The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-08-13
THE WEEKLY JOURNAL, Issued Thursday. One Dollar q Year.
THE TRUTH NEEDED.

Only good can come of the wide problem provided those engaged in it stick close to the truth and to nothing but the truth. There is no sure sign that the period of corporation batting has run it's course but there are in- numerable signs that corporation con duct is becoming so well understood that mere muck ralSing will soon be to the country. The serious aspect of the present situation is pressing for attention and must inevitably have it's effect upon the prevailing point of view. Batting the corporations is bully game to play for those who have but little or who think they have but little at stake but 1t is neverthe- the original sins of sthe corporations are proving to be.
 It is clarifying coincidence that John D. Rockefeller should have pre- ceded with his philosophical consider ation of the situation forced by Judge Landis enormous fine of the Standard oil company the second report made by Commissioner Smith of the Depart ment of Corporations setting forth in scathing language the conduct of that company in its control of the oil mar ket. It is by carefully noting the salient features of both the philoso- phical treatise and the governments findings that an intelligent under standing Is to be had of the causes which have led to the spread of the gospel of unrest. Commissioner Knox charges that the Standard oil company has used its giant power with the recklessness of the giant It has fixed the price of oil with refer ence to the control of the market; to put a competitor out of business in one place, to overcharge customers an arbitrary cost in another place and to sell abroad cheaper than 1t sells at home He denounces as false that the Standard oil company has sought the foreign market in order to dis pose of surplus product, Tt is perfectly evident" says Commissioner Smith, "that the Standard oil com pany has not always been concerned with maintaining the export trade in American Illuminating oil, but has been solely interested in maintaining it's own domination in the markets of the world, frequently at the expense of the United States" The commits sioner indulges in such words as lex tortion" without the slightest hesita- ton and leaves the clear impression on the readers mind that in his judg- ment at least this great corporation has not hesitated to use it's own weap- 
 It was to be expected that if MT. Rockefeller approached the subject at all it would be in a semi-benevolent spirit of self-examination. This he has done and he is entitled to the credit of doing it with a masters touch. He rightfully observes that he is as much interested as the next man in the continued prosperity of the coun- try. Tt is worse than thoughtless, he says, 'to say off-hand that the try are in the hands of a few rich men who alone will suffer. There is people who have invested small say ings in these enterprises end the indi- ands who depend in one way or an- other upon the success of every in- ment and there is also truth In the counter statement that the managers of the Standard Oil are men with im- mense responsibilities upon their shoulders. There is touch of good natured egotism in MT, Rockefellers remark that he is harnessed to a cart in which the people ride and that he must work whether he wishes to or not. There is no suggestion of the masterful commercial leader in his use of the term servants" to describe his relation and the relation of his col leagues to the general public lie sounds well too when he says that it has not been the pursuit of wealth which has moved them but the love of business success; that had the love of gain controlled they would have all quit the game years ago. They al- ready possess all and more than they