The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-06
FAIR PLAY FOR THE STANDARD.

FAIR PLAY FOR THE STANDARD.
While attacks on the Standard Oil
company are extremely popular with the
masses, 1t must be admitted that the
Standard is entitled to square deal,
just the same as is the smallest corpora
ton The same rules OF law must be
applied and the same brand of justice
must be given the Standard in the re-
bate charges as would be accorded any
other company or an individual charged
with the same offense.
The statement made by President
Mofett of the Standard Oil company
of Indiana-the branch of the oil trust
against which the Alton rebate charges
are fields a strong plea for fair play,
and taken by itself the statement makes
it appear to the citizen who wants to be
fair that the trust got decidedly the
worst of it in the recent trial which has
resulted il Judge Lands imposing fine
of over 90 million dollars on the trust
A few people are inclined to believe
that Judge Lambs was unnecessarily Sc
we're on the Standard and that he went
to extremes in imposing the penalty on
it. This is the impression that Presi-
dent Mofett desires to convey, in addi-
ton to the charge that the court did not
allow the Standard to make a showing
that would prove it innocent.
If this were true 1t would be serious
charge, for the Standard is entitled to
fairness, Notwithstanding the prejudice
against 1T; but IT is well to consider
President Mofett's statement along
with the facts as set forth in the opinion
of the court.
President Mofett asserts that the
legal rate from whiting to East st.
Louis was six cents and he says the
court refused to let it prove that the
Chicago & Eastern Illinois had a rate
of this kind in effect. Judge Lands,
however, says that while the Chicago &
Eastern Illinois had a 6A-cent rate in
effect at one time it was abolished July
1, 1908. The court admits that If the
Chicago & Eastern Illinois had had such
a rate in effect it would have been a
mitigating circumstance to be consider
ed although not admissible as evidence
The charges had to do only with ship
ments on the Alton, and there appears
to be no contention that the Alton had
a six-cent published rate\in effect Judge
Lands proceeds to show that the Chi
cago & Eastern Illinois had no such rate
on file either with the interstate COM
merce commission. He states that on
the day after the old rate of 6A cents
from Whiting to East st. Louis was
abolished, an amendment to the rate
sheet was made, making a similar rate
from Chicago to East st. Louis, but 1t
was not filed with the interstate COM
merce commission for nearly three
years. In the meantime the published
rate was IS cents. while the Standard
was getting the 6A-c rate made by
this secret amendment of the Chicago &
Eastern Illinois. In other words the
Standard got a secret rate of 6H cents
from all roads while the rate given
other shippers was IS cents. In the light
of these facts President Mofett's asser-
lions lose their force.
The contention that Judge Lands
exhibited undue spite against the
Standard in assessing the fine does not
seem tenable to the State Journal
Here was a law-breaker that had been
committing financial crimes for many
years in defiance of all law. 1t has
been prosecuted from time to time
but has either escaped punishment on
a technicality or received a gentle
slap on the wrist. Suppose an old and
hardened personal criminal had defied
the law so long and had at last been
brought to justice after repeated
warnings, would not a court have
been justified in imposing a heavy
penalty on him? The Standard has
had long career of oppression, made
possible by these unjust secret rates.
Even this great fine will be no great
hardship on its exchequer. 1t may
possibly cut down the company's divi-
dends this year to Is or 20 per cent.
but that is ALL The trust idel that a