The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-29


NEW YORK, Feb. 2S-In regard to the ex7
animation OF John D. Rockefeller. president Oh
the Ohio Standard Oil Company, by the Senate
trust investigating committee. the World says:
s'Ths Investigation was love feast. The chair
man Of the committee was as subdued as one OF.
the new shades of spring costumes. Col. Bliss,
the usually effervescens counsel had moro
sparkle in him than can be found in bottle OF
champagne uncorked the day before yesterday.
President Rockefeller. of Ohio. was a. candid 40
q confidence man before police court Was
the Standard octopus monopoly Oh. by no
means Did it close refneriesl Certainly not
no. Or force corporations into the trust2 Not
at all Its relations with outside refneries
were general and pleasant, and IL makes
no efforts to FIX prices. Its objects are
wholly philanthropic. and 1T has never sought
nor received any special favors from railroad
corporations This, while the grasp of the ter
nees relations and in our State lesislAiuresi
This, while seats in the Senate Of the United
States are filed by the power Of tho great COM
bination! This while the court records arol
crowded with complaints of the lawlees and
even criminal acts of the agents of the trust.
crushing those who dare to hold ont against ite
authority! This, while the Standard OIL mon
ster looms up as the boldest and most unscrupu-
lous of all conspiracies of capital against fair
competition and honest labor Whist farce 10
an investigation which puts on Kid gloves while
handling the millionaires of the Standard Oil
iniquity and allows the testimony of one of the
great barons to slip as smoothly along as il
gliding through one of his own oil pipes, and ia
60 out to the world as the truthful story of the
great monopoly"
Tho Herald says: ssMr. John D. Rockefeller.
the head of the concern and the chief witness OF
the day. was evidently more anxious to wth-
hold than to give the information which it 10 the
purpose of the investigation Co obtain This
fact and its importance were recognized by Gem
eral Pryor when he insisted, and very properly,
we think. on the production of the trust books
demand which his colleague, Colonel BlisH.
saw fit openly to oppose. These books will not
deny, refuse. evade make don't remember'i
answers. They will tell just what the people!
want to know and have right to know. Let
the committee call for their production. AM
important end was attained yesterday by the,
successful demand for the trust agreement,
which has hitherto been carefully kept
in secrecy Like the trust itself, IL is noveltyi
in law. It discloses a combine which takeG
TO itself vaster powers and seeks to evade legah
restraints and responsibilities TO a greater ex-
organization OF men other than these 'trustS
known to the law. corporation, whethek
transportation. manufacturing or financial. char
tered by the government is under govern
mental control. joint stock company 10 SUBJ
ject to well-known legal conditions and limta-
tons. A partnership is governed by established
prescribed legal rules and principles Buttha
great combine of which the Standard Oil Trust
is the original and most conspicuous specimen,
looms up a. legal nondescript which wields
mighter powers than greater rails
road corporation aud. claims
ehption from every wholesome regulu-
lation and check imposed by the law either
upon corporation. joint stock concern.
partnership, or ordinary trust What 10 the
remedys The first step il to unearth the evil
That is the end of the pending investigation.
Ike next step will be the enforcement of exist
ing laws and the enactment of new ones. Trust,
operations which amount to a conspiracy are
criminal. Trust agreements and dealings which
are against public policy are void and cannot be
enforced. Trust combinations which are not
technically criminal, unlawful should be-
brought under strict legal control and super
vision, just as corporations. joint stock CONF
paIies partnerships and legitimate trusts are.S