The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-01

:
lands laIer estimate Of the intellectual
and temperamentaI character of Gov
ernor wilson was. Probably if the sec
ond of these coming attacks is made 1t
closures of something Mr. Cleveland
said or wrote about the president or
Princeton, opinions which, according to
report, were not very complimentary
The Cleveland Contingent.
II has been observed that the more
intimate of Mr.. Cleveland's political
and personal friends in this city and
this state are earnestly opposed to the
nomination of Governor Wilson Some
of them go SO far as to say that they
nominated. Presumably an effort viii
be made to bring these loyal supporters
Of Cleveland into active antagonism to
the Wilson presidential nomination
propaganda. The third of the attacks
is in its nature, kept secret But that
three assaults of this kind are now In
contemplation is said by those who
should know, and especially by some
who have recently been in Washington
to be certain.
Thomas F. Ryan are or were, at least,
until recently very warn personal
friends is beyond any question. Those
who are familiar with the manner in
which the relations between Colonel
Harvey and Mr.. Ryar were established
say that Colonel Harvey would be an
migrate if he did not maintain ~ his
life the most cordial friendship for Mr..
Ryan.
Colonel Harvey. in the days OF the
highest activities of William c. Whit
ney and Thomas F. Ryan. was made
sort of junior member at least of On7
branch of their great business family
Much of the success of Mr.. Whit
ney was due to the accuracy with
which he measured young men and
judged of their ability to render him
faithful even brilliant, service. He was
a most generous henefactor- At one
time he offered Elihu Root a regular
retainer of one hundred thousand dol
lars a year to serve in professional ca
pacity the great interests which Mr..
Whitney, with Mr.. Ryan, wa. building
up. Mr.. Root however, chose to ac-
cept the offer of President Mckinley to
become secretary of war. 1t was about
this time that Mr.. Whitney and Mr..
Ryan took Colonel Harvey into their
business family as ten years earlier
they had taken into intimate business
relations the late Colonel Daniel S. La
mont, just after Colonel Lamont retired
from his service as secretary of Presi-
dent Cleveland in 1889
Those things that were expected of
Colonel Harvey were satisfactorily and
even brilliantly achieved. The young
man gained good reputation as an
executive of energy, the best of keen
business Judgment and with an I'M
usual gift for handling men and mar
shaling them to business purposes.
The Harpers' Embarrassment.
A few years later the great publishing
mouse OF Harper & Brothers was found
to be in financial embarrassment The
chief creditor of the house was J. P
Morgan. The debt represented large
loans which Mr.. Morgan had made IN sh.a
publishing house With the consent of
Mr. Morgan, as the chief creditor Har-
per & Brothers asked S. S. Mcclure then
proprietor of McClure's Magazine to I'M
dertake to bring the property back l1pon
a sound financial footing. Mr. Mcclure
was elected president of the corporation,
the representatives, of the Harpers serv-
ton satisfied Mr.. Mcclure that the
house was insolvent- He reported this
ctded that a. receivership was inevitable.
The legal papers necessary in insolvency
proceedings were in preparation and Mr..
Mcclure was to be named as receiver.
On the very day the first draft of these
papers was completed the leading repre-
sentatives Of Harper & Brothers were
taking luncheon at the Down Town club
on Pine street. At a nearby table Colonel
Harvey sat and after he recognized the
Harpers he went over to their table and
had a chat with them They afterWard
reported that Colonel Harvey said to
them that their house could be easily
lifted from its embarrassment and that
a receivership was unnecessary; where
upon he was asked if he would undertake
the work of saving the house and putting
it upon its feet. He replied that he
would and the next day Mr.. Mcclure
was notified that different arrangements
had been made and that a young, active,
energetic man. thoroughly trained in
business had taken charge Of Harper &
Brothers-Colonel Harvey.
That is the history of Colonel Harvey
connection with this house and of his
control of Harper's Weekly. Neither Mr..
Morgan nor Mr.. Ryan had in any way IN
fluenced the choice of Colonel Harvey to
this post although as the largest creditor
of Harper & Brothers 1t was necessary
to ask Mr.. Morgan If he had any objec-
ton to the employment of Colonel Har-
vey in this relation. From this history
it will be seen that the suspicion that
Wall street influences, either those
Identified by Mr.. Ryan or by Mr. Nor
gan's name, control the Harper publica-
lions is without foundation; so that the
influence in this city is that either some
malicious or some iH-informed person
gTievously misled Governor Wilson.
HOLLAND.