Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1911-10-14
j. PlEPPoNT MORGAN NOW
AGAINST PRESIDENT TAFT
Financier, Bitter Because Of Presi
dents stand on Trust Issue, is Re-
ported Ready to Fight Him.

Washington, Oct. 4. Postmaster
General Hitchcock has returned from
the aviation meet in New York with
the knowledge that il President Taft
is renominated and reelected 1t will
have to be In the face of the house Of
Morgan.
Not only has notice been served on
the Taft leaders that they need not ex-
pect any financial help from j. Pier
pont Morgan and the men who are ac
lively allied with Morgan In big bust
ness, but the word has gone out from
Mr.. Morgan himself to make war on
Taft.
From reliable quarters comes the
news that when Postmaster General
tend the aviation meet he sounded
certain of the heutenants of Mr.. Nor
gan as to whether contributions would
be forthcoming to help re-elect Taft.
Instead OF getting aid and comfort, or
the promise of any, it is declared that
Mr.. Hitchcock was turned down cold.
In effect Nae word has gone forth
from j. Pierpont Morgan himself that
there is time to make peace and
time to fight, and now Is the time to
fight
1t is not without reason that for
some days past strange rumors have
been fitting about in high political
circles that Wall street has turned
against President Taft So far as the
powerful Influences of Mr.. Morgan is
concerned this is true Mr. Morgan is
displeased over the attitude OF Presi-
dent Taft with respect to the trusts
and com bfnations. IL will be recalled
that in recent months men like George
w. Perkins, Judge e. H. Gary, of the
steel corporation, and others have
urged persistently that the Sherman
law be amended and that legislation
be worked out to permit great comb
nations of capital to exist under the
sheltering supervision Of the govern
ment.
In contrast President Taft has not
only said the Sherman law is in no
need of amendment, but he has gone
further than this. He gives utterance
In his Waterloo speech to what is In
terpreted by Mr.. Morgan and his pow
erful allies as notice that they must
either submit to reorganization of the
combinations they control or prosecu-
tons will be relentIessly carried on
Attorney General Wickersham has
taken an uncompromising attitude
with respect to the rigid enforcement
of the Sherman law and Is insistent
that trust magnates who violate 1t be
thrown into prison
Under such circumstances, Mr.. Nor.
gan and the men about him are not
only preparing to resist Taft, but they
are giving attention to the question
of what man to put into the White
House to succeed him. They do not
expect to be able to prevent the re-
nomination OF the president. They do
expect to be able to prevent his re-
election.
Governor Judson Harmon is the first
choice of the powerful financial group |
OF which Mr.. Morgan Is the center |
His record of the enforcement of the |
Sherman law when he was attorney
general is sufficiently devoid Of any
thing strenuous to satisfy Mr.. Morgan |
and his friends.
Further than this, gossip has 1t that !
men close to Mr. Morgan have been
examining into the Champ Clark sit |
uation. They are wondering whether |
Mr.. Clark would not be much prefer
able to Wilson, and it is possible that, |
If nothing better can be done, the |
Morgan influence and such conserva.
tive Democratic strength as this infiu-
ence can command will be thrown at |
the last moment to Clark.