Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-09-09
DEFENDS TIE TRUSTS
Vice President Of the Standard Oil
Company Before the Industrial
Commission.
Claims the Outcry Against Trusts
Comes Mostly From the Polit.
ical Dsmsgogues.
And That the Industrial Glasses
Are Generally Satisfied Trag.
edy In st. Louis.

edy In vt. Louis.
Washington. Sept. 9.-At Fridays
session of the industrial commission an
animated controversy occurred between
Chairman Phillips, Of the commission.
and j. D. Archbold, of New York. vice
president of the Standard Oil Company.
Mr.. Archbold was on the stand reply
ing to statements made by j. w. Lee,
of the United Pipe Line and other inde-
pendent companies. Referring to. Mr..
Lees statement that the Standard COM
pany had made advances to the United
Pipe Line Company with the view OF
buying it out, Mr.. Archbold said: Any
approaches on that line have come from
the other side.''
Mr.. Archbold several times used the
expression, referring to Mr.. Lee. who
was present in the commission room,
The statement is false and you know
it, Mr.. Livingston at last objected to
the form of expression.
MIR. Archbold was on the stand for
seven hours, closing his statement at 5
o'clock. During this time he replied
not only to the criticisms made by Mr..
Lee, but also to those made by Attor-
ney General Monnett, of Ohio; Mr..
Westgate, of Titusville, and Mr.. Lock-
wood, of Zelianople. His language for
the most part was vigorous. He char
acterized many of the statements made
by the witnesses as untrue and referred
to the witnesses themselves in anything
but complimentary terms. He said that
Mr.. Lee and Mr.. Phillips, of the com
mission, had both confessed that they
We're members of a trust.
Among the criticisms of the Standard
company which he contradicted was
one by Mr.. Lee referring to testimony
given some years ago by Mr.. Cassatt,
now president of the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company concerning rebates
to the Standard Oil Company. Mr.. Lee
had said that Mr.. Cassatt had testified
that the refund amounted to $10.O00.000
in the years 1878 and 1879. This state
ment Mr.. Archbold said had been gen
orally banded about, but he declared it
was without foundation, characterizing
it as "a lusty old lie." having its origin
in the deductions of one man.
He also denied that an arrangement
was in existence for the sale of lubri
eating oil to the officers of the railway
companies to the advantage of the Off
GERS thereof, and he challenged Mr.. Lee
TO produce scintilla of evidence show
ing such state of affairs. He declared
that the Standard company had neither
asked nor received any discriminating
rates from the railroad companies since
the interstate commerce law went into
fleet. Nor had the company, he said,
been given any advantage in the way of
direct tariffs, undertaking or special
dispatch agreement"
Still the company had never been SO
prosperous as since the law went into
effect. On the other hand, IL ever q
preferential rate was given by rail-
road company 1t was found in the case
of the tariff made by the New Jersey
Central to the United Pipe Line Com
pany.
Replying TO Attorney General Mon
nett. MIR. Archbold expressed the opin-
ion that his criticism and persecution
came with bad grace from an official of
a state in which the Standard company
was spending s3,25O00O year in wages,
and he characterized his course as
"vindictive." He said the company was
determined to force Mr.. Monnett to re-
| veal the whole truth concerning his al
Legation that the company had offered
him bride of 100000.
| The witness concluded with direct
statement in support of the Standard
company. He took the position in this
statement that trusts are the necessary
Indeed the irresistible. result of our
Irapidly growing commerce. In adopting
them we are but following the example
Of that greatest of all commercial ma
| tions-England whose CONNER.
cial charters capitalization and scope
are practically unlimited. Any legisla-
1 tive restrictions imposed here would
operate alone to the benefit of foreign
commercial competitors. The claim
that such restrictions would help the
4 weak and incompetent of our owl
| country as against the strong and ag,
|gressive is too puerile to call for seriou!
lanswer.
After reviewing the Standards caree
he expressed the opinion that the Stan
lard Oil combination had been of vas
benefit to the world at large. and said
|speaking generally:
not come from the great busy industrial
classes. but from impractical sentimen
4 talsts. yellow Journals and politica
ldemagogues-from the last named, per
haps. more than any other. 1t is veri
table attack on thrift and prosperity
To listen to their voice to the extent o
imposing restrictive legislation would
mean a frightful step backward in tn
commercial development of our coun
try"
I. He suggested national corporation
as the only legislation necessary A
the conclusion of Mr.. Archbold's testi
nony Mr.. Phillips said he would ask t
be heard later.
TRAGEDY IN ST. LOUIS.
Well Known omcial Murdered mn,