Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-11-18
TWELVE PAGES
SATURDAY. NOVEMBER Is. 1859.
SUPPRESSED TESTIMONY.


Mr.. George Rice. of Marietta, Ohio,
thought he saw in the Industrial COM
mission, created by Congress, an OPP
portunity to lay before the public some
important truths, within his knowledge
as long fighter of the Standard Oil
Co. and It's accomplices, with full ex-
posture of their methods and operations.
He therefore prepared and fortified
himself for the occasion, and when he
recently appeared before the commits
sion he submitted printed copy of the
testimony. he desired to give; but the
Standard Oil Co. and Its kind were
there before him. and the Commission,
before allowing him to testify, subject
ed his copy to a rigid examination, fol-
lowed by an expurgation OF various
matter held to be irrelevant, personal,
or impertinent. We append the follow
ing extracts from this suppressed tes-
timony. which Mr.. Rice was not per-
mitted to give-though what he did
give might as well have been SUPPRESS
ed Also to judge from the little atten-
ton given 1t by the controlling mem
bers Of the Commissions:
The Interstate Commerce act pro-
Vided penalty on carrier officials, and
by amendment on the shippers, of 3d.
GOO fine and two years in the penitcn-
tiary for each and every offence, and
with such stringent measures no de-
terrent effect Is had on rail or trust ofIi-
Gals. The same old unbroken line of
freight determinations for twenty
seven years in the form of secret rates
Yn in M
have continued to exist up to date with
out a break, andsfor the reason that not
q violator of the act has yet-been sent
to the penitentiary to atone for his
misdeeds."
How that is Irrelevant, personal and
impertinent," or either, we cannot per-
ceive; and the people are sure to con-
slider It important and of the very char.
acter the Commission should seek and
entertain. Again, Mr.. Rice was forbid
den to give in his evidence to govern
mental neglect:
This act (the Federal antitrust acD
was passed in the Administration OF
president Harrison, in the second year
7 OF his term, who signed it, and who
was fully coGnizant of it's terms, and
whose own Attorney-General is respon-
slDle for It's non-enforcement and the
enormous attendant evils resuItinc
therefrom. Ills successor, Grover
cleveland, did no better, and our Pres
ident, William Mckinley, follows in
thefr footsteps. Is this not an appalling
exposure of the dereliction Of official
duty, a dishonored and prostitutcd adj
land?" '"'
Inc commission evidently considered
IL hardly less than treason-lesc ma
1esty, in factor it to suffer one Of It's
witnesses to talk In this way: vet II IL
one OF the people, endeayoring to Tell
the people of the dereliction of their
Z servants, and to secure some remedy!
Nor was ne allowed to speak disrespect-
fully Of trusts and the public officials
that seem to be In the service and nav
OF trusts. instead Of in the employment
Of the public and engaged to perform
sworn duties. He wished to saw:
Trusts continue to fatten and spread
their spawn, and the law Is ,mnotont
made so by reason of it's non-enrorca'
ment by public officials sworn to on
force 1t. Years of pleading and onnna,
by the people to their representativn T.,
Congress for the passage of an ideni
act like this, the prompt enforcement
OF which would have relieved them of
!; Their great burdens, have proved una
But that was cxpurgated by the
u commission, which acts as II It's mem
l hers were all non-commissioned officers
Il OF the anti-Industrial interests of the
L country. Even this, however, was ex-
y purgated:
understand that Mr.. Havemeycr
4 says that the tariff is the mother OF
a = assert that every freight dis