Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1906-09-14
Oil Anarchists Howl.

We copy the following able, clean
cut, sensible article on the Standard
Oil anarchists from the Minneapolis
Journal, because it meets u views
to a dot: "The Standard Oil monop-
oily roars for mercy. In an appeal to
the American people the Standard
Oil company makes the statement
that the attacks upon it's methods in
this country have been translated
abroad as attacks upon it's oil, and
that it is in danger Of losing its ex-
port trade, while the "largely increas-
ed stock Of petroleum in this country
emphasizes the necessity of extend
ing rather than curtailing the out
put"
Here is a cunning bit of literary
work, a syllogism which is ~calculat-
ed to brighten the American pro-
Queer of oil. There is too mnch oil
in the country to be disposed of at
home; it MIST be disposed of abr DAD
Conclusion, conditions must be kept
such that it car be disposed of abroad
Second, attacks upon the home meth.
DDS of the company are construed
abroad into attacks upon the product
itself and foreigners refuse to take
American oil. Therefore attacks
upon the methods of the Standard
Oil company must cease. This is the
wall of In infant industry rather
than the O a of an international
freebooter, which has ridden rough
shod over the backs of the people,
crushing home competition by bribery,
fraud, violence and anarchy, which
mas raised the price Of the refined
product while it reduced the price of
the crude petroleum at the we'll.
which has not competed with any
body abroad, but has divided the oil
world into zones OF which it is the
suzerain Of one. while the Russian
oil monopoly owns another and the
Straits oil companies are struggling
to maintain thei: footing in a third.
If there be too much oil in this
country, why does not the Standard
OH company reduce the price and
thereby encourage consumption to
the point where the surplus will be
reduced? Did it ever occur to the
Standard OIL Company that it can
never get the American people to
join in a sympathetic movement to
aid in extending its export trade
until it comes before them with
clean hands? Let it obey the laws of
the land. Let it permit open compe-
tition In the production and refining
of oil. Let it submit it's claims to
the market, not upon it's secret
agreements with railroads affording
preferential rates, but upon the mer-
it's of its product carried in the open
at the same rates as it's competitors.
Then 1t may have some standing be-
fore the American republic.
It is not the fault of the American
people that foreigners misconstrue
the nature of the American attack
upon the Standard Oil. They have
made it as clear as laws, indictments,
prosecutions, convictions, fines and
Threatened ;mprisonments can make
them that it is not the oil but the
organization that is under the ban.
The pitiful plea for sympathy made
by the Standard will not go so long
as the American people know to
their sorrow that the Rockefeller
concern is a giant anarchist with an
all consuming money appetite and a
conscience which would be lost in the
vast areas Of a shriveled, dried pea.
The most cheering thing about the
Standard is that it has been made.
If it has no other virtue, it has this
of notifying the American people
that their indignation toward this
commercials political educational re.
ligious monstrosity has borne fruit.
The monster has been touched to the
quick and he has reared. Make him
roar again.