Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-09-27
lancaster fntclliasnrer.
EVENING, SEPT, ~. 1883
Tn, Standard investigation.


There is legislative committee inves-
tIgating something about the Standard
oil company we do not understand
very clearly what the committee is
driving at, and the committee stems 10
fully share our ignorance. In the b.
ginning of the year Franklin Il. Gowen
went TO Harrisburg and told the Legs.
lature that Mr.. +. G.. Patterson, who had
been hired by the state to collect testi.
mony to show the Standard oil com
pany's Indebtedness to the state, had
not delivered to the state the testimony
he had collected, but that the Standard
oil company had come into possession OF
1t. Mr.. Gowen declared his ability to
land Mr.. Patterson, if not some other
people, in the penitentiary, If the Legs
latuIe desired them to be put there. Tie
Legislature showed no very ardent de
sire on the subject but rs something
had to be done about 1t, committee
was appointed to see about it. That
committee has found occasional leisure of
late to hear few witnesses, but notably
does not disturb itself to pump them.
Tho committee is understood to be very
amiably inclined TO the Standard com
pany and no confidence whatever is felt
in its disposition to find out anything of
the matter into which 1t is supposed to
be inquiring. 1t has not yet had before
it Mr.. Gowen, who should have been
invited by 1t to take charge of the iny,s
fiuatipp ha nr,sappti,o n1}n. Ihpt a
isno one acting in that capacity before
the committee. Attorney General Cas-.
si1y was present yesterday, and asked
the late attorney general, Mr.. Palmer,
whether be knew of anyone being paid
$500 for suppreSsing testimony as
charged by Mr.. GOwen. Mr.. Cassidy
declared his intention of asking this
question of each witness hereafter, to
the end that he might proceed against
anyone who would be so charged. But #
this charge has heretofore been made by
Mr.. Gowen, Mr.. Cassidy has already the
foundation on which he could base his
suit Perhaps he may think that Mr..
Gowen would not state under oath what
he said to the Legislature. 1t may be so,
as Mr.. Gowen doubtless did not have
personal knowledge of what he stated.
But as he has an established reputation
for knowing what he is talking about,
Mr.. Cassidy would have been amply jus
titled in taking his information, which
in fact he might have called for under
oath at any time. AS the committee,
however, promised to call Mr.. GOweu
and Mr.. Patterson before it ut its next
maeting, it is possible that the tardy
wheels Of justice may yet lie started.
Attorney General Palmer, under whose |
minstration the suit of the state against |
the Standard miscarried, testiles that |
the Cause Of it was the supreme court |
and not Patterson. The latter he says, |
he hired for SO. 900 contingent fee to |
get hun information about the amount !
of the Standards profits, but he did not |
get it. He did not know that the
Standard had bought him off. In fact,
he did not need Patterson, az the Stand
ard people oblgingly told him all be
wauted 10 know about their profits, aud
he estimated that they owed $4,000 to
the state, which lie would have got if
the supreme court had not upset his
law. y nice little case stated had been
agreed upon with the Standard, in
which the attorney general-Or rather
his deputy, for Palmer is not supposed to
have been 81 stupid or something worse
had cut down the auditor generals |
taxation Of S3,O0OO 900 against the |
Standard to SSOO,OOO, upon no other |
evidence but the comIany's statement a: |
and upon this case stated. 50 drawn |
as to give the best possible chance of a |
decision against the state, the supreme |
court, some of whose members are be |
lleyed TO have been fayOrabIy inclined |
that way anyhow, found cause to reduce |
the demand Of the state to "a bagatrllp. |
OF course Palmer defends his Office |
LOW, and eNculratCs Patterson because |
that Is necessary to clear himself and his |
subordinates but he cannot get away
from the fact that his case stated was |
agreed to, without any sufficient iuforma |
tion as to the facts admitted and with. |
out the enlightenment on them that |
Patterson was employed to get and |
that the $4,000, 600 taxed by the proper |
officer Of the state was reduced by his |
office without authority and without |
knowledge that 1t was wrong.