Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)/Barker, Wharton

​BARKER, WHARTON, an American financier and publicist, born in Philadelphia in 1846. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1866 and afterward took post-graduate courses at that institution. He became a member of the banking firm of Barker Bros, and Co., and in 1887 was appointed special financial agent in the United States of the Russian Government. In 1887 he was in Russia as adviser of the Russian Government on the development of coal and iron mines, and later spent some time in China in an advisory capacity. He founded the Investment Co. of Philadelphia and he founded also the "Penn Monthly," which was merged in 1880 into "The American," of which he was publisher from 1880 to 1890. He was chief organizer of the opposition to a third term of General Grant and proposed Garfield for president. He was active in Republican politics until 1896, when he became a Populist and was anti-fusion Populist nominee for president in 1900. He was the leading advocate of a commercial union of all American nations. He opposed the annexation of the Philippines and urged the independence of the islands. From 1880 he was a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania. He was a member of many economic societies, and was a frequent contributor to magazines on economic subjects.