Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-11-20

Action has begun by the United States
government against the Standard Oil
Co., in the form of petition in equity,
filed in the Circuit Court at st. Louis,
directed against the company and its
seventy constituent corporations and
number of individuals. The petition
asks that the combination may be de-
clared unlawful as in restraint of trade,
and dissolved. This is undoubtedly the
beginning of one of the greatest and
most important legal battles ever fought
in this country, and one which will
probably cover years of time. That IL
will be fought by the administration of
Theodore Roosevelt with all the tenacity
possible there is the best of reason to
believe. That it will be fought on the
other hand by the Standard Oil Co. with
all the legal ability that money can pro-
cure no one will doubt. That its result
will be a step in the direction of curbing
the power of the big trusts is to be de-
sired, but almost too much to hope for.
1t is eloquently suggestive of the
tendency of the time in matters theatre
cal that the next morning after MOdjeska
appears in Macbeth for the last time in
the jefferson at Portland, it is announced
in the papers that the Jefferson is to
enter the vaudeville field-not to the ex-
clusion of the "big shows" as yet, but to
considerable extent, frequently for a
solid week of it. Exit Shakespeare;
enter the writer of horse-play skits: exit
the world-renowned tragedian; enter the
and tho
haired Irishman, with song and dance.
The death of Gen. William r. Shafter
brings out many tributes to him al
gallant soldier, who won his position by
sheer force of merit. And yet it Is only
about eight wears since Gen. Shafter was
one of the best-abused men in this coun-
try because of his part in the Cuban cam
paign.
Vermonts experience with Mrs. Rog-
ers is not sufficient, as many thought il
would be, to put an end to the death
penalty in that state. A strong pull was
made for it, but the bill abolishing the
death penalty has been decisively beaten
in the legislature.
The Pullman Car Co., in addition to
eight per cent dividends On largely
watered capitalization, has just voted to
distribute to the stockholders, in the
form OF stock, surplus of $28, DOC, 900,
or one-third the amount OF its Inflated
capitalization. And yet it can't pay its
porters full price for their work, but ex-
poets them to make it up out OF tips from
the passengers. Some of the big trusts
and monopolies are noted for the gener-
Gus wages they pay their employees, but
the Pullman Co. can't take much credit
in that line, as far as its porters are con-
cerned.
The Boston Herald is conducting a
campaign in behalf of biennial elections
and legislative sessions in Massachusetts,.
That unfortunate commonwealth still
elects governor and other state officers
eyery year, and has a legislature in SEES
sion about half the time. There are in
Maine people who would like to go back
TO annual elections in this state, and
others who, strange al 1t may seem,
would like to have annual sessions of the
legislature, but they are so few that they
are really conspicuous because OF their
views on the matter.
A bill excluding the Japanese from
this country, as the Chinese are now ex-
cluded, will, it is said, be introduced in
congress this winter. 1t will stand about
as little show Of a passage as anything
that could DO presented to that body.
We admit to this country the people of
all Europe, some Of whom it will take
many generations to make into good
American citizens. There is NO sense In
excluding the marvelously adaptable
Japanese.
The Bowdoin football team has been
weak ned this term by the disqualified
ton of four men for being deficient in
their studies. And yet there il not
general disposition to consider that
either Bowdoin or the cause of educa-
ton has filtered materially by reason Of
the incident.
The announcement in tbs papers that
Mrs. Russell Sage would give away the
bulk of her husbands $50, 600 to
individuals. not to institutions or to
beggars, led to such horde Of beggars
swooping down upon her that she Was
intolerably bothered by them. and bur
ried to stop the flood by having denial
of the story published.
Those who talk of the extinguishment
of the civil war pension roll az thing
that will DO accomplished within the
next thirty or forty years may find food
for thought in the fact that the last
Revolutionary pensioners widow OF .
Revolutionary soldier-has just died,
one hundred and twenty-three years
after the close Of the war which gave her
her pension. The Same allowance OF
time in the case Of the civil war-and
there 10 just a. good reason for twill
bring the last civil war pension payment
n 1893.