Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-04-06
Blocking the Game.

Blocking the Game.
There has been a very interesting de-
bate in the Senate on the free pipe bill.
A vigorous opposition was unavailingly
made to the demand of the oil regions
for free passage Of pipe lines to the
seaboard. Senator Cooper headed the
and again had a very fair
looking foundation to stand on, as he
had in his effort to give the railroad
permission to grant free
passes for d" benevolent and charitable
purposes. But Senator Cooper seems to
be in bad odor. Somehow he is strongly
suspected of being a corporation servant.
He bobs up at every opportunity in ad-
vocacy of the corporation interests. He
avows that he is purity itself in his as
pirations. He declares that it is the
interest of the Delaware county farmers
that he represents in declaring himself
against free pipe lines. But it is
the strangest coincidence that IN
devoting himself to the farmers
and to charity and the rights OF man,
he always finds himself running in the
direction great corporations point out.
Perhaps the corporations have wisely
concluded that the interests Of the peo'
pie are their interests, and so get into
Mr.. Cooper's company in the advocacy
of legislation for the benefit of the peo-
pie or it may be that Senator Cooper
misjudges the popular interest ;or, worst
and saddest of all, the senator may be
wolf in sleeps clothing, pretending to
be what lie is not.
Senator Cooper in the debate was
very pointedly accused of being the ad-
vocate of the Standard oil company. He
Indignantly denied the charge, declaring
that he hated that company as much as
any man possibly could and would throt-
tie it if he got chance. For the pres
ent then we will conclude that it is only
a peculiar coincidence that leads Senator
Cooper so strongly to that side of the oil
pipe question on which the Standard
stands. That company now has pipe
lines to the seaboard and wherever else
it wants to go. 1t has secured them 10y
purchasing the use of their land from
the land owners. 1t has even bargained
with them that they will allow no other
pipe line on their lands. 1t wants mo-
nopoly of pipe lines. ItprOposes to keep
any other line from reaching the sea, by
putting barrier of land that it controls
all along the line of approach to the
ocean. The aim of the present bill is to
block this blocking game. 1t is proposed
to give any pipe line authority to enter
upon the land in its course, even without
the consent Of the owner, upon proper
compensation being made. The states
right of eminent domain is to be given
to pipe line companies.
1t is safe to say that such a proposition
would have no chance of favorable
hearing in the Senate but for the appar
ent necessity for it as a mean of check
ing the monopoliZing schemes Of the
Standard oil company. No corporation
has ever existed which has made itself sc
obnoxious to the people, and their repre-
sentatives in the Legislature stand ready
to do anything they may dc to cripple
it. Perhaps it would be better to
attack it ut once with an axe
and drop it down. 1t certainly
has justly forfeited its chartered priv
ileges. The men who control it have beer
guilty of that which should put them in
the penitentiary. They are so deeply
despised that there is no one to say a
good word for them. There is not a
man found in the Senate to defend them
Senator Cooper, who champions the
cause they favor, does it while protesting
his hatred for them. They are so vile
that no defense of them is possible. And
yet they boldly conduct their operations
in the state under the protection of theil
foreign charter ,and the Legislature finds
no better protection for the people
against their aggressions than by a
grant of doubtful propriety to others OF
its right of eminent domain. This
grant has been hedged around and re-
stricted in such a way that it is not
likely to result in oppression. And in
fact it is declared to be very improbable
that any pipe line will everbe laid
under it. 1t is avowed that the
only aim in demanding this con-
ference of the states right of en-
inent domain is to show the
Standard company that it cannot cork
up and have at its mercy all the oil in the
state. When it is satisfied that it cannot
prevent other pipe lines it will give the
use of those it controls to all who desire
to have them and there are said to be
enough now laid to satisfy every com
mercial need if their facilities are freely
extended to all.
The development of the debate
was that the Pennsylvania railroad
company was interested with the
Standard oil company in defeat
ing the bill. 1t came out clearly
enough when in response to an inquiry
whether any senator had received any
letters from the farmers among his con
stituents protesting against the bill
our Senator Stehman triumphantly
declared that he had one, and produced
and caused to be read. letter from
whom do you think Don't laugh when
you hear that it was from our esteemed
friend, John Keller, who knows
everything about railroad con