Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-05-15

The administration also had to con-
slider the effect of the action of the
Standard Oil company and railroads in
disseminating to considerable extent
the practice of rebates which followed
the initiation Of the Garfield investiga-
ton. 1t was decided also not to be too
preclpltate, but to give the. interstate
commerce commission an opportunity
to make some progress in the investi.
cation it was ordered to make by con-
gress.
Moody's Opinion a Lift.
Finally it was necessary for the
president to receive from the attorney
general report as to the chances of
government success. The methods
pursued by the Standard Oil were
adopted only upon the advice of ex-
pert lawyers, and they appear to have
been so skillfully devised in many
cases that the company can be reached,
if at all, only with the greatest diff
Guilty.
But the preliminary examination
which Mr.. Moody has completed es-
tabiishes that it will be possible to
convict not Only the Standard Oil but
some of the railroads with which it
eonspired to destroy its competitors by
obtaining lower freight rates.
OF course those railroads which have
granted rebates within the states can
not be reached. For instance, there is
the Pennsylvania, which gave the
Standard a rate Of cents barrel
from Olean, N. Y, to Rochester, N. Y.
while it charged the independent re-
tireries situated in the territory ada
cent to Olean 80 cents a barrel.
The federal government has no au-
thority over his practice, but it can
forbid and punish secret rates given
by the Pennsylvania to the STANDARD
from Norwood, N. Y, to Burlington,
VT. 1t appears the railroads which
especially are under consideration with
a view to prosecution are the Chicago,
Burlington & Quincy, Illinois Central,
Chicago & Eastern Illinois, Chicago &
Alton, and Southern railway.
Hopes to Land High Officials.
But while The president wants the
railroads punished for violating the
Elkins anti-rebate law, he is anxious
particularly that the Standard Oil
Company shall be brought to justice.
He has indicated to the attorney-gen-
eral the higher up the officials reached
the more pleased he will be. But he
recognizes the difficulties in The way of
successful prosecution of men like
Rockefeller arpd Rogers, for instance.
While they may have inspired the de-
mand for rebates, the government can
not prove they actually did so, and it is
their subordinates who must be at
tackled Even they have been sur
rounded by ingenious safeguards, how
ever, and it is not at all certain they
can be convicted.
AS the president said in his message
transmitting the Garfield report to
congress, lawsuit is often a neces-
sary method; but by itself it is an ut
terly Inadequate method"
Nevertheless, the lawsuits are to be
instituted and every effort will be
made to secure the conviction of Off
cials of the Standard Under the Ell
kins act the punishment us that of a
fine only, but the payment OF a fine in
itself is disgrace, and the department
of justice has been careful to point out
that the recent conviction and punish
mem of the Chicago, Burlington &
Quincy railroad and it's officers means
they confessed to violating the law and
will have to bear the stigma always.