The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1906-05-10
FLAYS OIL TRUST
In Message to Congress Presi
dent Roosevelt Brands as
COLASSAL ROBBERs-

-. LOE3SQiSSl0ESE UnlIlCa0 tAoSt Hsr.-
Of Monopoly's Guilt the
Basis OF Charges.
President Roosevelt, in 8 message
60 Congress Friday indulged In q se-
we're dsnunciation of the Standard on
monopoly, charging itsnd the railroads
of the country with all manner OF or
fensss against the Interstate CONNER
ae and Anti, R ,bate laws. The charges
against this vicious monopoly were
timed psychologically with the ap'
urosching vote in the Senate on the
rsilr. ad rate bill. the Presidents pet
measure, which he is determined shan
po on the Fedsral statute books. Blu
this belated laying bare OF the hsgranb
and persistent violation Of the law oy
the E ,ckefeller monopoly is two years
behind the times. :,
In 1904 the same chsTges against
the on combine were made by Con.
rressman William Randolph Hearst
in all his newspapers, and in Dscem
'ber of last year he proposed a remedy
in the shape OF a bill to increase the
powers of the Interstate Commerce
Commission sne to create an Inter
state Commerce Court, which would
have m made impossible continuation
OF such defiance Of the United States
laws.
The bill served as q model for the
Esch-Townsend bill, and was killed by
the Administration. For years the
Government has paid no attention to
the repeated accusations against the
Standard Oh Company, whose crimes
ara calmly enumerated by the Presi'
dent and Commissioner Garfi sld TO-,
day.
Despite the superlstiveuess OF the
Glenuncistory adj sctives used by the
President and Commissioner Garfield,
which accuse tho STANDARD Oh monop
oily of divers. and sundry offsnses
against Federal laws, the Department.
of Justice, in almost the same breath,
announces that it viii try to prosecute
ONLY under the Anti B sbata law. OF
wh,ca the maximum penalty for. con-
yiction is only a fine Of a sum. Which
at most would be considered paltry by
the millionaire defendants.
In other words, should all the
STANDARD on officials, all the railroad
chiefs of the country be convicted,
they would merely have to Gcratch
their pens across the bottom Of checks
for gums infnltesimal as compared
with the profits secured from the lie
gal and secret rates and rebates,
and 20 on committing the same
grimes against the laws OF the land
Then, By putting the screws under
the price-llst anew and tacking cent
or two on to the rate for oil, the trust
would get all it's money back with
enormous interest,". ..
Commissioner Garfsld's investiga
tions unearthed undeniable proof OF
che guilt Of the Oh Trust and the
railroads, and his specific charges
formed the basis for the Presidents
message and recommendations to Con-
gress.
He WINGED no weeds and used no
emasculated phrases 10 denouncing
the Standard on Company IS VIC
lous business organization, reared upon
the loot from Illegal methods OF doing
business.
He accused the ofh ,ials Of the COM
psny of criminal methods and strip
ned the fabric of their boasted organ.
IL ,tion bare; showed it to be a mass
OF corru otion; a comb.nstinn defiant
of every law OF the laud, and even or
decent business amenitisS; heartles1
and wynton destroyer OF competitors
and a msnancs to the country.
Thr revelations In the report OF
Commissioner Garfield are almost IS
founding. They expose, 80 far as the
Standard Oh Company Is concerned,
exactly the same methods that Will
liam R. Hearst has uncovered In the
coal roads trust and the alliance be-
tween the Sugar Trust and the great
railroads. 1t is significant to note
that Commissioner Gsr6eld's exposure
illuminates the situation with exam"
ples of precisely the same kinds OF
rebates, REFUNDS and other illegal fav'
or as the coal cases and the sugar cases
have developed.
Ia other words, it tends to prove
what Congressman Hearst and many
writer's and investigators have con
tended for o long time-that the
Standard created the system and per-
fected it and the coal roads and the
Sugar Trust and the other. trusts are
only im!totors and followers OF the
mos gigantic trust of them al.
Seldom has organized capitsl been
so ruthlessly pilloried. C1m Mission
or Garfield presents an array OF facts
and figures that would convince the
most skepptical and he does IL with a
clsarness that a child cJuld under
stand.
He nos only conv!css the on Trust
OF flsgrant and persistent violations
of the law, but accuses its otfi ,isIs Of
deliberate lying. He says that at
~, hopjppinp Of the Investigation the