The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-04-06
ARRAlGNs ROCKEFELLER
Rev. Washington GLADDEN. Says He Is
a Brinand

Brinand
I In his protest against the reception
of Rockefeller money for missionary
purposes, Rev Washington GLADDEN.
declared:
John D. Rockefeller is the respon-
sible representative of the system
known as Standard Oil. This system,
Ito say nothing worse of it, Is con-
victed, by a mass of testimony which
Hit is puerile to dispute or ignore, of
using its vast power in the most I'M
scrupulous ways to crush competition
and to build up colossal fortunes on
the ruins of happy homes and honest
industries.
Anything more hostile to the whole
genius of the Christian religion than
the career of this enterprise it would
be difficult to conceive. 1t has done
what it could to reduce business to
brigandage. Espionage, bribery OF the
employees Of competitors, and all other
underhanded methods have been it's
constant weapons.
But the case is worse than this.
The Standard Oil could never have
gained its power to Cypress but for its
alliance with the railways. From the
beginning of it's career it has been
able to coerce the railways into the
most humiliating submission to its be-
hests. BY system of rebates of the
most astonishing injustice, it forced
the great trunk lines not only to do it's
business for half of what it's competi-
tors had to pay, but to pay over into
It's treasury the excess which it ex-
torted from them.
For the service which cost the
! Standard 81 its competitors had to pay
So: and the extra dollar extorted from
them was paid over to it by these
meek and subservient railway officials.
This is not rumor {; it is q matter OF
public record; it is action which has
lbeen denounced by upright judges in
Ohio courts. It was upon this founda-
ton that this structure was reared.
Methods have been subsequently modi
fed, but the hold upon the railroads
thas never been relaxed, and they are
used today all over this country to
extort tribute from the industries OF
the people for the ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF
Standard Oil l
This use of the railways, by over
Ipowering aggregations Of capital as
instruments of oppression, is the tap
root ofasocial injustice. Tt is the one
lstupendous and threatening social evil.
The way in which it is working today
is shown in Mr.. Russell's astounding
exposure Of the methods OF the meat
trust The railway officials have be-
come mere puppets in the hands of
these trust magnates, who use them to
squeeze the life out of all independent
enterprise.
This is the business in which Stand
ard Oil has been engaged from the be-
ginning until now. 1t represents, as
no other aggregation in the land rep
resents, the method of using public
utilities for private ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
The railways, which are chartered to
lrender to all the people an equal pub
lie service, and which could not have
been granted the power they possess
on any other terms. have been en-
ployed by this system from the begin
ming to despoil and to Cypress.
At present this system owns large
majority of the principal railways OF
the country and its methods of oppres-
sion are illustrated by what has been
going on in Kansas.
Against all this there is now, all
over the land, an insurrection of pub
lie sentiment. The blindness of the
people to what has been going on has
been amazing, but they are beginning
to be aroused, and great battle is
imminent.