The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-06-18
UGLY CHARGES MADE
SENSATIONAL HAPPENINGS IN THE,
INDUSTRIAL COMMISSION AT
WASHINGTON
ONE WITNESS TALKS PLAINLY

Says That Judges Are Placed on the
Bench to Defend Trusts, and Is
Called 10 Order by a Member of
the Commission Who, in Turn, Is
Excoriated by Another Member
Rules in Favor of Witness.
WASHINGTON, June 1.-THE indus
trial committee today heard statement
from L. NJ. Lockwood, an oil producer of
Zelienople Pa, in opposition to the Stand
ard Oil company. The witness declared
that this company had driven the indie
pendent companies into bankruptcy and
servitude. and he denounced the course
pursued in severe terms. He held the rail-
roads especially responsible for this con-
dition of affairs. Going back to 1872 he
referred at length to a contract made by
the trunk lines of Pennsylvania with the
South Improvement company. Under this
contract, he said the freight rates on oil
were doubled, and half the amount col
lected was paid back a rebate-not
only this but the contract company re-
ceived a like rebate on the ships of all
other companies This contract, he de-
clared. had been secretely continued by
the railroads with the Standard Oil COM
pany. He quoted A. ]. Cassatt the new
president of the Pennsylvania railroad, as
testifying before the interstate railroad
commission to the effect that while the
open rate to the public was $1.95 per bar
rel the rate to the Standard company
MIR. Lockwood. had developed the fact
that the railroad companies actually re-
ceived only 35c. This condition of af-
fairs had resulted for a time, according
to the witness, in giving the Standard
company. profit of 400 per cent, while
the Independent refineries were being rap
Idly driven into bankruptcy.
"If you have got to be robbed" he
exclaimed. 'it does not matter much
whether you are held up by Dick Turpin
with a pistol or by John Rockefeller with
a railroad; it is really all the same"
He said that men who had carefully
analysed the testimony taken before the
Hepburn committee estimated that in 1856
months time the five trunk lines Of
Pennsylvania had paid the Standard
company. ST.. Oo0OO0 in rebates. The rail-
road companies had he said, completely
ignored the order of the interstate COM
MERGE commission, to stop their discrim-
nation in favor of the Standard Oil COM
pany. resorting them to the system Of
false billing.
DELAYS IN COURT.
''The railroads and the oil company
can razoo man up and down in the
courts for ten years. he said until he
is ruined financially and then go on with
their work. leaving their victim stranded
AS a reward, the combines elevate their
Instruments to higher places politically"
Thus It was that the thought of the
common people was gradually becoming
fixed to the effect that great railway
combines were gradually packing the su-
preme court with men in sympathy with
their monopOlistic tendency, and who
would do their bidding Thus the in
terstate commerce law was rendered in
effective. If the railroad companies can
control the appointment of the attorney
general and of justices of the supreme
court. what do they care for the law?
tie witness asked. The only safe plan,
said Mr.. Lockwood was to take rail-
roads out of the hands of the corpora
tiCns and place them under control of
the government so that every man could
go to market as cheaply as every other
man. He considered all the railroads of
the country as practically one gigantic
trust and asserted that they were in
control of our politics, contributing mill
ions to elect legislators, senators and
judges and to punish those not willing
to do their bidding. With abso IL e
equality over the roads the Independent
companies would drive the Standard
company into a secondary place in a
short time. There would then he as
Serted, be no more shooting down Of
striking miners, for the miner could take
his product to market as cheaply as the
mine monopoiist. So in all other mes
of business. If the government did not
control the railways the railways would
control the government He advocated
the taking of the roads under the right
OF eminent domain, paying the owners
the actual value of their property
UGLY CHARGES.
The afternoon session of the commits
sion was characterized by the develop
ment of differences among the members
OF the commission as to the character
OF testimony that should be admitted
MIR. Lockwood made the statement that
Judge Albert HaiSht, of the New York
court Of appeals, had been elevated 10
the present position by the corporations
through the use Of a corruption fund
because of his action in what is known
as the Matthews caSe-a proceeding of
the railroad combination against the
Independent refners. He afterwards said
that while convinced that the facts were
as he had stated he had not actually
seen the fund, and therefore the state
ment was an inference only.
AT this point Mr.. Farquhar, of the COM