The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-18
And Quotes A. j. Cassatt Sayfng
the Standard Got for so Cents What
other People Had TO Pay sI.sO For.
IF YOU HAVE TO BE ROBBED
1T DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER YOU
ARE HELD UP BY DICK TURPIN,
With u Pistol, or by John Rockefel-
All the Same, the Witness said.

H
WASHINGTON, June 1.-THE Industrial
commission to-day heard a statement from
Mr.. Lockwood. an oil producer Of Zelieno-
pie. Pa. in opposition to the Standard OIL
Trust. Mr.. Lockwood declared this COM
pany had driven the independent refineries
into bankruptcy and servitude. and he de-
nounces the course pursued in severe terms
He held the railroads especially responsible
for this condition Of affairs. Going back 70
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 collected
was paid back as a rebate--not only this,
but the contract company received a like re-
bate on the shipments OF all other COM
panies. This contract, he declared, had
been secretly continued by the railroads
with the Standard. He quoted A. J. Cassatt,
the new president OF the Pennsylvania Rail-
road, as testifying before the Interstate-rail-
way Commission to the effect that while
the open rate TO the public was s1.90 per bar
rel. the rate to the Standard was -
cents. Further investigation. said Mr.. Lock-
wood. had developed the fact that the rail-
road companies actually received only 5
for that time. according to the witness. in
giving the Standard a profit Of 400 per cens..
while the Independent refneries were being
rapidly driven into bankruptcy.
II you have got to be robbed" he ex-
claimed, 1T does not matter much whether
you are held UP by Dick rurpin with pistol
or by John Rockefeller. with a railroad; it,
robbery all the same"
Mr.. lockwood said men who had carefully
enalyzed the testimony taken before the
Hepburn committee estimated that In 10s
months time the 1--WE trunk lines OF Penn
sylvania had paid the Standard company
81, 10000 in rebates. The railroad companies
had. he said. completely ignored the order
of the industrial state commission to stop
their discrimination In favor Of the Stand
ard. resorting to the system OF false bill
ing.
COURTS TOO SLOW.
Speaking OF the remedy for the evil Mr..
Lockwood said it was In public ownership
of the railroads and II was not TO be found
In the courts-the courts were too slow ard
expensive. The railroads and the oil COM
pany can raise man up and down In the
courts for ten years." he said, until he il
ruined financially and then 60 on with their
work. leaving their victim stranded AS .
reward the combines elevate their instru-
ments to higher places politically" Thus,
he continued. 1t was the thought OF the COM
mon people was gradually becoming fixed
to the effect the great. railway combines
were gradually packing the Supreme Courts
with men in sympathy with their monopo-
listic tendencies and who would do their
bidding Thus the interstate-comrcrce law
was rendered Ineffective.
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?" the witness
asked The only safe plan. continued Mr.
lockwood, was to take the railroads out
Of the hands OF the corporations and place
them under control of the government. 20
that every man could go to market -
cheaply as every other man. He considered
all the railroads Of the country as prac-
tically one gigantic trust and asserted that
they were in control of our politics, con-
tributing millions to elect legislators, sen.
ators and judges and 10 punish those not
willing to do their bidding. With absolute
equality over the roads the Independents
companies would drive the Standard Com
pany into secondary place in a short
time. There would then. he asserted. be no
more shooting down OF striking miners, for
the miner could send his produc. TO market
as cheaply as the mine monopolii't. So In all
other lines Of business. II the government
did not control the railways the railways
would control the government. He advo-
Gated the taking OF the roads under the
right Of eminent domain. paying the owners
the actual value Of their property.
The afternoon session of the COMMITTEES
was characterized by the Development oe
differences among the members os the conn
mission as to the character OF testimony
that should be admitted. Mr.. Lockwood
made the statement that Judge Albert
Haight, of the New York Court OF Appeals.
had been elevated TO his present position by
the corporations through the use Of cor
ruption fund. because OF his action in what
is known as the Matthews Casa proceed
ing OF the railroad combination against the
independent refiners. He afterwards said
that, while convinced the facts were as he
had stated. he had not actually seen the
fund and. therefore. the statement was an
inference only.
NOT TESTIMONY: PURE LIBEL
AT this point Mr.. Farquahar. OF the COM
mission rose TO protest against the charac-
ter of the testimony. saying that Judge
! Haight was his next-door neighbor and one
of the purest men he had ever known He
had never before heard an imputation upon
his character. He appealed to Mr.. Lockwood
to have the statement stricken out Of his
testimony. The statement" he said. s.xxs
not testimony. but 1, was pure libel
Mr.. Lockwood said that he also knew
Judge Haight and that he had been sur
prised at the apparent developments. This
issue had been raised In the campaign ana
he understood that he ran behind his ticket
After few general remarks by others of
the commission a. to the advirabiiity oe