The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-03-05

Let us speak plain, there is more force In names
Than most men dream of; and lie may keep
It's throne whole age longer if it skulk
Behind the shield of fair seeming name.
For men in earnest have no time to waste
In patching fig leaves for the naked truth.
JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL.
When we take up our pen each month
to write under this heading, the impulse
is to continue to show up the iniquities of
the trusts whose hydra heads are reared
in every portion of the country, snakes
whose fangs every citizen feels, whose
blighting power overshadows the land. In
fact, our vivid sense of the wrongs done
our people by these monsters leaves but
one course to pursue, and that is to keep
up the fight, to wage unceasing war upon
them, and we can find no excuse for luke
warmness, for silence or for retreating be-
fore these foes of humanity
So we proceed.
The Standard oil monopoly never ceases
for moment its course of outrage and
plunder. The story appears in the Spring
field Republican, of its recent wicked at
tempt to destroy the business of a humble
rival in and near Boston. In the subur-
ban district of Chelsea, lives c. NJ. Co
burn, who is engaged in the oil business
in small way. The Standard oil monop-
oily has made repeated efforts to buy out
Mr.. Coburn, and to crush him out, but it
has failed in each effort; but Mr.. Coburn
is plucky and shows fight. He does not
try to measure purses with the Standard
OIL for that would be ruinous policy; but
he continues business in ii limited way,
delivering oil in tank wagons to customers
wherever wagon can go out and return
on the same day, and by sending oil by the
barrel to any customer at the greater dis
tance who is willing to pay higher price
for an extra quality and help in opposing
a monopoly. The customers of Cobun
seem satisfied with their service, and the
server and the served stand together in
friendly relations up to this time.
The most important developments in the
struggle of the little concern against the
great have been the several attempts of
the Standard to buy off Mr.. Coburn, then
to crush him out, and his successful meet
ing of both these efforts The first effort
was by offering him inducements to give
up the larger part of his business to his
huge rival. The monopoly's agent in
Boston made Mr.. Coburn a proposition
that he should limit his business to 1900
gallons day. They offered, if he would
do that, to put up the price of oil two
cents gallon. They figured that this
extra for him, $50 day, would enable him
to pay expenses and to continue in bust
ness, while the promise of that amount of
trade would assure him living and keep
him quiet. This would amount to some
40, 900 gallons month But he replied
that he would not consider any proposition
which limited him to less than 200, 900 a
month, or about the maximum amount
which he sold in the favorable months
1t was to be an average of 200, 900, SO
that if he sold but little in the spring, he
could sell enough in the winter to make it
up. He would stand by his customers
who had stood by him, and would not con-
sent to any arrangement which involved
exposing them to charges of two cents a
gallon more than he charged them, with
the certainty that they would have to use
inferior oil. OF course, if the Standard
could secure three -fourths of Mr.. Coburn' s
trade and, in addition, could raise the
market price for Boston and vicinity two
cents gallon, it would be making an i'm
mense profit out of it, and they could well
afford to guarantee him the small business
of 1900 gallons a day. He asked the
agent of the Standard if he would put his
proposition in writing. He refused, but
said they would give their word that he
should have the business of 1900 gallons.
Then he positively declined to make any
terms whatever with them, not even to
limit himself to 200, 900 gallons month,
for he would defend his customers in any
event.