The Washington herald., 1907-08-04
DENIED SQUARE DEAL
President Moffett DenOunceS
Standard Oil Decision
INNOCENT, EVEN TECHNICALLY
Head of Indiana Company Declares
Court Would Not Permit Introduce
ton of Facts that Would Have
Demonstrated IL Was Not Guilty of
Rebating-Others Equally Liable.

New York Aug. 3-In a statement by
James A. Mofrett. president of the Stand
ard OIL Company of Indiana. issued to-
day, il is asserted that the company is
not even technically guilty of rebating.
President Moffett declares that the court
would not permit the company TO intro
duce facts that would have demonstrated
its innocence. and asserts that II did not
get a square deal. He said in part;
The Standard Oh Company OF Indiana
was convicted Of receiving what the gov
ernment claimed was a concession from
the Chicago and Alton in-the shipment OF
oil from It's refinery at Whiting, Ind. TO
East st. Louis H. 1t must be borne in
mind that there is no question OF rebate
or discrimination in this case. The con-
tention of the government was that the
lawful rate was IS cents per 100 pounds
between these two points
THE defendant claims first that the
lawful rate was 6 cents, and second, If 6
cents was not the lawful rate, it was the
rate issued 10 the Standard oil Company
by the Alton as the lawful rate, and the
Standard was justified in believing from
its own investigation. and from the In
formation received from the railroad COM
pany. that cents was the lawful rate.
others Equally Guilty.
IF the Standard IS guilty in this case,
SO is practically every other shipper in
that manufacturing territory. The Stand
ard wanted 10 show that the Chicago and
Eastern Illinois Railroad had a lawful
published rate of cents a hundred be-
tween Whiting and East St Louis. and
! that the Standard shipped about one
third its OIL or 1000 ears. over the Chicago
and Eastern Illinois, so that it could not
possibly have had d motive 10 violate the
law by shipping over the Alton. The
court would not allow such evidence TO be
introduced.
1T was desired. also, to show that
packing house products between the
same points and for the same time were
carried under a commodity rate; linseed
oil. for instance. at cents a hundred.
but the government barred such testi-
mony.
FOTbids Idea of Guilt.
Under these circumstances, and in
view Of the fact petroleum had been
openly carried between Whiting and Eas,
St. Louis for from ten to fourteen years
for 8 cents, what a draft ii is on human
credullty for the prosecution to assert
that IS cents was the only possible legal
rate We insist that the facts, many
Of which the court did not permit US 10
show, not alone demonstrate innocence.
but inherently forbid the idea OF guilt
We further insist that whatever may
/ be ones technical view Of the law reiA-
I ing 20 the above questions, every equi-
table consideration IS with the defendant.
and II the only desire was TO give this
defendant square deal. this prosecution
would never have been instituted
Believes in Fair Play.
The American public not only believes
in fair play in the abstract. but with all
the facts before il. Il has the capacity
20 determine whether a defendant, rich
or poor. has received square deal
For all these reasons the Standard
oil Company asserts that II Is not even
technically guilty, and that il ought
never have been prosecuted because Of
the claimed failure Of railroad com
pany which has neither been indicted nor
prosecuted, 10 file its tariff and that the
prosecution of this defendant under the
circumstances Of this case is a prostitu-
! tlon OF the spirit, and the high purposes
Of the interstate commerce act"