The Washington herald., 1912-04-28

II EDWARD
every time he has filled a public office
i He has told me how he was called int
President Cleyeland's Cabinet, where h,
really began the campaign against mo
nopolies and trusts that has since beer
carried on by others. II is a human
and rather singular story. Reachinl
his office IN Cincinnati one morning, hC
! found letter addressed to him in un.
| known and peculiar penmanship. .HG
Il opened II with some curiosity and read
Mr.. Clevelands request that he accept
the Attorney Geheralship. He had not
thought OF the once, not talked Of II
with Mrs. Harmon or any one else. He
went at once to President Taft, then
Judge of the United States Court. OF
course, Jud,' Taft said after reading the
/ letter, you will take it, Going home
for luncheon, he found Mrs. Harmon
sitting in a chair on the porch. He
tossed the envelope into her lap. She
did not look at It: she had never seen
any of Mr.. Cleveland's writing. You
have received a letter from the Presi-
dent she said He wants you to be-
come member OF his Cabinet
How do you know Gov. Harmon
asked, more surprised at her knowledge
| than he had been when he opened and
| read the letter.
at cannot ten,' Mrs. Harmon an
swered, I just feel that am right
ITO my way Of thinking" Mr.. Moore
went on to say, ''it was a clear case Of
Washington in June. He stayed right
through the summer. to learn his job.
as he explained to his associates. The
Sherman antitrust law was new and
practically untested. He revived three
dormant cases against railway and iron
pipe combinations and tried them in
person. Decisions for the government
were handed down after he retired from
office. Thus was started the war upon
the trusts.
1T may be that Harmon's relations
with the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Day
ton and the Pere Marquette railways
as receiver Of both properties have given
his detractors an excuse to circulate the
idiotic stories about his alleged sym
pathys with the bankers and spectators
of New YORK. Judge Lurton, now an
Associate Justice OF the. United States
Supreme Court. appointed him to take
charge Of the railroads. No man will
dare to question the judicial acts or mo-
tives of Mr.. Justice Lurton. Moreover,
he is a good Democrat. Harmon man
aged $500 miles of track, running
through four American Statea. and a
province in Canada, to the profit and
Satisfaction OF every one.
Cut on Passes and Rebates.
THE 1900 employees received their
wages promptly. have heard him say
that the pay rolls amounted to $4,000
a month. He had to borrow the money
at first, but he got it, and the pay car
was always on time to the minute so
long as he was responsible for the
operation of the railroads. He gave
his personal attention to men, methods,
and machinery, and was often seen
walking around in the freight yards.
He cut of passes and the giving of
rebates TO big. shippers before Congress
had outlawed such practices. In the
end, he turned the railroads back to,
their owners and no. man, whether a
creditor, an owner, or a workingman,
lost penny by reason OF their having
gone into bankruptcy. To me. lawyer,
with an understanding of his problems,
difficulties and labors, his conduct of
the business given into his hands by a
court Of the United States proves his
great ability as a fnancier and as a
practical manager of large enterprises
Il am reminded, in speaking OF Judge
Lurton, that he and Gov. Harmon al |
most faced each other once on the field |
Of battle. 1t was during the civil war |
Harmon's father was a Baptist minis
ter. He preached in Southwestern Ohio !
Tor nearly fifty years While he was |
away from home, Judson Harmon Joined |
he rural militia that went forth to re-
pei Gen. Kirby Smith. who was said to /
1e on his way to capture Cincinnati. |
he was gone three weeks and was |
lrmed with shotgun and a wrought
ron sword. When he returned, his
ather sent him to Denison University. /
20 ended the Governors 1rst military
,ampaign.
Two years later. while working as a
arm hand during vaeation-and / want
o say that he earned his own educa-
ion. mostly by manual labor-he rode
orth second time to meet and do
'attle with an approaching enemy
Ohm Morgan, the Confederate cavalry
nan, came east from Indiana by way
4 a road that led straight into Gin
innati. Again the home guard turned
ut. Judson Harmon was mounted on
blind and spawned horse. He didn't
box like warrior. but he says that he
cit like one. Mr.. Justice Lurton, only
boy, was a trooper in Morgan,s COM
land.- Morgan. however. passed around
'incinnati. deeming it wise to keep his
hen in motion.
Judge Lurton says he saw Gov. Har-
Ion whipping his battle steed and re-
reating toward home Gov. Harmon
avs he saw Judge Lurton, with a ham
nd goose across his Saddle, gaIloping
p long hill. Anyway, they admit
nat they dio not meet. which was for
mate, perhaps, for themselves and
leir cotIntryss -
'cOD5nsht. 1872 b James b MOuOvJ Ii