Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-06

entity on Gov. Harmon's behalf by Mr..
Powell. a former democratic candidate
for governor The telegram read:
Gov. Judson Harmon Is the same JUDI
son Harmon who as special counsel traced
the crime of rebatinig to Paul Morton.
resignipg when you refused to proceed
AGAINST this member of your cabinet
The message asks Roosevelt why he did
not act against Mr.. Morton.
Crime Not Traced to Norton.
The colonel asserted that Mr.. Harmon
failed completely to trace the crime Of
rebating to Mr.. Morton. The Attorney
General. then Mr.. Moody. reported to
him. Col. Roosevelt said, that Mr.. Har-
mon had produced no evidence whatever
to justify his recommendation of action
against Mr.. Morton. Mr.. Harmon, he
said, proposed to indict Mr.. Morton any
way. apparently on the theory that evil
dence might subsequently be found that
would connect Mr.. Morton with miscon-
duct. saying that guilt is personal.
Col. Roosevelt went on to say that he
had sustained the Attorney Generals
dence on which Mr.. Harmon made his
Recommendation before the court.
THE case was brought up before
democratic Judge. Judge Phillips" Col.
Roosevelt continued, land in his opinion
from the bench he specifically and abso-
lutely justified the course Of the Attorney
General stating that there was no evil
dence whatever in the case that in any
way implicated Mr.. Morton.
Saying that Mr.. Harmon had sought
to discredit an innocent man, Col Roose-
welt then took up the receivership of the
Cincinnati. Hamilton and Dayton railroad,
which he said was owned in Wall street,
ut being, as l am informed. one of the
people, or whichever interest 1t was In
Wall street, applying to have their friend,
Mr.. Harmon. made receiver.
HE received a salary of $4,000 a
year." Col Roosevelt continued: lit is
shown by actual record that while he was
receiver the road under him was engaged
continuously in paying damage claims to
certain parties for the purpose Of hold
ing business under circumstances which
clearly indicated that the payment of
such damages served the same purpose
as the payment of rebates.
An Alleged Combine.
"Itlhas been shown that the road was
In denomination with other roads to fix
rates. this combination being certainly
against the spirit and apparently also
against the letter of the law. The road
did not pay its taxes to the state of Ohio.
hitherto escaping several hundred thou
sand dollars of such taxes on the plea,
among others, of insolvency.
"Mr. Harmon became governor and
continued this dual position as receiver
of the road at a salary of $4,000 and
governor at salary Of $4,000. His serv-
ices to his two clients, the state of ohio
and the Wall-street owned railroad, ap-
pear to have been about in proportion to
the respective salaries they paid him.
For eight months he continued in this
dual position, getting about $4,000 from
the railroad and about $1,000 from the
state.
During this time he claims as one of
his reasons for justification that as the
railroad was insolvent it should not pay
the taxes to his officials in his capacity
as governor, but it was not too insolvent
to pay him his salary as receiver Of the
railroad"
Neglect Of Duty Charged.
Col Roosevelt said Gov. Harmon as
serted he knew nothing of the evasion
of taxes, Of the rebating and the combi
nation Of the road with other railroads"
eff that is so,' he continued, what did
he mean by accepting the position Of re-
ceiver and drawing salary of $4,000 a
year? If he drew a salary like that 1t
was his business to make himself thor
oughly acquainted with what the road
under him was doing, and especially to
see to it that it did nothing illegal and
that it paid it's just debts to the state"
The colonel said Gov. Harmon had as
serted that he did not want to continue
as receiver OF the road. but that the
Judge would not allow him to give up
the work.
III Gov. Harmon had not wanted to
remain as receiver Of the road" said
Col Roosevelt, no judge in the land
could have forced him to remain"
Defeat of Public Utilities Bill.
The colonel then referred to the pub
lie utilities bill defeated in the Ohio
last winter. against which.
he said. the democrats in the legisla-
ture stood almost solidly.
"Gov Harmon protested that he
knew nothing about it, said Col.
land by his supine attitude
and failure to take stand he brought
about it's defeat" He declared that
the author Of the bill had charged pub
licly that the governor knew all about
it, and that he himself had gone over
it with the governor. He asserted that
the governor said he was
against petty graft. he had appointed
to Office men who had proved guilty OF
the graft which he denounces in others
and that he had on the ticket with him
one such man, who had confessed and
made restitution to the state.
Col Roosevelt concluded his speech
At 1885 and Immediately left for the
Union station, where he boarded the
2 so train for Cleveland.