New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1906-09-22
SENATOR BAILEY AND STAND
ARD OIL.

journed for the summer, The
Cosmopolitan Magazine published
an article charging that Senator
Joseph W. Bailey, of Texas, was
one of the hired men of the Stand,
ard Oil Trust. On the floor of the
Senate Mr.. Bailey took occasion to
make an eloquent and rather furi-
ous denial of the staten ants con
tanned in the article and especially
OF any connection with the Stand,
ard Oil crowd, but in the light OF
the testimony given in St. Louis
on Saturday by Henry Clay Pierce,
president of the Pierce Waters Oil
Company, the southwestern branch
of the Standard Oil monopoly, it is
very evident that another and a
more comprehensive statement is
due from Senator Bailey.
The testimony which was given
during the hearing of a case in
court is most damaging to the
Texas senator, for it is impossible
to avoid the conclusion that he has
been prominent figure and di-
rective force in the affairs Of the
Standard Oil Company, although 1t
seems that considerable care was
taken to keep the knowl dge of the
fact from the public. According
to the testimony of Pierce, Sena-
tor Bailey was entrusted with the
management of $13, 100000 in oil,
coal and railway stocks and had
the authority to elect officers of
certain coal companies. But it ap-
pears that all doubt as to Senator
Bailey's connection with the Oil
trust was removed when Pierce
also testified that Bailey had OBJ
tanned for the Standard Oil Com
pany certain rights in Texas
against overwhelming odds.
Itl we'll to say that for more
than three years Senator Bailey
has been suspected of being one of
the servants in the senate of the
Especial interests" which have
been preying upon the people, and
it would appear from the testimony
in the Gruet case that the suspic
ion has been fully confirme !. We
regret to say it, but it looks very
much as though the public has at
last obtained the correct measure
of Senator Bail y, and hereafter he
will be required to take his place
as a servant of "the interests
along with Aldrich, Spooner, Ell
kins and other members Of the
Senate who find it much more
profitable to serve the corporations
than to serve the people. Whether
the st. Louis disclosures will in
jure Mr.. Bailey in the confidence
of the people of Texas remains to
be seen, but it is quite certain that
he is not likely to have much in
fuence hereafter in the councils of
the Democratic party, and it is also
certain that the opposition to Bryan
which he nurses will do the Ne
braskan good rather than harm. 1t
would be a fortunate thing for the
party and the people generally if
all the corporation senators on the
Democratic side Of the Senate were
uncovered aud properly labeled be-
fore the presidential election of
1908. However, so far as Senator
Baily is concerned, it will be freely
admitted that another opportunity
is presented for him to do some
more effective explaining than he
was capable of doing in the reply
he made to the Cosmopolitan
Magazine.
1t will hardly do for the Texas
Senator to fall back on the well
worn plea that he was merely serv
ing the oil company as an attorney
because he has denied most empha
tically and specifically that he has
ever been employed by the trusts IL
such a cacapity. Aside from this
| it is a well-known fact that only
two or three years ago his people
engaged in bitter struggle t.
drive the oil monopoly out of thei
State, and it is the same monopol.
that has turned over to Senate
Bailey the management of interest
valued at $13, 100000, togethe
with its power of attorney. Al
things considered this has been
year pregnant with embarrassment
| for the servants of the predator,
combines. Events have conspire'
to thrust them into the limelight i
spite of their studious efforts t
keep out of it.-N. o. States.
n-l. n Cafarra