Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1903-02-12
is THERE DANGER
OR is TALK ABOUT TRUSTS
DREAMS OF DEMAGOGUES.
This Is 4 Good Time to Consider. No EIec.
ton Is on. Party Prejudices are at a
Stand.StilI. Read and Reflect. Rockefeller
Makes Confession,


wired United States senators to "keep
their hands off" trust legislation, is a
matter of news. A suspicion that the
allegation was political buncombe will be
obviated by the following Associated
Press dispatch:
New York, Feb. 8.-An effort was
made today to see John d. Rockefeller
in regard to the kilograms pun porting to
be sent by him to various senators, but
at his hone he sent out word by ser.
want that he begged to be excused"
The begging to be excused is practically
confession Of guilt. Listen to the able
editorial writer OF the Tacoma Ledger on
this matter:
1.-THE command OF Mr.. Rockefeller to
certain senators whom he seems to deem
his own was startling revelation. He
informed them that there must be no
antitrust legislation. Perhaps the gen
tleman made mistake in not issuing a
few orders to the house. That body has
proceeded in the direction OF regulating
the trusts, just as though the Standard
Oil opinion was to be accorded very little
weight, and by vote of 245 to decided,
perhaps without fully realizing the pul.
port OF the decision, that Rockefeller
would not be king. The truth is that
this magnate is arranging the alignment
on the trust question in a way that will
be most disastrous to himself, and way
that will surprise the people of the coun
try. There were fears that any attempt
to regulate trusts would be taken as an
assault upon capital, and as indicating a
supposed conflict between the interests
OF capital and labor
"This was far from being the real pur-
pose, and yet there was afforded to the
lobbyist and demagogue an opportunity
to create false end damaging impress
sion. Appears Mr.. Rockefeller, and by
few brief kilograms clears away all
doubt, shows distinctly the cleavage,
where had been nothing but blind lead.
The attention of legislation has been di-
rected to combinations not because they
happen to be combinations, but because
there are some of them masked by fea
lures that are coercive, oppressive, AFRO
CANT and illegal. The desire to eliminate
these features, without in single in
stance injuring az enterprise of merit, IS
the only desire that has been expressed,
and the task has been approached with
delicacy lest unwittingly an injustice be
done to the innocent in the effort to lay
upon the guilty heavy hand.
"Mr. Rockefeller voluntarily stands
forth with plea Of guilty SO far as he
is concerned, there can no longer exist a
doubt. He not only pleads guilty, but
in ordering tie senate to let him alone,
approaches near the point OF new crime.
If he has the power to control the act Of
any individual senators, let them be re-
quired to explain. 1t is monstrous
thing when man whose business meth
dds are habtually unlawful dares to issue
to the lawmakers o. the land his manda-
tory instructions that he he not disturbed.
However, Mr.. Rockefeller is to be thank
ed. He has shown that the fight is not
in any sense between capital and labor
but is between giants OF monopoly and
the people of the whole country. If there
is uust that well might dread publicity,
it is Standard Oil. OF course, Mr.. Rookie
Teller and others OF his kidney will try to
blind the public to the real issue even
yet, but he has made the mistake Of
first opening the eyes OF the public very
wide, indeed"