The herald., 1895-05-23
The Standard Oil company

Editor Herald: On good authority
we are informed that by raising the
price of coal oil Mr.. Rockefeller
pocketed $50. 900. 900 in few weeks. Here
we have a simple illustration OF the oft
repeated axiom of the rich grinding the
faces of the poor. No long-winded thu
ories. no palaver about vested rights, ETC.,
will stand their ground against a fact as
stated above. which speaks for itself in
language as PLAIN as words can be. and
proclaims 10 the world the fearful evils OF
monopoly.
Mr.. Rockefeller w;elds greater power
than any crowned head. He has levied
a contribution from the American people.
Had any European potentate made a
similar attempt in these rebellious times,
it is doubtful whether he would have
maintained his seat on the throne four
and twenty hours. Without murm ur
the American people have submitted to
this tyrannical extortion. this criminal
depreciation on the Fart of a brutal cor
poration. OIL is being struck i'll various
parts of the states; right here in Cali
fornia quite number of petroleum wells
have been sunk. but we do not hear OF a
single hint of constructing a refinery for
the purnose of driving the rapacious
Standard Oil company out of the field, or
at least frustrating their vile efforts to
ruin the people. No mass meetings are
convened for the purpose of protesting
against this infamous injustice. To sub
NIT to every wrong is to sanction 1t. mat
there is something radically wrong in a
system which permits one single lndlyid-
ual to appropriate the earnings OF mlilons
of laborers. not even Republican can
honestly deny.
1t is a lamentabe fact. but new ertheless
true, that the bulk of mankind entertain
very strange and incongruous notions o.
right and wrong. They are based on the
principles of humanity, and apart from
their relations thereto have no existence.
Some will say it's ali right. and quoting
Pope, al that is. is right" What a
gross misinterpretation. And how many
men. even learned men. have been misled
through it. Pope never meant to say
that stealing. robb;ng. numbering, ETC.,
were right. No, on the broad principle
OF sequence of cause and effect, is what
he meant. Thus it is also right that
men should discriminate between right
and wrong and endeayor to right every
wrong.
Others will say, 1--WE know that monop-
oily is wrong. but what are we to do?' NY
answer is: Let all parties overlook their
little differences, and in oruer to defeat
the common enemy, unite, vote not for
n party. but the country's welfare.
Rockefeller is little account as an in
dividual; it is his fabulous wealth that
constitutes Ehis power; in other words.
it is the almighty dollar which domni-
mates over it's worshipers. In whatever
guise oppression appears. if we are to be
a free people, we must adopt means to do
away with it.
How long will the American people al
low the debauchees of society to revel in
the fruits OF their labor? Mankind might
learn an useful lessol from nature. The
bee does not permit the drone to reap the
benefits of her industry while she sub
mits to the rule of royalty. And, indeed,
the tyranny of :. Rockefeller is far more
oppressive than the rule of monarch.
TheFlatter is losing his power daily and
his prerogatiye is extremely limited
nowadays, whereas the oppression and
tyranny of monopoly is on the increase.
Hence, the cry is now raised against that
particular form of despotism.
THEO HIRST.