Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1906-05-18
The Presidents Arrangement OF
Standard Oil.

are of the opinion that much OF
what is wrong with the great corpor-
ations could have been righted by
energetic work on the part of the
Department of Justice, yet these
same papers agree that the Presid-
ent's message will have widespread
influence on public opin ion as we'll as
on future legislation. Praise is given
freely to Commissioner Garfield for
his share in the work. He has per-
formed the chief public service of his
career" thinks the New York Times.
The New York Sun gives the Presi-
dent it's unqualified approval and
adds:
"Eyery power of the Federal Gov
ernment, every foot-pound Of energy
in the administration, should be di-
rected fearlessly through the De-
partment of Justice the prosecution
of the benefciaries, both givers and
takers, of the enormous system of
secret rates described in Commission
er Garfield s report and exhibited by
the President as the basis OF his re-
Communications"
And yet, as the Washington cores
pOndent of The Sun points out,
| while the President and Commission
er Garfield return verdict of guilty
against the Standard. they do not
suggest that the company is to be
prosecuted or is liable to prosecu-
tion" The President said in his
message:
"rhe report shows that the Stand
ard Oil Company mas beiietited enorn-
ously up almost to the present NOM
ent by secret rates, many of these
secret rates being clearly unlawful.
| This benefit amounts to at least
three-quarters of a million year.
This threequarters of million rep
resents the profit that the Standard
Oil Company obtains at the expense
of the railroads; but of course the ulti-
mate result is that it obtains much
larger profit at the expense of the
public"
And, to be sure, Commissioner Gar
fields message states fatty that the
Standard Oil Company ''has habitual-
| ly received from the railroads, and is
now receiving secret rates and other
unjust and illegal determinations =
Out of 26, 100000 barrels of refined oil
produced annually, the Standard pro-
duces 100000 to such an extent has
it driven out competition. The re-
port abounds in detail. "We see no
reason," says the New York Times,
'why the secret rebate should not be
crushed now for all time" And the
Philadelphia Press observes:
"Both message and report have
come at the psychological moment.
They find the Senate debating. They
offer proof of railroad abuses that
have been denied. Public indigna-
tion will rise over the whole country
1t will be impossible for the Senate
longer to delay a measure demanded d
by justice and the people"
The New York Evening Post recalls
that about a year ago S. @. t. DOdd,
lone or two college presidents, DIR.
Robert S. Macarthur and other Bah
tist clergymen, and the Baptist press
were vigorously explaining that the
company was conducted on the very
highest plane" And The Post adds:
"These apologists are completely
confoundcd by the report of Mr..
hn
mmissioner of Corporations sum it
up, the Standard Oil Company has
benefited enormously up almost to the
present moment by secret rates the
shipments of the Standard Oil have
been falsely way-billed' and blind
billed; many of the Determinations
have been clearly in violation Of the
Interstate-Co law; and most
of the railroads, when discovered,
have promptly stopped their illegal
practises. These charges, sustained
by detailed evidence, show that
Standard Oil officers do not regard
veracity as the chief of virtues; that
their ethical principles are those Of
the stranger; and that in business
rivalry they shrink from no treachery
however foul.'
1t would be wise, therefore, says
the New York Tribune, ''to extend
and strengthen the powers of the
Interstate-Co Commerce Commission, as
the President suggests, J" and adds, -
the railroads, if they are wise, will
welcome release from the pressure
of rebate-seekers pressure which
they have often felt unable to re-
sist.
II. III. Rogers and John d, Archbold
together with their general counsel,
M. f. Elliott, promptly issued a state
ment protesting againt the report and
denying many of its allegations. "We
say fatty" reads the statement, y
that any assertion that the Standard
Oil Company has been or is now
knowingly engaged in practises which
are unlawful is alike untruthful and
unjust" They disclaim responsibility
for the refusal of New England roads
to prorate, and If the Interstate-C Com
merce law has been violated, they say
why hasn't the Commission taken
action? Since the passage of that
1