Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1890-10-24
Lees Sketch Of Phillips.

Sometime last winter, Senator Lee, OF
Franklin. Pa. wrote o sketch Of the life Of
his friend. Thos. W Phillips. which. after
giving an account Of his early days, mar
riage, start in business, etc, continues as
follows:
when General Garfield received the
nomination for the Presidency at Chleaeo;
being an intimate and warm personal
friend of the General Of many years stand
irg and moreover an ardent and true he
publican. Mr.. Phillips laid aside his busl,
ness and contributed his entire time until
election in behalf of his friend and the
marty. His efforts during the campaign
took wide range.
FIRST he conceived and planned the
Pspnbliean textbook for the campaign OF
IsSO. written by 3. A. Hinsdale: lie as
sisted in compiling its materials ahd pc
came it, financial backer. 1t covered lhe
wilole field Of information necessary 10 me
contest more comPrehenslVeiy; tloroGsL
IL and concisely than any book before pro
fnced in asv political campaign In
sneakiur of campaign books the Press
nf,ced this at the head OF the list.
Tn the early part Of July, before the
ca,nbairn opened. Mr Phillips went TO the
state of Indiana and planned and put INTO
ora-etion forces which told with such
married. effect upon the results Of both state
ard general elections that he has been
iustlv accredited with having done as much5
at least, as any other one lhdlVldual py
personal effort TO secure the sacces5 Oh me
Republican cause in that important State.
Although never aspiring to, Dlt away
declir,in0 Office. he nevertheless has as
private citizen taken an carries. anu &c
i've interest in the welfare Of his party
nd contributed literally Of his time and
means to its success. By his efforts n the
caInpaign of 1880 he was brought into such
nrornineuee that III the Senatorial contest
Thieh followed in the Legislature OF Penn
erivania his name frequently appeared
among those who were likely to be taken
aS a colnprorn;se to end the long struggle,
and he repeatedly received yotesin the open
convention of both Houses. had he Deeh
chosen. such was his influence with Pres
ident Garfield and bis well known eonell-
iatory character that the war ot factions
which followed might have Deeh aFeFteo
and the whole course Of political events
changed.
In every movement for the protection or
imnrovemert OF the importent industry oi
producing petroleum Mr.. Phillips has taken
an active and leading part In 15Co he
was largely instrumental in securing the re
rnoval Of the direct internal revenue tax or
oil of one dollar per barrel. In 1879 he was
placed at the head Of a committee to op-
nose a direct tax upon oil well rigs OF 81,
600, or the alternative tax upon OIL Of ten
cents per barrel.
In the recent movement CndeIla-aeh "
the producers Of petroleum to limit pro.
duetfon TO enable the extensive stock OF OIL
in tanks TO be reduced, by being refined
instead Of wasted, and to put the industry
upon a permanently better footing, he was
Inc Acknowledged - the chosen leader.
The undertaking was emineDEy success
fal. He refused to go into this movement
to curtaii operations unless some provision
was made to compensate and protect the
labor engaged in the industry, and Tor TINS
purpose the profit which would accrue dur
ing the year upon two million barrels OF
oil was set apart.
From this oil a larger sum was Ieallzed
and distributed to the labor engaged IN the
oil business than went to the producers
themseIyes. This is the frat time in the
history of any business that the cessation
of operations was accompanied with such
inst and ample provision for the labor en-
Moved On account Of the facts narrated
above there is no man, and this can pc
said without disparagemelt to others, Eho
has SO large and enthusiastic a foilo"lng
in oil the counties where oil Is produced.
Mr.. Phillips business career has been
remarkable, both for its success and for the
tenancity Of purpose displayed. IL was,
however. attended with one great reverse,
which would have appalled, less coura-
geous man, but which only served to BRING
out the strong character Of this man. just
prior to the unforeseen panic of 1873 the
firm had bought large tracts OF Oil Land,
with deferred payments, upon the bass Of
the prices paid for oil, which was over ~
per barrel. The panic and the discovery,
about the same time, OF prollhc producing
oil fields deprecated the price OF oil 10 40
cents per barrel. and correspondingly the
land they had purchased, and involved the
firm IN a debt which may be stated, IN
round numbers at half a million of dollars
They were repeatedly urged by friends
TO discharge this debt by certificates in
bankruptcy. and the specious plea was en-
uloved that this would not prevent their
snbseauently paying il if they became able.
This they declined 10 do, saying they
would pay the debt and interest, and with
indoninable energy renewed the business
Of producing oil upon vast scale and plan
exclusively their own. They made good
this promise to their creditors, paying
them, with the interest added, IN the
neighborhood Of eight hundred thousand
dollars. In the short space OF fifteen years
they not only accCnip3shea Lhln AtitoiS"H
debt-paying task, but accumulated for
tune which may be safely estimated at o
million dollars II was the payment Oh
their Indebtedness which was the inspiring
motive OF all their energy and plans. The
business was organized and condueed on a
basis commensurate with their debt. The
fortune necessarily followed It's payment
II IL not strange that Mr Phillips has the
unboundcd confidence and esteem OF All
vino know him. TO sum up this sketch II
nay be said in brief that he is a man Of re-
markable executive ability, possessed OF a
strong, vigorous, logical mind, with great
powers Of generalization, large intellectual
attachments, untiring industry and un
swerving integrity. JAMES W. LEE,
In this article Mr.. Lee does not mention
the TACT that when Sir. Phillips brother
and able coadjutor, Isaac Phillips, died III
1883 he assumed the indebtedness Of the
firm Of Phillips Brothers, which then
amounted to 800, 600, and paid every dol
| lar Of it himself. In fifteen years the firm
and he paid an Indebtedness Of $500, 600
| In many instances all proof Of indebted
| ness had been destroyed or lost by the
holders, hut the books Of Mr. Phillips
showed the amounts and these claims were
maid -E'r