The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1880-08-12
AN AWKWARD STORY ON GAR.
FIELD.
Cleveland Cor. New York sun

happened to have reference to the Standard
Oil company's monopoly. The home Office
OF that company is here, and all Of the gen
| tlemen connected with it were known with
greater or less intimacy by each person in
the party now referred to. twas told how
this corporation had grown in less than ten
years from local business corporation, do
ing fair business at good profit, to
the most gigantic private corporation IN the
Union. 1t WIS narrated how the officials,
whom evne young men in Cleveland remem-
Der as clerks and book keepers, had,
through this monopoly that they had built
up, become millionaires, some Of them
worth as much as $jO0O,OO0. A gentle
man in the party spoke of the means by
which this Standard Oil company had ac-
CURED its wealth and power; how it had
compelled the Erie railroad, the Pennsyl-
vania Central, and other roads to carry oil
for it at its own price; how it had contract
ed with these to pay it exclusive rebates that
were so enormous that no rival corporation
could possibly live, how it had, BY means
OF these rebates crushed out all opposition;
how merciess it set to work to ruin all
honest and legitimate rivalry; how it had
the oil producers Of western Pennsylvania
absolutely at its feet The story was told
in great detail in the columns of the Sun
about that time, and subsequently was re.
vealed by unwilling witnesses who were
under oath to the Hepburn committee, so
called, that investigated the subject of
railway tariff in New York in 1870 the
legislature having been largely influenced
to the appointment of the committee by the
facts first made public in The Sun.
At the time of the inform al meeting in
the parlors of the Kepnard house Just re.
ferred TO, the Pennsylvania oil producers
were making strenuous efforts to break this
monopoly. They were fighting it in the
Pennsylvania legislature, in the courts of
that state, and were trying as well to get
relief from congress in the shape of law
that would make such discrimination lille
gal. The Reagan anti-discrimlnation bill
had been introduced in congress and was
| then before q committee. Said one of the
gentlemen: II suppose that Gen. Garfield
will help US in the passage of this bill. He
ought to- He claims to be the friend of
the people; to be opposed to monopolies,
and to love fairness
At this remark another gentleman, who
had up to this time said but little, got up
in an excited manner and spoke, with
every appearance of indignation;
Garfield Gentlemen, that man is one of
the most smooth tongucd, oily hypocrites
In congress. believe all that ever heard
of him In regard to the Credit Mobilier
charges and De Golyer's bride, He is an
arrant fraud
The excitement of the gentleman was so
patent that he was asked for an explana-
ton.
We'll you shall have it," he said.
You know that j. d. Rockafellar, the
president of the Standard Oil company, and
Frank Rockefeller, his brother, are not on
good terms. Frank is connected with a |
rival concern that is trying to pull through
against this Standard Oil company. Frank
was one of committee appointed to 90 to
Washington and appear before the con-
gressional committee that has this Reagan
bill before it. The secretary of this local
had written to Garfield asking
his aid. Garfield wrote back that he was
with them; that the Reagan bill was in It's
main features right; that it ought to pass,
and that he should do all in his power to
help them. Relying on Garfed's word,
Frank Rockefeller, the morning after his
arrival in Washington, sent his card in to
Gen. Garfield, at the capitol. Garfield
came bounding out, and took Rockafellars
arm. My dear Mr.. Rockafella, said he,
| am very glad to see you. You are down
ooking after this Reagan bill. Now let
ne tell you, don't worry. 1t isn't going to
BASS. am against 1t. We shall kill it,
smoother 1t in committee, We had to let
hese people who want it to pass think we t
we're in favor of it, and that would lull sus- {
,icion and make it easier to kill it without
my fuss" =
Frank Rockafellar was amazed. lie had 4
ssurances in his pocket that Garfield was t
With them, and here he was telling this sto- !,
y. AT last it popped into Franks head 7
that was up. Garfield didn't know HIM, C
c thought. Garfield thought, Frank was
ertain, that he was talking with j. D. .
.ockatellar the Standard oil man and by :
his mistake had exposed his duplicity. d
rank stopped walking, and, looking Gar. Il
t,,t IA l,. 4. |