The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-08-25
STANDARD OIL GETS
STRONG IN POLITICS
Monopoly Is Now Active in
Democratic Affairs-Jones
Is It's Spokesman.
Formerly It's Operations Were
Almost Entirely With the
Republicans.

1SAV0o AAVAAVAy W. AOAA VAAO 8 =
Republicans. ;,=
Washington, D. c., Aug. 23.-Follow-
ing the trip Of ex-senator James II.
Jones and Attorney Barnesdale Of the +
Standard OIL Company to Oyster Bay
last week, there has developed the fact
that the Standard Oil Company and
other allied corporations are going In
to American politics openly.
Formerly Standard Oil had no deal
1ngs with the Democratic party. It's
operations were entirely with the Re- B
publican machine, but since ex-senator
Jones began business relations with
Standard Oh. that monopoly is now
active In Democratic affairs.
1t Is stated that Senator Jones' visit
to see Mr.. Roosevelt was to protest
against cerain rulings made by the
Secretary Of the Interior Hitchcock
against Standard Oil leases of Oil lands
in Oklahoma.
On the day previous to this visit,
which an attempt was made to keep
secret, nineteen indictments against
STANDARD Oh were found in Chicago.
1t was reported that at an early date
indictments would be found against.
the individual officers of the corpora :;
ton, the penalty of which was not only
hnes but also Jail sentences. For some
mysterious reason, prosecutions in this
direction in Chicago have ceased.
Senator Jones' letter to Mr.. Bryan.
urging him to become the Democratic
candidate for President, was written;
after Virgil Kline's declaration for
Bryan. r..
Kline Brains Of the Trust.
Virgil Kline Is now the brains of the
legal department of Standard OIL. He
is young, aggressive and diplomatic.
He succeeded S. T. C.. Dobbs as the
active head of Standard OILS legal de-
partment. Kline is Westerner and
believes in going out into the open
after anything he wants. The other
officers of Standard OIL have been
trained in the Eastern school of poll
tics, which is not so blunt, direct and
aggressive as is the Western school.
August Belmont and Ryan merely
spoke pleasantly of Mr.. Bryan, but
Kline emphatically insisted that he be
the candidate for President. Soon
after Klines declaration Senator
Jones, celebrated letter to Mr.. Bryan.
urging him to become the standard
bearer Of the Democratic party in 1905,
was written from Washington.
Mr.. Brayn's response to Senator
Jones letter was a declaration that he
would accept the Democratic nomina-
tton If the issues were right
p01} {o{o
While no longer occupying official posi-
ton in the Democracy, does occupy
official business relations with the
Standard OIL Company and were inter.
ested In reading Mr.. Brayn's answer.
Senator Jones managed two of Mr.,
Bryan's campaigns. He has a great
admiration for Mr.. Bryan and Mn
Bryan has a great respect for Mr.,
Jones.
1t Is urged that Senator Jones' new
relations with the corporations should
not make him persona non grata at
the Bryan demonstration. 5s
August Belmont, Thomas F. Ryan.
Bourke Cochran and David Francis of
the Waters-Pierce Oil Company are
active in helping the Bryan movement
along, and they, while they differ from
Senator Jones politically, are with him
IN their cordial support of Mr.. Bryan.
Indeed, 1t Is probable that Mr. Jones
may again, through the favor Of the
Democrats of his state, take q position
among the active leaders and go into
the campaign of 1908. If Mr.. Bryan
should receive the nomination.
The business element in the Demo-
cratic party feels that this would not.
be bad thing. Senator Jones, because
Of his new alliance. could get funds
for campaign purposes from sources
that neither he nor any other Democrat
could reach in 1896.
In those days Mark Hanna secured
the contributions from the Standard
Oil Company, from the insurance men
and from Belmont, a
Jones and Francis Friends.
Senator Jones personally is lovable
man. Mr.. Bryan has always esteemed
him. Virgil Kline put him into the
way Of making good fees in the service
of the Standard OH Company. David
Francis of the Waters Pierce OIL Conn
pany, is from the next state to Sem
ator Jones', and in spite Of their poli-
tical differences Of 1906, has warm
esteem for him.
Indeed, Standard Oil could send no
messenger to Theodore Roosevelt who
would be more cordially received than
Senator Jones would be.
The great question here in Washing
ton among those who have followed
the late course of politics is whether I
the Standard Oil people are really for 1
Mr.. Bryan whether they are merely ]
making demonstration In favor of
Bryan In order to compel Roosevelt
to modify his prosecution or threat
ened prosecution Of the STANDARD OH
Company.
& NJ. F. TIGHE. -