The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-04-14
pEFENpTNG sr.A-Np.ARp- oIL.

DEFENDING STANDARD OIL. | On several occasions of late the Standard Oil people have departed from a custom of long standing and,
 instead of bearing adverse criticism in silence, having endeayored to refute lsome particular charge which appar- ently has cut rather deeply, by issu- ing public statement in defence of themselves.
 The latest utterance of this kind is that of Mir. S. c. T. Dodd, prompted by the discussion which has developed over MT. Roekefeller's gift to the American Board of Foreign Missions. MT. Dodd has been the recipient of the modern annual stipend of two hundred thousand dollars, as is cur- rently reported. in return for his valu- able legal services in piloting the Standard Oil Company through all the intricacies of the law. As might be expected, therefore, MT. Dedd's de- fence of MT. Rockefeller is of the kind that would be looked for from the counsel of a man who has paid a re- taining fee. He says that 1t has never been proved that the Standard Oil Company has ever done anything ille- gal in the matter of receiving rebates | from railroads and driving rivals out of business, and from this draws the conclusion that the money MT. Rocke- feller gives away in charity is just as clean as the money accumulated by any other man. He also states that the Standard Oil Company does not own any railroad stocks and has never been connected with the organization of any copper and gas companies re- ] garding the perfect rectitude of which there appear to be some doubts just at present. To be sure, some of the man agers of the Standard Oil Company have done these things, but it is argu- ed that no dfscredit ought to attach to the company because of the acts of
 individuals who compose it.
 1 Further, MT. Dodd declares that
 where members of the Standard Oil Company are also members of boards Iof railroads directors they in no irl-
 stance form a majority, and are, therefore, utterly unable to exercise
 control over the politices of those who manage these great highways of com merce. This is a plausible assertion. but ill connection with it it may do no harm to remember that here and there a captain of industry is under
 stood to have announced, on occa- sion, to boards of directors of which he was a member that they were first to pass resolution prepared by him and discuss it's merits afterward, if do- so afforded them any satisfaction. I This attitude of a single individual to- ward body supposed to be delibera- 1 tive is not without precedent. It was Louis XIV. who, dog whip in hand, appeared before a French Parliament and ordered it to record one of his de- crees without delay, saying in reply to few faint protests: "L'etat, c'est moi" On the whole, it seems not un- reasonable to doubt whether men pos sessing the great executive ability which characterizes the builders of the Standard Oil monoply have as little influence in shaping the policies of boards of directors in which they con stitute minority as MT. Dodd appears to wish us to believe. "s. | Buts arter all, It IS NIT. RocKeIeller who is charged with getting money in ways that are not altogether honest, and not the Standard Oil Company It is not supposed that this hundred thousand dollar gift of his is in the nature of an advertising expense. like the Cambon dinner, to be paid by the corporation. behind him, and therefore it would seem to be in order for MT. Rockefeller to come out with a person. al statement in his own defence and
 cease to delegate the duty to others who so far have done his cause more harm than good.-Providence Journal.