New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-08-21
" INNOCENT"- STANDARD
Pamphlets Distributed attacking
JUDGE Landis's Decision.

Copies of a pamphlet of th.rty-two pages Were
being distributed broadcast yesterday from NO %
Broadway. On the covers were the words FROM
the Directors of the Standard Oil Company to Its
Employees and Stockholders" The pamphlet was
made up chiefly Of extracts from, newspapers ana
magazines relating TO the fine of s29oooO imposed
recently the Standard Oil Company of Indiana
by Judge Lands at Chicago. In the preface Oh
the pamphlet the following:
The directors Of the Standard OIL Company IN
printing this pamphlet desire emphasize for the
half million of people directly interested IN s ,nnn
fare the ASSURANCE Of the COMPANY aosoIoe
enGe Of IN any o the th federal courts
Particularly is this so In the recent t ssnsa
Alton Railroad case made notorious pE +andard Oil
It Should be known as widely possible that this
of the legality Of a freight rate St ~ GOV
eminent upon the most hairsplitting technlcahaty,
aided by the rigorous exclusion 81 eF gIiit
would have removed all presumptlon OF Gun ~ stand
If the Judgment in question be all s% hat is
fifty times the value of the OLD lor every s AZ an
carried over Alton road during two years a.
ing railroads. for from ten to fourteen years! The
trial Judge refused 70 allow PTC@f 5hS Eastern l Iii
nois and was, therefore, a legal rate , ne
fused TO allow proof that ns rd 9th bulk com
modtes low as five cents He insls1f re- t1ra1
no one had ever paid it. and when it was Is; autho'-
itatvely sworn that 1t did not appy 70 the higher
The case has peen taken on appear u III i,ds-
courts which must look for that caln tin
moi
from the field of public clamOr and from the 10
main of vindictive politics s,-e
So persistent and adrOit has been the " .aaJ
with all the overpowering authority OF the 1eoela!
administration against the Standard OH coilpaIiE
that II has been rnanifestly difficult TO get lAlt
hearing before the public in large portion oi
the press the latter. its great harm sWayeI
alike by socalistic cutlery from below ana Poll'i0
pressure from above ,. J., .ho
As proof of the latter 1t may be noted that IN te
Presidents message of May 4, 1906 attack was
made on the Standard Oil Company for the pur-
pose of forcing passage of the bill remittns ue
duty on denatured alcohol measure IN whlcl Ie
cOrllpany was not interested. on May H. ISVo' IHe
issue Of Commissioner Garfslds report on pe'ro-
Ieun transportation. tissue OF old mlsrelreseIId,
tons was timed influence the Hepburn rate nlil.
then before Congress On May 20. lSOI, Wiiie
Judge Lands had still under consideration 'he
Judgment in the Chicago & Alton case, Commission
er Smiths illogical and partisan report on pipe
report on petroleum prices and profits wholly
false deduction from incomplete facts-was sent III
advance the press for publication on august >
in the know ledge that Judge Lands would pro
noIInce Judgment on August 3. Here surely is evil
dence Of a combination influencing all sources OF
public opinion disturbing the orderly dispensal on
OF Justice sanctiOning in advance and supporting
judgments hostile 10 the company.
What motive underlies the campaign of defama-
ton need not here be discussed. but for all friends
and foes il is reiterated that the Standard Oil
Company is carrying widespread business OF
great moment the prosperity of the American
people in absolute obedience to the soundest prin-
Cples business and the spirit and letter OF the
law. Attacks upon Il of the kind described are
aimed nations indus trial and mercantile life