The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-30
ON Their KNEES.
Railroads and Standard Oil In
terest Whipped.
Beg President to Hold Back Gar
field Report.
THEY CAN'T BUDGE HIM
Offer to Let the Original Hep
burn Bill Pass.
Report viii Go In Tomorrow
With a Message.

Washington, D. G., April SU.-
Standard Oil is on the run. So are
the railroads. Within the last few
days extraordinary pressure has been
brought to bear on President Roose-
Welt to induce him to suppress, or at
least to delay, the report on the Stan
dard Oil inquiry concluded by the bu-
reau of corporations under the per-
sonaI direction of Commissioner Gar
field.
The report hits both the Standard
Oil and the railroad companies square
ly between their corporate eyes. It
alleges and proves that the Standard
Oil company in some instances has re-
ceived rebates on freight amounting to
fully SO per cent of the tariff rates.
Practically every one of the eastern
trunk lines and almost every part OF
every railroad system is concerned IN
these revelations.
The Standard Oil people have be-
come frightened and they have enlist
ed the services of the railroad senators
to help them out of the hole. The
friends of the railroads in the senate
are alarmed because they believe TINS
report. showing as 1t does direct collu-
sion between the railroad companies
ana Ln6 most I1dlSQ LLUS III <AA-A~A@~e~'
will stir up the people to such an ex-
tent that all hope of preventing rad
icaI railroad legislation will be at an
end.
For this reason the combination of
the railroads and the Standard Oil has
been sending emissaries to the White
House begging the president not to
send in his message, at least not until
after the railroad bill is out of the
way.
President VIII Refuse.
President Roosevelt thus far has un-
derstood the meaning of all these sug-
gestions- He will not suppress the
| Standard Oil report. It will be sent to
the house of representatives proha bly,
on Tuesday with a special message
from the president showing that the
work has been dune by Commissioner
I Garfield. under the Instructions of the
house, pursuant to what is known as
the Campbell resolution.
The president has read a complete
synopsis Of the report and in addition
has gone over many of the details with
/ Commissioner Garfield, with Secretary
Metcalf, and with other members of
the cabinet He has decided to send In
/ the report in direct opposition to the
/ personal pleas of a number of sena-
tors.
Furthermore. the railroad contin-
/ gent in the senate is about ready to
throw up the sponge Mr.. Aldrich OF
/ Rhode Island has been bluffing from
! the. start. He has claimed a large
majority OF the Republican votes in
/ opposition to the policy Of the presi-
dent. He has failed to demonstrate
/ his ability to hold his forces together
and within the last few days specific
proposals have been made looking to-
ward basis of compromise which will
1 be a substantial triumph for the ad-
ministration.
Let Hepburn BIZ Pass.
It has even been hinted that the
Aldrich-EIkins crowd in the senate
would be willing to allow the Hepburn
bill to be passed as it came from the
house if the president meanwhile
would suppress or cut down the Gar
field report on Standard Oil in such
a way as to minimize the effect of the
charges It makes.
At the beginning of the fight in the
senate it was constantly asserted that
the whole trouble had been in the
giving and receiving of rebates, and
that this difficulty had been stopped
since the passage of the Elkins law
The Garfield report viii show exactly
the contrary is true. Rebates have
/ been paid to the Standard Oil company
long after the passage Of the Elkins
law.
The great oil monopoly has made
itself more and more Independent Of
the railroads by building its own pipe
lfneS, bul IN spite OF tnaJ II mas been
obliged to use the regular transpor-
tation lines for all short hauls, and
practically for all of the retail trade
It is in this way it has driven out locai
competitors everywhere.
In some cases it has forced railroad
companies to put up rates, and it has
received d rebate, while the opposition
| was made to pay the full tariff figures
In some cases where the STANDARD
found it difficult to compete with g
rival it has compelled the railroads
to fix ridiculously low rates. so as tc
enable it to get into a particular ter
ritory from a distance.