Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-02-21
lanraster fntelligenrer.
SATURDAY EVENING, FEB. q, 1890.
The Oil Producers Surrender.

its surrender to the Standard OIL company |
with protest which shows that the
Union feels that it has not done very |
noble thing, and that it needs place to
put the blame Of it. 1t declares
that it throws down its arms and accepts
the Standards terms because the state
administration of Pennsylvania, in its
legislative, executive and judicial de-
partments, sought to thwart its efforts to
bring it's enemies to justice. The "Union"
declares that the attorney general of the
state has not acted faithfully in the inter
est which the law put upon him to
defend, but that he delayed the
taking of testimony and the prog
ress of the suit against the Stand
ard. They charge that Governor Hoyt
purposely "failed for many months to
either grant or deny the requisition for
criminals indicted for crimes within the
commonwealth of Pennsylvania, ,fugitives
from justice to other states" They say
that some of the judges of the supreme
court by extraordinary action delayed
for misdemeanor in lower court against
the Standard people. And they attribute
to the alarming and dangerous influence
Ofcorporations these impediments thrown
in their road by the servants of the state
in every department of the government.
They answer that the result forced upon
them by these influences was inevitable
and not to be successfully fought against ;
but while thus declaring they say that
the contest is not over and their object
not attained; and that they will continue
to maintain the subOrdinatiOn of cOrpor-
ations to the will of the people and to
denounce the system of freight discrimi-
nations, which they have just agreed, in
their compact with the Standard, shall
be continued by that company.
The allegations thus presented against
the administration of justice in .Pennsyl-
vania are of the most serious kind, and
if there is fair ground for believing that
they are well founded, the people of the
state must he aroused to the rottennesS
of their government. Just think what is
charged it is that the representatives
of Il great industry in the state have been
unable to secure theprOtectiOn which the
laws give them, by reason of the interpo-
sitiOn OF the governor, the attorney
general and some of the judges
of the supreme court to protect
accused criminals from the punishment
for their crimes and to bar the recovery
of damages due to unlawful acts. 1t is
absolutely fearful to contemplate this
wholesale indictment of the machinery
of justice in Pennsylvania, and to feel,
moreover, as we have good reason to feel,
that it is well founded. The suits of the
oil men have. we all know, suffered delay
after delay for which no good reason
existed. There should have been the
prompteSt action taken to remedy
what was an existing evil of great
magnitude; and it would he disgrace
fll to the code of procedure in
Pennsylvania if it was not possible
for an earnest attorney general to have
obtained a decision in this matter be-
tween the state and a corporation in less
than the two or three years that it has
been pending in the courts without llav-
ing got beyond the initial proceeding of
taking the testimony. That the COVER
nor has failed to act upon the demand
made for requisition for some of the
criminals we also know and that for
this there is no probable justification.
That the supreme court, through
some of its members, has interfered
with the trial of accused criminals ina
county court, is fact; the only question
being as to the motive of these judges III
SO doing. The effect of their action Ger.
tainly was to favor the accused; that
it was unprecedented action is also
true; and that the supreme
court, us to some of it's members
is under grave suspicion of being under
corporation influence, is not to be dis.
puted. 1t may be that it is wrongly ac.
cused. 1t may be that the governor and
the attorney general are wrongly charged
If so, let it he shown, in heaven S name
These grave accusations are grossly Ii
belouS if they are not true. Let the
Producers Union be required to make
them good. 1t offers its service in a
continued fight against the encroach
ments of corporations but its offer
coming after it has just thrown down
its loaded gun, pointed at cornered en-
emy, is not of the most valuable kind
These men are after money, which they
love more than principle. But if theil
bold talk is true talk the people will fight
out the fight without them. Let then
prove their words.
TIE stake that the Democrats have il
unseating Washburn, of Minnesota, ant
putting Ignatius Donnelly into his place
thus securing majority of that state:
delegation in the House-is big one
but not such a one as will justify an,
subversion of the popular will, nor in thu
end accomplish any advantage for thu
party. 1t does not seem likely that Don
nelly was fairly elected in state 81
strongly Republican as Minnesota, MOI
against man SO popular as Washburn
If he was not elected he should not bt
admitted, Republican precedents to the
contrary Notwithstanding. The policy
of the proposed oust of Washburn is
worse than the principle. He is the most
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