The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1905-02-23
MEN OF AFFAIRS DAzED
Over Rapid Action Taken Toward Invssti-
CATION Of STANDARD Oil Co.


cation Of STANDARD Oil Co.
New York, February ia Wash.
iugton special 10 the Herald il as fol-
lows:
1t is beginning to dawn on Washing
ton that the federal investigation Of
the Standard Oil Co., proposed by the
Campbell resolution, will be a most Sc
we're test Of strength between the Uni
ted States government and the greatest
industrial and financial institution in
the world, Some public men call it an
inquest by ''the state of q corporation
pOpularly regarded greater than the
state and the creator of statesmen"
The adoption Of the resolution by the
house, the presidents order "to begin
at once, go to the bottom and report
early" the filing of the charges and
the actual beginning of the inquiry
followed in such sequence 40 to astound
the older men Of public affairs. Secres
tary Metcalf is still dazed and does not
realize the purport Of this unusual Sc
ries of events. Mr.. Garfield, the COM
missioner of corporations, specially
charged with the investigation, ap-
pears unable to appreciate the real
scope Of his commission.
FAR-REAcHING ACTION.
Men who have looked at the situation
in its prospective, call it by far the
most important and far reaching action
ever taken by the government in rela-
tion to combines. This is entirely be-
cause Of the character of the Standard
Oil company itself and its relation TO
and collision with the great common
carries on land and sea and its thou.
sand and one financial off.shoots.E
"Touch the Standard Oil, ,'hsaid one
member Of the administration tonight,
'and you touch almost every great and
successful financial institution in this
country. It reaches into the big banks,
stretches out over the railroads, and
has to do with the great insurance
companies. 1t is difficult to see the
end of this investigation, and no one
can appreciate its possibilities"
Once entered upon, the commissioner
of corporations must stick H. she letter
Of the house resolution and the presi-
dents order, or the governments must
leave the field beaten. Representative
Campbell's intentions are All for Grim
inal prosecution. and he will base his
case entirely on the doings Of the COM
pany in Kansas. He says he can prove
conclusively the substance of every
charge which he made before Oommis,
sioner Garfield, and IL he does SO he in
sists there willbe only one course open
for the government, andsthatis action
by the department Of Justice.
LEAPED INTO FAME.
Mr.. Campbell found himself famous
over night. He is one Of the youngest
men in the house, being but 81 yearl
old and is serving his first termgs
The situation in Kansas developed il
week, and he found himself at th'
hesd of q movement more momentou
to the government and the people o
the country than any cause ever start
cd by congress ora president. It i
not denied that the house has been in
tiuenced by public sentiment, baset
largely on magazine articles having Il
do with the Standard Oil company
which have been run with great fire.
quency and force for the last two years
The time seemed particularly ripe TO
the Campbell resolution and both side
of the house were eager to adopt it.
The alleged connection between tn
Standard Oil company and the Atchi
son, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad i
suppressing independent operations i
Kansas brings this railroad corporaiio
under investigation ct the present tim
by two departments Of the governmen
while still third has just complete
an inquiry and turned over its test
mony to the attorney general.