Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-02-22
la1,caster f1ltelligelner.
THURSDAY EVENING, FEB. %. 1893
A Stout Champion.


A Stout Champion.
The cause of the people against the
Standard oil company has found Its ht-
test champion in Franklin B. Gowen, In
whose fearlessness, ability and lncor-
runtibility the supremest confidence is
felt. Mr.. Gowen is so customary sue
cessful in his undertakings that the pat
t,o is considered half won when he IS IN
the lead. The reason is that he is always
found to be the champion of the truth,
as he understands it at least and his
understanding is usually good. There Is
an irresistible force in virtue that needs
but to be let loose to be victorious. Inc
fearless, honest and intelligent spirit
who isinspired to vigorously take the SIDE
Of the truth that he finds crushed to earth
is sure to speedily see it rising up under
his feet. Mr.. GoweI is often thus re-
warded and will be again ip his present
undertaking. 1t is safe to say that there
never has been viler association OF men
than is found in the Standard oil COM
pany. They are conspirators OF the
meanest and darkest complexion. 1t is
not known that they have ever conspired
to murder, but they have SO we'll shown
that they will do anything necessary to
their purposes that we are at liberty to
conclude that if they have not yet killed
any one who stood in the way of their
thieying accumulations it is because
they have not needed 10. They
have obtained the command of so
much money by their nefarlous
practices that they have been able to do
pretty much as they pleased with every
one whom they found in their pathway.
1t was only question of cash. Every
one, it is said, has his price, and the
Standard oil company has prospered
under its experience of the truth of this
declaration, and under its disposition
and ability to avail itself of it.
1t seems, however, in its struggle to ur-
set the opposition of the Tidewater Pipe
Line company, to have come across an
odd lot of men. The secretary of the
concern they succeeded in purchasing,
but President Benson they do not seem
to have been SO successful with.
They claim. in their atlilavits pro
duced in the present litigation before
Judge Church at Meadville, that Benson
offered to sell out the Tidewater stock tC
them, but that they virtuously refused
to buy. Benson swears, however, that
it was just the other way they offered
and he refused. They proposed to give
him a great price for his stock and sal
ary of S2j, GOO a year as president OF tlIs
Tidewater concern. The probabilltie:
are strongly in favor of Mr.. Benson ;:
telling the truth the only thing against
it is the general dlstrust of mans incOr
ruptbbility when strongly tempted
But this makes rs strongly agains
the Standard people; since they
ardently desired to get rid OF
the Tidewatcr opposition, and it i!
not credible that they would refuse
President Benson's offer TO sell out tt
them its stock They never have failed
to buy out opposition. They are as SURF
purchasers of rival concerns as is the
Western Union telegraph company
Moreover, Mr.. Benson's reputation fol
veracity and honesty IS good {; while that
of the Standard corporation officials
could not be worse. No jury con!d be
found to credit their oath when tilcic in
terests were involved. 1t is u corporation
so obnoxious 10 the sense o. the people
of Pennsylvania that thA belief is
universal that its memlNrs should
be in the penitentiary.
Mr.. Gowen has the warm feeling Of
the people behind him in his attack upon
it. He starts ont with the popular yer
dict with him. The Standard oil com
pany is adjudged common nuisance.
1t is an impudent foreign corporation
that has fastened ITSELF us lsech upon
the productiveness of the state, and that
has been allowed by the corrnptiDiiity
and supineness OF Pennsylvania officials
to destroy the.oil business Of the stale
and to smother the enterprise of its
citizens. Away with it