Daily globe., 1880-08-12

Ass A,cle,cnrd Story on the Republican Can
didate--Cenrtcted of Duplicity and De-
ceit.
Cleveland Correspondence New York Sum-
One evening in the fall of 1878 several gen.
tlemen were sitting in one of the parlors Of
the Kennsrd house. The conversation happen
ed to have reference to the Standard Oil COM
pany's monopoly. The home office of that
company is here, and all of the gentlemen
connected with it were known with greater or
less intimacy by each person in the party now
referred to. It was told how this corporation
had grown in less than ten years from a local
business corporation, doing fair business at
a good profit, to the most gigantic private cor
poration in the United States. 1t was narrated
how the officials, whom even young men in
Cleveland remembered as clerks and book
keepers, had, through this monopoly that they
had built up, become milionaires, some
of them worth as much as
$5, ,000,00O. A gentleman in the party
ard Oil company had acquired its wealth and
power; how it had compelled the Erie railroad,
the Pennsylvania Central. and other roads to
carry oil for it at its own price; how it had
contracted with these to pay it exclusive re.
bates that were SO enormous that no rival cor
poration could possibly live; how it had, by
means of these rebates, crushed out all opposi
tion; how mercilessly it set to work to ruin all
honest and legitimate rivalry; how it had the
oil producers of Western Pennsylvania abso.
lutely at its feet. The story was told in great
detail in the columns of the Sun about that
time, and subsequently was revealed by unwil-
ing witnesses who were under oathsto the Hep
burn committee, 30 called, that investigated
the subject of railway traffic in New York iu
&bn1 LOT. h,x
enced to the appointment of the committee by
the facts first made public in the Snn.
At the time of the Informal meeting in the
parlors of the Kennerd house Just referred to,
the Pennsylvania oil producers were making
strenuous efforts to break this monopoly.
They were fighting it in the Pennsylvania leg
islature, in the courts of tina. State, and were
trying as we'll to get relief from Congress in
the shape of law that would make such dis
elimination illegal. The Reagan nti-discrini-
ination bill had been introduced in Congress,
and WAS then before 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 juucture gentleman who had up to
this time said little, but who afterwards proved
to be Frank Rockefeller, arose. and with great
indignation exclaimed:
Garfield! Gentlemen, that man is one of
the most smooth-tongued, oily hypocrites in
Congress. I believe ell that ever heard of
MIN in regard to the Credit Mobilier charges
and DeGoiyer's bribe. He is an arrant fraud"
The excitement of the gentleman was so
patent. that he was asked for an explanation.
''Well, you shall have it," he said. You
know that j. D II Ockafeller, the president of
the Standard Oil company, and Frank Rocks-
Teller, his brother, are not on good terms.
Frank is connected with rival concern that is
trying to pull through against this Standard
Oil COMPANY. Frank was one of q COMMITTEES
appointed to go to Washington and appear be-
fore the congressional committee that has this
Reagan bill before it. The secretary of this local
committee had written to Garfield asking his
aid. Garfield wrote back that he was with
them; that the Reagan bill was in Its main
features right; that it ought to pass, and that
he should do all in his power to help them.
Relying on Garfeld's word, Frsnd Rockafellar,
the morning after his arrival in Washington,
sent his card to General Garfield, at the capitol,
Garfield came bounding out, and took Rockafel-
lars arm. 'my dear Mr. Rockafellar, said he, L
am very glad to see you. You are down look
ing after this Reagan bill. Now let me tell
you, don't worry. Il isn't going to pass.
amsgainst it. We shall kill it, smother il in
committee. We had to let these people who
want it to pass think we were in favor of it,
and that would lull suspicion and make it
easier to kill it without any fuss.
Frank Rockafellar was amazed. He had
assurances in bis pocket that Garfield was with
them, and here he was telling his story. At
last it popped into Franks head what was up.
Garfield didn't know him, he thought. Gar
field thought Frank was certain, that he was
talking with j. D. Rockefeller, the Standard
oil man. and by this mistake had exposed his
duplicity. Frank stopped walking, and, look
ing Garfield full in the face, said
Excuse me. general, but am not J. d. Rock
afellar of the Standard, / am Frank Rocka fell
lar of an opposition company, and I came to
see you because had your assurance that you
were with us on this Reagan bill Fortunately
have by an accident discovered your real ma
ture and purposes. Good morning, sir"
Garfield could not say word. he tried to
make some apology, but Frank thoroughly
disgusted with the mans hypocrisy, would
have nothing to do with him. That's the
kind of man Garfield is, and sooner or later
the people in his district are bound to find
him out"
This conversation took place year and a
half before Garfield was nominated for the
Presidency.