The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-04-12
Kansas Trust Busting Congress
man on Rockefeller.
Discusses His Gifts to Religious
Institutions.
HE TELLS A STORY.
Application to the Reader
or Listener.
Talks Over Standard I~nYestiga-
ton With Nj. Garfield.

Congressman Phil Campbell has a
new story. He tells it when he hears of
John d. Rockefeller making d new con-
tribution for religious or educational
purposes.
"You will notice that the Standard Oil
people are getting right busy said Mr..
Campbell today, in speaking Of the in
vestigation which James r. Garfield,
commissioner of corporations, is begin
ming in Kansas. THE Standard people
realize h they are up against a diff
ferent proposition in this Kansas agi-
tation from anything they have met be-
fore. Heretofore they have always ig-
nOred any charges that have been made
against them. They have practically
said that they were willing to let the
case go to the jury Of public opinion
without any defense
But they are not doing that now,
you will notice. continued Mr.. Camp
bell. They are getting buster than a
hen with a lot of chickens. h policy
of keeping still has been abandoned and
they are putting out all kinds of stories
and interviews. John D. Rockefeller is
giving a great deal of money for rehg-
ious purposes, too, and the Standard is
doing a lot of advertising with the
newspapers.
This stuff that the Standard is hav-
ing published in the is an
insult to the intelligence of the public
aid Mr.. Campbell. The people know
from personal experience a good many
things about the oil business, and yet
the Standard calmly denies that these
very things are true"
Whenever I hear about some new
charitable donation made by John D.
Rockefeller it always brings TO my
mine a beneicence of Jesse James"
continued the Third district congress-
man. And this is where the story comes
in.
Years g Jesse James was travel
ing through Missouri on horseback"
aid Mr.. Campbell, and he stopped for
dinner at the home of q widow She
gave him the best she had to eat, but
She seemed very sac and Jesse inquired
the cause. After some weeping she ex-
planned to him that a rich and stingy
old duffer living in a town some dis
lance away held a trust deed on her
little farm for $1,000, and it was due
that day u she had not money with
which to meet it. The farm was worth
more than the $4,000, and as the rich old
dofer was exceedingly graSping he new
er let an opportunity go by to get ev-
eIything he could, so the widow was
positive that he WOULD dlSpOsSeSS her
as soon as possible.
- When do you have to pay this mon
ey2' asked Jesse.
4" He Will be here his afternoon for
it, replied the widow. I expect him
about 8 o'clock, so L suppose he viii put
me out at once and take possession
Jesse went down in his pocket and
counted out s 1000 from the returns Of
his latest bank raid and gave it to the
widow to meet the debt He waived
aside the widows thanks, n after
asking which the rich man would
be likely to come II which a he
might be expected to go, Jesse rode
away
The creditor came in due season and
was much surprised to receive his nom
ey, but he took it and rode away
through the woods. Some distance from
the house he met Jesse James who, in
his characteristic manner not only col
lected back the $4,000 he had given the
widow, but got $4,000 in addition"
For some reason or other con-
tinued Mr.. Campbell, whenever 1
hear Of John d. Rockefeller giving
money for missions or to colleges 1 am
reminded of that story. I don't know
why, but perhaps you can figure II
Mr. Campbell has talked over the
Standard Oil investigation with Com
missioner Garfield, and the more he
becomes conversant with the corpo-
ration commissioners plans for the
investigation the more certain MI.
Campbell is that the investigation will,
as he puts it, turn something up"
Commissioner GARFIELD has been
2aLlHElIAE d great QCdl u 4ald III IL
peka. including many facts that have
been published in the newspapers and
other publications on file in the State
Historical society. He expects to con
clude most of his work here tomorrow
and get away to Chanute, where he
will begin his Investigations in the oil
belt. Much of his work in Topeka has
been to secure the names and address
of men in the oil belt from whom he
can probably secure the facts that he
desires.
The investigation of matters in the
oil belt OF Kansas and the Indian Ter
ritory will probably take some time,
just how long It'll is now impossible to
say. After that it concluded Mr.. Gar
field will go to Kansas City to look
into the refinery business there and
trade conditions, and then viii pro-
coed westward. He will probably
make a brief stop in the Colorado oil
fields. but has not yet definitely de-
cided. He will go on west to Cali
fornia and investigate the conditions
of oil production in that state Most
! of the California oil is of a much
lower grade than the Kansas oil. but
the producers of the oil suitable for
refining make the same complaints
as the Kansas producers.