The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-01-12

its capital and guarantee, and in the power
TO fix the price OF the product, to unSettle
1t iu Cleveland or New York, 1t held 1t il
own hanUs the proflableneSs or uuprOat'
ableness Of refining.
Even those business men, and there are
such, who admire the ruling genius Of the
Standard oil Company, MIR, Rockefeller,
because he has been "suCcessiul," may
feel symptoms OF nausea at the disclosures
made by the testimony in this case as to
the business methods by which Mr., Rock
eipller keeps up his IN monopoly In light, It
was not enough for him to control the
prices at which his victims bought and
sold, the amount Of work they should do,
the number OF lAbOring people they should
employ, the new improvements they
should make in their rehperies. At the
meeting al his residence on Euclid avenue
where the contract" was signed, Mr.,
Rockefeller warned Messis. Schoheld,
Schurner and Teage that they must not
tell their wives about the new arrange.
ments, and that, above all, they must
not drive last horses or put ou so
much style ss to awaken suspicion
that they were making much money. In
order to deceive the public, and make
them believe that they were dealing with
competitors instead VI ClnlederRtes, the
contract WAS 10 be kept profound secret
All accounts were to be 30 kept that the
Standards name should not appear. Even
the boOkkeeper WAS not allowed 10 know
anything about the arrangement, Drafts
that were sent between the parties were
In fictitious names. A special postolIice
box was secured, and when Mr. R1Ckeiel.
Ter had communications to send bis con.
iederAtes he wrote letters To an imaginary
"Mr. G. A. Mason, Box No. 1875" Are
there the ways OF honorable men doing
al honest business2 They resemble more
than anything else the blinds OF dealers III
counterfeit currency and obsCene literA
ture.
This contract was q gold mlno to the
Standard. In four years 1t mado out OF its
$4,000 a profit OF $3l5,3i5 6S The con.
tract, as Stanley Matthews said, was tetter
than q gold mine. 1t was a mint. With.
out any personal supervision, without any
lols Of time, without any expenditure be.
sides the magnificent Investment, the
Standard received dividends that are 10 be
counted not by percentages, but by multi.
pliCations Of the original capital over and
over again. The Standard brought suit
only because the rtnrers Insisted on
making moro oil than the limit. On
this excess the Standard received, Ms
on that within the limit, but hall
the prstt. II wanted the whole
Mr. Rockefeller made these con.
tracts, giving tinew hut half their
profits, or less than half Of their capacity,
10 order to keep for himself and the Stan.
dard rehneries all the profit on the vast
field remaining. A return OF $3l5 345 was
the profit tho Standard made out OF the
limited production allowed HChuleld,
Schurmer and reagle How much II made
out Of the sources ofaimiar contracts with
rGtiners In other cities no one knows. How
much out Of the remaining monopoly SO.
cured to II by thus limiting all the other
reiiners no one knows. Probably mot
even their wives know" But II is known
that tho original capital Of the standard
has been weterGd by millions, and II Ia be.
lieved that In one year 1t has divided S0,.
900 900 in dividends,
How came the Standard to get such Q
monopoly How came retlners like SCho.
field, SChurmer and Teagle 10 submit to
such contracts? The ansWer 10 these Iues.
tions Is to be found In the relations OF the
Standard to the railroads. The whole
secret OF RoCkeiellet's success lies hidden
In tho following Clause OF the contract:
"The said Standard Oil Company agrees
that the said parties OF tho second part
shall have the full benefit 10 the extent OF
the business done under this agreement,
OF all agreements now exist s, or that
may hereafter be made by said Standard
Oil Company, relating to freight OH crude
and reilned oil, and the paid Standard Oil
Company stipulAtej "a part OF this
arrangement that 1t will procure
the shipment when made IN It's
own name, with the consent Of
the second parties, Of all oil made aud
received by said parties Ot The second part
In ssid business at the same prices paid
by the Standard Oil Company for the
shipment Ol like products at the same
time, by the ZANE routes, and allow the
same rebates as 1t shall receive" 1t was
by Its arrangement with the railroads that
the Standard obtained its power to mo.
nopOlize the oil business, aud force its
competitors to become lie confederates in
a fraud on the public. The Standard has
the power 10 procure freight rates on bet.
ter terms than the Others engaged In the
same business. II was well asked
by Mr. Stanley Matthews, "How did
they get this power7 What legal
right have they 10 exercise III BY what
authority Of law has any railroad com.
pAny . right to combine with the Stand
ard Oil Company and cay 10 II that for
, any CatiHe or any confederation, tho pro.