The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-04
Kansas Battle With Standard
Oil Has Begun.
John O'Brien Here to Manage
the Trust Lobby.
Am UNEXPECTED TURN,
Detection of HOch and Stubbs
DiscOurages Oil Men.
Senator Smith Says Refinery
Bill May Still Win.

Will the legislature refuse to follow
the dictation of Governor Hoch and
Speaker Stubbs and pass the state re-
finery bil2 If the indications of the
political barometer as read today are
correct Stubs supremacy hangs on the
outcome of the state refinery bill ana
he may be powerless to prevent its pas
sage.
The first struggle in the present ses-
sion of the legislature is on between the
Standard Oil lobby and the senators
and representatives favoring the state
oil refinery bill.
The four bills favored by the Kansas
oil interests were to have come up, un-
der special ORDERS in the senate FRIDAY
morning according to the arrangements
Of the oil and gas committee but the
sudden opposition on the part of Gov
ernor Hoch and Speaker Stubs to
what was supposed to be an admins
tration bill was the first stumbling
block and the bills did not come up
in the senate as planned. When they
do come up next week the first bitter
struggle OF this session of the iegls-
lature will be on
The Standard Oil lobby, headed by
John O'Brien, actively assisted by Kan
sas politicians, has been at work Ior
several days. There are more than the
usual rumors of Doodle. The strongest
argument of the Standard lobby IS
that the refinery bill will hurt the Re
publican party but as Senator WaS-
gener, the leading Democrat in the leg
islature and other minority members
are for the state refinery the argument
is losing a good deal of its force with
many Republican members.
The four oil bills before the senate are
the Samuel Porter bill for state re-
dnery and the employment OF conNlcl
labor: the Dumont Smith bill to stop
discrimination; the Fitzpatrlck Dill TO
establish maximum rates for the trans
portation of oil and the Dumonp Slnilh
Hill TO place pipe line under the JurlS-
dirtiou of the board of railway commits
sioners as common carriers. Ihere IS
rracticallv no fight on any of these bills
but the refinery bill. Senator Oolley,
one of the leading HOch men IN tne
senate is opposed to the refinery meas
ure. Senator Fitzpatrick, looked upon
as an administration senator, Is 1or the
refinery bill. =
the refinery bill to come before the
senate from Friday until some time
next week, presumably Tuesday, gives
the Standard lobby time to work.
senator Benedict, chairman OF lhe
committee on oil and gas, is opposed
TO the refinery bill but he 1aVors the
anti-gas pumping bill and IS keeping
under cover to see what becomes OIL
his gas pumping bill
If the prediction of Senator Dumont
Smith IS correct the refinery Dill VIII
pass the senate and house despite Lne
Tosirion Of Governor Hoch and Stubbs
and he thinks Governor HOch WOULD
not veto such a bill.
I'VE have % votes sure for the Dill
in the senate" Senator DumOnr Smlth
said TO-DAY -Four votes are doubtful
and we expect to get all of them In
the house there is a majority for the
bill but several of the leaders are
against il and they may be able to
beat it All that is needed in the
house is for one strong man to lead
the fight for the bill. and organize the
zeal majority that is for it and the
man who does that will be the biggest
man in the house.
1.-THE people are overwhelmingly for
the bill Within the past week / have
talked with fifty men from my own
part of the state and every one of
them was not only for the bill but
reports his territory for it. Two
things have aroused public sentiment
in favor of the bill. One is the cut
the Standard has made in the price of
refined oil, cut of 4 cents a gallon.
People say that il the mere threat of
q state refinery can force this cut that
the refinery itself would double and
hold the reduction. The second and
strongest reason, is the undisputed
fact that the Standard has a powerful
lobby here. working against the re
fnery The people know that what is
good for the Standard is bad for them
and what is bad for the Standard is
good Tor the people 1naT IS the
whole thing in a nutshell.
In my judgment in this fight. no
man can afford to take the side of the
Standard, or advocate the thing it
wants or opposes. Mr.. Stubbs is MAX
ing the mistake of his life in opposing
the peoples wish in this matter.
Gov. Hoch is not against the refinery
He is in doubt, But much of the public
sentiment in favor of the refinery has
been aroused by 7Is :eCc- -nrne'ldatIOn or
suggestion. which ever yen caH It, aIong
this line It gave 4 tremendous impetus
to the movement. movement that neitn-
till the experiment las been tried Finan-
cially the refinery will not help the pro-
ducer much;its effect will be almost Who'll
Ay Lor the consumer This is why the
whole people arc for it, 1t viii do two
things 1t viii reduce the price of refined
OIL just tho tWine plant reduced the
Fl ice OF twIne, only in far greater proper
tiOn: and, best of ALL it will align the
great state of Kansas as a political entity
against the strongest and most murderous
monopoly this country has ever suffered
from. Il the experiment succeeds il will
esta blish a precedent that viii solve the
trust question The Standard knows
this and that is why it opposes
the bill with all its power. To night
"a private refinery is one thing: but to
sas with their governmental machinery
and two millions If wealth, s a verv diff
feFent tltng-
ing this experiment we are enlbarlxile in
any Wild-eyed socialist scheme or that
We are In favor Of governmental owner
this solely and absolutely to prison lat-Or
thereby keeping within the limits Of the
constitution, destroying none OF the old
landmarks, violating no time honored
principle OF governmental practice. We
are using what we have in the way of
prison labor instead of mining a few tons
of coal to cut the price of a necessa ~
of life. tear down odious mOnOpol- and
srov Tie world that Kansas is ror sIfrs;S
r-rrlr farr