern Amer
lean gentleman in business. In the
teeth OF morality, law and order he
established a baronial system, which
had for its definite object the Gripping
of competition by fair means or foul,
in order that tribute might be diverted
to his Golfers.
In exactly tine spirit of old baronial-
ism, he set up his lawless strong places
and his ilIegal garrisons, so that he
might extor+ ransom from the weak or
the unwary
Undeterred by public disapproval, he
MD 1foN
by which the Salt Lake road, in the
graphic language which is sometimes
far more expressive than any conven=
tional phraseology, was held up and
shaken down. In his attack upon the
Salt Lake he gave a Characteristic in
stance of his motives, his purposes.
Senator Clark's intention when he
planned the road was perverted and
thwarted by this lier-in-wait, who sud-
denly sprang upon this enterprise.
which was intended to be a free and
Independent outlet from tidewater to
the Salt Lake gateway. and submitted
1t to a series of skillfully conducted
Operations that reduced it to only a
SNthDAobSC VI It's
self. Blackmail, intimidation, BULLDOG
ing were the features of the campaign
which he conducted in his efforts to
fetter great undertaking and to re-
duce it TO a condition in which it might
minister to his purposes and become
subserv;ent to his schemes.
In his treatn ent of the Southern Pa
cific road the unabashed Hartman was
equally baroniai, equally un-American.
He has devoted all his ingenuities to
the task of dverting the earnings of
the road into his own pockets. He has
reduced the Southern Pacific to the
pettifogging status of an enterprise "of
Harrimen, by Hartman and for Har-
riman.'
In order to complete his control of
the transportation industry in South
ern California, and to make it certain
that in the language of critic who
| spoke with whimsical bitterness, not
one guilty dollar should escape him, he
acquired predominating ownership of
stock in the Santa Fe, and engaged I'M
blushingly in the effort to carry
through with serious face the roaring
farce of competition. The public re-
fused TO believe that one road con-
trolled by Hartman or Hartman in
terests could possibly compete with
another road controlled by Hartman
Dr Hartman interests, but Hartman
gravely attempted to foster, encourage
and perpetuate the delusion, although
lis was the position of the boy who
sits alone at the checkerboard and
plays his right hand against his left.
No matte~ what move was made,
Hartman won Even when Hartman
seemed to lose, he won. There were
occasions when. so to speak, he robbed
Peter Hartman to pay Paul Hartman,
but even when his actions were para
doxical they were methodical, and with
generated and directed the tortuous
campaign with the result that, as every
winding road OF old led finally to Rome,
so every perplexing path led inevitably
to the Hartman exchequer, and over
these devious ways wound the wagons
with tribute, and always billed for the
same destination. All this kind of
freight wa Harriman's.
1t has been believed, at least by stout
hearted an optimistic citizens, ever
since the interstate commerce commits
sion began its investigation, that the
law would yet assert itself and spoil
The spoller, and that the principles of
American fair play, aided by aggressive
action With legal weapons, would dis
turb the JuEgernaut serenity with
which the Hartman car swept on its
lawless way.
| At last the command comes with
| clear, sharp military precision,
HALL. HARTMAN"
And the voice is the voice of Roose-
welt!
M TIT NInXkTt