The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-19
STANDARD OIL TRUST.
F. s. Monnett Tells of the Opera
 tions of the Company.

Se@e@S
 Washington, June 1s.-The Industrial Commission has received and will print as c part of its per lnanent report a number of affidavits making reply to the testimony of John D. Archibold of the Standard Oil Company, before the CommissiSn in 1899. These affidavits are by Hon. F. s. Monnett, formerly Attorney General of Ohio; James W. Leeof the Pure oil Company, M. L.. Lockwood and Charles B. Matthews of Buffalo, N. Y.
 MT. Matthew's testimony relates to the operations of the Vacuum Oil Com pany, which he seeks to demonstrate is a branch of the Standard oil Com pany. Mr. Lee says that 1t is not true that he ever admitted that the Pure Oil Company is itself Q trust or that he attempted to sell any of his inde- pendent oil company interests to the Standard Company. MT. Lockwood submits affidavits to substantiate his statement before the Commission to the effect that the Standard Company was at one time putting oil in tanks to be shipped to Germany for cents gall lon, while people in Texas and Arkan- gas, where there was no competition, were paying 25 cents a gallon.
 Mir. Archbold said tEere was not a word of truth in this statement. MF. Monnett's statement is a general reply to MT. Archbcld's testimony, so far as it applies to the operations of the Standard Company in Ohio. He says that not only the Standard Company, but other oil companies, like the Buck eye Pipe Line Company, the Ohio Oil Company, and the Solar Refining Com- pany, connected with it, leach and every one have openly and notoriously violated their charter and have vio- lated the statutes of the State, crim- inally and civilly, and are now so vio- lating them, and did not dare to come into court and answer the charges Of such violation"
 He says that the charge was openly made and not contradicted, that the influence of these companies defeated Joseph P. Bradbury for the Supreme Court of the State because he was sup posed to be opposed to them; he also charges that They have openly and notoriousiy evaded the taxes due the State by making returns upon their property, in many instances estimated at less than 10 per cent. Of It's real value considering the earning capaci- ty of the property"
 He asserts that the company has evaded instead of cOurting .investiga- ton of his bribery charges and adds: Through their pipe line charges and by means of their monopoly in trans portation, the Standard Oil combina- tions contisne their monopoly in hand ling oH in Ohio, as every consumer of oil in this State can verify by his pocket book.
 Campaigns come and go; commits sions investigate and legislatures meet and adjourn and magazine articles are written and read, and yet, through their monopolistlc and criminal exact- ions, the Standard Oil combinations FIevy tribute upon the owner of the oil FoCK and eXact from tnA consumer or the refined oil and it's by-products this unnatural profit. The public are its victims: the little band of law viola tors owning the controlling shares are the beneficiaries of the plunderss. The public stand aghast at their very bold ness and defiance. The government alone can check their abuses" 2.