The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-08
General Counsel for Standard Oil
Company Visits City.
I'm Conference With COmpany's
Kansas Representative.
CALLED ON COLEMAN.
Says Visit Has Nothing to Do
With Custer Suit.
Independent Refineries Are Not
Hurting Standard.

Alfred ID. Eddy of Chicago, general
attorney Of eleven western states for
The Standard oil company. and the
man who has been representing his
company in the fight with Herbert s.
Hadley, attorney general of Missouri,
is in Topeka today, cOnferring with
Earl Evans, junior member of the
Wichita firm of Stanley, Vermillion &
Evans. the Kansas representatives of
the Standard.
Mr.. Eddy declined to state the exact
nature of his business here. He said:
81 have been at Kansas City where
our company has large interests and
just ran UP here to Topeka to have
talk with Mr.. Evans. There is nothing
special on foot
Has your visit here anything to do
with the custer suit pending by the
supreme court of the state Of Kansas ?''
was asked.
mo, 1 don't know much about that
case. I don't know what is likely to
be the outcome"
Mr. Eddy is one of the smOothest of
the many smooth men employed by the
Standard He knows how to talk with
trankness, and yet be unable to COM
NIT himself on some points of consider
able interest. He is not a big man,
physically-he IS inclined to be
'pudgy.' Yet he has a strong face.
and his sandy gray hair and moustache
give him distinguished appearance.
Says Hadley Was Premature.
''Yes I was considerably interested
ln-that Missouri case said Mr.. Eddy
as ne spread himself out against the
cigar case at the Copeland and puffed
a fragrant cigar handed TO him by Mr..
Evans. Il went to New York and as
sisted IN the examination which Mr..
Hadley sought to make Of Mr.. Rogers
and other Standard Oil officials. The
trouble with Hadley is that he is pre-
mature He tried to get the testimony
OF those men before he was
ready We asked him to wait
until the supreme court of
Missouri had decided whether he had
right TO take the testimony Of the
witnesses whom he desired TO examine
Eut he wouldn't do it. He perhaps
thought that he could get some infOr-
nation regardless of his legal right to
make the examinations. OF course he
found that he couldn't get much salts
faction from Mr.. Rogers. Now Mr.
Rogers is q very nice man, personally
Ia genial, good hearted man. but he is
just as smart as the lawyers. and when
lawyer tries to handle Mr.. Rogers,
he finds that he has undertaken quite
task. Mr.. Rogers can take care of
himself So the result of the case was
that Mr.. Hadley came out somewhat
demoralized. And now the supreme
L0IA 4Ar5 QHAlUEu tllG case Just as we
thought it would"
Mr.. Eddy has q pleasant voice and an
air of good fellowship IbOut him which
are 1nclired to make his auditors forget
that he is the legal representative of the
wicked, hungry octopus. And yet he is
the man who does most of the scheming
fOr the Standard Oil company in the
west; he is the man who set on foot
the great newspaper campaign of edu-
cation in Kansas, soon after the legis-
lature passed the state oil refinery bill,
and he is the man whose hand is one
of those which guides the Standard Oil
craft in its fights with state attorneys
and legislative bodies.
Not Hurt by Independent Refneries.
What effect is the establishment of
independent rehneries in Kansas having
on the business of your company" was
asked.
wei. as to that''-and Mr. Eddy
chuclSled. II can only say that the
business of our company in Kansas in
creased 10 per cent during the past
year. We are very well satisfied with
the situation"
The Independent refinery at Cherry
vale reports an increased production of
1000 barrels for the month Of January
suggested the reporter.
II noticed that statement i'm the pa
pers' said MI Eddy. All I can say
Is that our records show what our com
pany is doing. and we have TO com
plaints7'
Then Mr.. Eddy told a few things
about the Standards policy in Kansas.
He said.
The Standard Loves Kansas.
THE Standard Oil company wants
TO do business in Kansas. 1t must do
business here. This field, here and in
the territory. is where we must get the
of the case, and we have no desire to
deny IL. We want to be friends with
Kansas We viii take all the oil from
Kansas we can use, and pay all the
market viii stand. OF course when
there is an over production of oil. it
sometimes comes too fast for US. But
we must buy Kansas oil. As soon as
We can get that pipe line built across
Missouri-which we viii have done
before long unless Mr. Hadley prevents
us from getting down to work, as he
threatens to dove viii be able to use
stiu more Kansas oil. This line across
MISSOURI Will supplement the line
Wnlcn we already have to the big re-
hnery at Whiting. The oil pumped
through this new line has connections
with the Atlantic seaboard so we will
pump the oil direct from Kansas fields
to the seabOard If desired.
I'VE don't want any trouble with
Kansas, and we want the people of
Kansas to understand US. And now
as the reporter made ready to go-s'I
want to say that I've been glad to have
a chance to talk to you I viii be Glad
10 explain anything to you at any
time"
Called on Attorney General.
Mr.. Eddy and Mr. Evans called AT
the office Of Attorney. General Coleman
this morning. but it is stated that the
interview had nothing to do with legal
matters. Mr.. Coleman said:
''Mr. Eddy and Mr. Evans came in
here. and we had social chat Nothing
was said about the custer suit in the
surrene court. In fact. I did not know,
until Mr.. Eddy was about TO leave, that
he was the general attorney for the
Standard Oil company"
Eha suit nendins in the sunreme court