Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1899-12-30
PROBLEM.
Dhio's Attorney-Ge Talks Of
"Abdication Of Sovereignty"
Standard Oil Is Prominently Named
as the Most Potent Cause or OPP
pression-Thc Principle at Large.

Boston, Dec. 2S--The attorney general
of Ohio, Fred $. MOnnett OF Cincinnati'
last evening spoke before that progress
sive institution, the Twentieth Cehtur!
club on the trust problen' as IL presents
itself i'm Ohio. The formal title OF ms
address MAS "Abdication of Sovereign
e.
Mr.. Monnett spoke in no uncertain
terms about the powers of the standard
oil trust. He showed that this corpora
tion's strength was acquired through
rreisht rate discl limitations. Attorney
General Monnett has conducted several
suits against the Standard Oil trust, ard
his fearless attitude toward this giant
corporation is we'll known in Ohio.
His remarks were temperate through
out. He impressed his hearers as beif s
thoroughly familiar with the problems
growing out of trusts. His address fol-
lows in part;
The speaker began ny saying: Il
want to demonstrate to you that the most
potent weapon of oppression is that club
that we, as sovereign people, hand over
to certain favored interests, and they in
turn, having thus seized the mace "i
nvernmental authority, pervert it to
their own use and for their own self
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT in defiance of the rights
of the great majority of individuals or
citizens composing such sovereignty
He then gave several Illustrations CT
the power vested in private ownership
and the possibility that that power
might be applied disastrously to any in
terest involving public welfare, Woie II
not for the fact that by reservins the
light of eminent domain. the government
acquires original authority by virtue Of
sovereignty to control and regulate, even
to the extent of appropriating any in
dividual property for the public hen' fit
as the public safety, necessity, con-
venienCe or welfare may demand.
The speaker then discussed at some
length the application of the principle
of eminent domain as applied to rams
portation facilities. quoting from court
records the decisions of eminent iutists
in cases in point Continuing, h" sail:
IL maintain that if by a great aSSre-
CATION of capital il pipeline company may
ramify all the oil fields with its symtem
and connect with the manufacturing
ccnters, which it in turn so controls as
to prevent all composition and is enabled
to destroy al competitors. then the state
and federal government for the good OF
the common man and the common well
fare, has the power and right, and ii is
its duty tn interfere.
so. like cWisc VIII, II one giant corpora
ton may establish Il system of tank cars
ami erect tank stations. and having 50
combined with the railroad companies S
ns to get an unfair rate by virtue of their
owning their own tank cars and tank
stations that the state has Il right under
its police regulations to protect the
common man and the man OF smaller
means from such abuse and usurpation
of the transportation department.
II believe that can safely assert that
very little injury has ever been done
thu ough the accumulation Of capital IN
the manufacturing usiness, ar in other
producing departments, so 10! X as The
competitors had AN equal chance through
the markets at The transportation de-
partmcnts.
at is the millions that have been made
from the favoritism obtained through
the governmental grants as recognize d
in the transportation department as
above illustrated that are disarranging
the great commercial and economic con-
dtions of today. The 5000 COO owned
by little coterie of the Standard Oil
magnates, the 81 900, 900, 600 controlled in
the iron. coal. copper and other indus
tries By a limited number of capitalists
= Ia, nft
of the governmental functions.
The speaker then took up at length
evidence to show the arrogance Of
monopoles, especially of the Standard
Oil company. He also described the legal
actions which he, as attorney general,
had brought against the Standard Oil
company of Ohio.
I'VE have" he continued, ''in this, the
close of the 18th century, a spectacle of
grants of corporate power, creatures Of
the state, more powerful than the
creator, subvertiHg the legislature. de-
laying judicial proceedings, defyinc
courts. or, in other words. treating The
United states and the state OF Ohio as
they have treated the railroads: con
pclling scrvitude on the part of the state
rather than the state retaining It's
sovereignty over its creatures. 1t is as
complete IN aEGication Of sovereignty.
so far as this octopus is concerned. as
any of sovereign in l..stury. 49,.
Their attack upon every public Of
fetal who dares to lift his finger or
exercise his Office Hs against their en-
oroaChmeuts may be bitter and may de-
stroy that individual, but let another
step forward and fill the gap. Step for
ward, march ON, boulder to shoulder.
and recover our lost powers: 2Ssprt the
sovereignty OF the state over its crtu-
lures. if necessary even by revolving the
charters and conducting the ,ranspor-
tation department by the state itself"