Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1903-03-02
J. D. ROCKEFELLER
USES TELEGRAPH TOO FREELY
FOR COMFORT OF SENATORS.
The Rockefeller Mystery. A Commotion is
on at Washington Because Of the Charge
That Mr.. Roosevelt Made Public the
Rockefeller Telegram.

One oil tie greatest mysteries Oh recent
origin relates to the charge that John d.
Rockefeller sent kilograms to at least
nine senators protesting against any anti
trust legislation. The public generally
and many newspapers were 10th to be.
lieve that Mr.. Rockefeller adopted that
method OF communicating with the sena-
torss 1t has been we'll understood that
Rockefeller and other trust magnates
have used their influence to prevent legis-
latiOn on former occasions, but it has
always been done in covert way and
many people have doubted that Mr..
Rockefeller would undertake to improve
on his old-time and very eminently sue
ceseful methods.
But the various opinions entertained
by newspapers on this subject may be
better understood by reference to certain
criticisms.
The Chicago cord-Herald appears to
take the matter seriously and intimates
that the prospects Of legislation which
Mr.. Rockefeller does net like Enlightened
suddenly after long perioi of gloom"
and Mr.. Rockefeller evidently deemed it
necessary to enter quick protest.
The Chicago Chronicle quotes Mr..
Mr.. Hanna as saying that "Mr. Rookie
Teller does not do business that way"
The Chronicle thinks that it is possible
that some over-zealous member 81 Mr..
Rockefeller's circle, knowing that mans
great influence with wel-known senators,
thought he was in the habit OF commune
eating his instructions to them as he
would issue orders to the kerosene COR
porations and that Sin this way the tele-
grams may have been dispatched by one
Of the Standard Oil attorneys without
the direct knowledge or approval OF Mr..
Rockefeller"
The Louisville Courier-Journal, OF
which Henry Watterson is the editor, says
that the alleged Rockefeller kilograms is
"a pretense OF opposition" The Courier
Journal says it is "a pretty trick though
not new one," and that the Rockefeller
incident seems to have been planned "to
surround with spectacular ecat Of capt.
tabs opposition very innocent piece of
legislation"
The Brooklyn Citizen refers to it as
"the Rockefeller hoax" The Citizen
says that while there is no >'oubt as to
the interference OF tie Standard Oil Com
pany in national legislation "the Ameri-
can people are not willing to believe that
Mr.. Rockefeller suddenl, lost his senses
TO TIE extent that he would send tee-
grams to senator's" The Citizen says:
"Such orders as he has to convey are
gladly and willingly executed by Senator
Aldrich, OF Rhode Island, who is the ac-
knowledged legislative agent OF the pro-
tected interests and who, moreover, has
close family connections with the Rookie
fellers. 1t was daughter OF this Rhode
Island senator who recently married the
eldest son and heir of John d. Rookie
feller."
The Citizen adds that "Anyway, there
is nothing in the so.called trust busting
entered into by republican senators and
congressman to cause the Standard Oil
Company or any other trust the slightest
uneasiness." And the Brooklyn paper
adds, "All that President Roosevelt and
trust busters of his type are aiming at is
to prevent the real trust busters, the
democrats, from attaining power. They
are simply engaged in fooling the people
and pretending to be at war with the
trusts"
The Washington correspondent OF the
San Francisco Examiner, referring to this
incident, says: "The administration
and administration senators appear to
have been caught red-handed in the act
OF pulling the wool over the eyes Of the
public" Thit correspondent says that
Everybody in Washington is laughing
at the boomerang"
The Washington correspondent of the
New York World, however, insists that
he has good authority for saying that
Rockefeller did send kilograms to at least
nine senators. He says that every one
Of the men implicated denies that he re.
ceived such telegram with the exception
Of Senator Hale, who declines to be ques-
toned on the subject. This correspond.
ent says that these kilograms were signed
by Jshn D. Rockefeller. J. D. Rockefeller
Jr., w. H. Rogers, Walter Jennings,
William Rockefeller and G. r. Archibald.
The purport Of these kilograms is said to
be general protest against all antitrust
legislation, and a protest against the
Nelson amendment. 1t is bluntly stated
by the World correspondent, as we'll as
by other correspondent that the story