The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-09-11
POLITICAL MOVE
BY STANDARD OIL
Company Will Remove Men
From West Virginia.
MOST OF THEM REPUBLICANS
Director F. G. Barstow Says Men Will
Be Sent to Other States Until
After Election.

NEW YORK. Sept lO.-F. G. Barstow.
a director of the Standard Oil Company.
admitted today that the company lad
ordered a general suspension Of work
throughout the oil region Of West Vir-
ginia. and transfer Of the employees 10
other States
The section affected by this move is
the portion where nearly the entire Re
publican vote is cast. and unless the Re
publicans do something to counteroct il.
II may mean the loss Of West virginia
Three-fourths OF the men employed
there by the Standard Oil Company are
estimated by local politicians Of West
Virginia 10 be Republicans For the
next few months they viii Do sent 70
Ohio and Pennsylvania. where there is
. , already surplus Of Republican voters.
Viewed With Alarm.
What Is viewed with more alarm by
the Republican managers. however. Is
! the effect which this Unanuounced shift
will have In the prosperity OF that sec
tion. The men employed By Standard
OIL in that region are devoted 20 what
Is known as ''wild-catting" or prospect
+ ing They go about the country in
gangs. make geological surveys. and
/ bore for oil They carry an immense
amount OF bulky equipment I'm the way
of machinery. drills, etc Farmers and
local teamsters furnish the transporta-
/ ton. and local merchants sell them their
supplies.
When oil is struck the owner Of the
! farm receives q royalty on all the petro-
3 ieum pumped from the we'll and
thousands OF erStWhile farmers nave re-
/ tired from agricultural pursuits and now
spend their days counting their royal
/ ties and waiting the arrival OF another
/ wiid-catting gang
The Change Admitted.
Mr.. Barstow admitted that there had
/ been a general suspension Of operations
{ In the West Virginia field. but ascribed
( 1t TO commercial rather than political
I reasons.
we have reduced our operations there
considerably said Mr.. Barstow. but /
can't say how much. / have Just re-
: turned from my vacation. and Il was de-
Cided while I was away.
/ nc reason Tor 10 was this Ne block
! out the oil territory OF the country into
sections. and apportion "a certain,
amount OF work 10 each section "a wear.
. Now. We have discovered that during
| the Irst SIX months there has been more
} "OrE done M west Virginia than was
I puTposcd lf was just as II we had
( planned 20 sink $500 wells I'm the State
during the year and found that $500
! Senator Scott OF West Virginia was in
/ credulOus when the report OF the stand
ara OH move was first brought 20 him
at the Republican national bpadg1t9 tone
but when the interview of Mr. Rarstovy
was related the Senator was convinced
ana angry lie declared that he would
carry the state anyway and exclaimed
/ why, IL the company takes e,crv
man I'm its employ out Of the Stlte. II
won't make a difference Of l.5C0 votes .'
ANNOYED bv Pumors
Republican managers have been per
turbed by rumors Of Standard Oil oppo-
sition for over week. but have been
unable 10 confirm any overt act Of hos
tility. That the Rockefellers were pe-
culiarly situated TO affect the situation
i'm West Virginia they were aware. and
since this Is the -only doubtful State out
side of Indiana where the oil interests
were OF Importance. they have been
, sCrutrnizing the situation more CLOSELY
there than anywhere else.
! They realize. too. that the defeat OF
Parker In " est virginia would almost
assure his defeat in the Electoral Col
lege. The solid South, including Mary
land. has l59 electoral votes Should
the Democrats. in addition. carry New
York. Indiana. Connecticut, and New
J Jersey they would still have but 23-
electoral votes. while 239 are necessary
70 elect.
Seven Electoral Votes.
West Virginia has seven electoral
votes, or just sufficient 10 make UP the
deficit.
The only other debatable States are
Colorado. Nevada. and Montana, which
have combined but eleven electoral votes
Thus II Is that Judge Parker must wiz
not only all ths Eastern and ccntra
doubtful States. but two out of three OF
the doubtful Rocky Mountain States. II
he loses West Virginia. This means
that with the loss of West Virginia
] l.. Demo,
cratic nominee
There are some Republicans. however
who. while appreciating the strategy ot
the Rockefeller move. declare that 4
VIII prove a boomerang 10 the Demo
Gratis. The prejudice against STANDARD
OIL, they say. has been reused TO tn
( highest pitch by recent articles in mag
! azincs
| Voters, they declare. viii straightway
vote against whichever party the stand
ard oil supports.