Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-04-27
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The STANDARD Inquiry.

xuo SL6nQarQ Oil company buu Iio
railroad officers In conspiracy with 1t to
rob their stockholders and the public,
have been often investigated In court
ana legislature, In the past decade, with.
ont much beneficial result; and now
Congress is travelling over the ground.
We trust that something may come
ont Of the inquiry, and there
u fair hope that there may. The
committee has secured the services Of
Franklin B. Gowen, who Is thoroughly
acquainted with the matter and Ca
pabls Of developing 81; he has
tho energy and skill 10 make the
investigation effective, II It is with.
In human power. 1t is fair pre-.
sumption that Congress will be suiIl.
ciently Independent OF the great influ.
ences that are assailed to afford remedy
Tor the wrong which certainly exists
and which doubtless will be proved.
it time, however, will be so
fully occupied at this session. and the
attention of Its members will bs so en-
crossed by political issues, that 1t is
not probable that any legislation as
ths result in the Standard inquiry
will be reached at It. The testimony
taken, however, will be of lively
interess to the people, and may secure SO
strong public demand for redress as 10
hasten action. We are unwilling to be-
lieve that the great wrong which has
been done by this great monopoly Will
long pass without punishment and right
ing.
The state of Pennsylvania has suffered
the greatest injury. Petroleum has
chiefly been the product Of her rocks. In
1868 ninety-seven and a half per cent. of
the refining business Of the country was
done within the state In 1880 only
i've and half per cent. was done.
This statement is eloquent of the disre.
gard OF Pennsylvania interests by the
Pennsylvania legislature.
Mr.. Gowen stated that over hundred
millions Of dollars had been paid in re.
bates on freight to the Standard by
railroads; and Mr.. Emery In his
testimony computed that ten mil.
Hons had been 30 paid in seventeen
and half months by the four principal
railroads leading from the oil region. In
1872 there were two hundred and fifty
independent refneries In the state and in
1879 only four or five all having been
crushed out Of existence by discrimina.
Zion In freight rates. Mr.. Emery
declared his telief that rebates were still
given, notwithstanding the interstate
law, which it must be remembered only
90verns the railroads outside the state
The Republican legislature of Penn.
sylvania having refused TO provide punish.
ment for unjust discrim ination within the
state.
Representative Breckenridge asked Mr..
Emery why the railroads gave rebates in
manifest robbery of their stockholders
He declared his opinion that railroad
men were interested in the rebates to the
amount of hundreds Of thousands Of dol.
Ars year. This is the current conviction,
and Is one which should be proved or dis.
proved In Justice to the railroad man.
agers and the public. Those who are in
nocent should not suffer in esteem with
the guilty; and 1t does not follow that
the guilty are always the presidents
" the roads. We do not suppose,
for instance, that the president of the
Pennsylvania railroad is one of the
thieves he is by no means In absolute
control OF the company which has leeches
which he cannot shake off, though he
would. Let US maintain lively hope
that this congressional investigation may
30 vigorous enough to shake these crea-
tures on, II 1t cannot take from them
their ill-gotten gains.