The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-05-20
MONDAY EVENING, MAY 20, 1907.
and the opportunity to earn an hon
est competency free from the humili-
alton of dependence and charity
A TRUST BUSTER.

Whether there is any truth in the
story that the Standard Oil company
is planning a campaign against the
members of congress who were re-
sponsible for the passage of the de-
natured alcohol law or not, it is evil
dent that the new industry will serve
to break the grasp of that gigantic
trust upon the people of the country
Every home in the land pays some
tribute to the Rockefeller combina-
ton. Every lamp that is lighted, ev-
cry gasoline engine that is turned,
every meal cooked on a gasoline stove,
every box of axle grease that is used
by the farmer or the drayman is a
contribution to the Standard Oil trust
1t has been proved by the most eX-
haustive Investigations that the profit
which the trust realizes upon the COM
modify sold is enormous. This is also
proven by the fact that within the
lifetime of one man, who began oper-
ations when he was we'll on in years,
he has been able to accumulate a
sum of money that is larger than the
entire wealth of North Dakota. He
could not have accumulated this mon
ey by legitimate margin on the
sales, enormous as they have been.
The plan of the trusts, which is
now familiar to every school boy in
the land, was simple one. When
The producing oil fields were limited
to the Pennsylvania regions and the
output of the wells naturally small,
the Standard Oil company was born.
Among its first presidents was John
son N. Camden of West Virginia, who
obtained much of the advantages pos
sessed by the concern in its early
days from his connection with east
ern capitalists while serving as a SEN
ator from his state. They secured a
sufficient amount of money to get pos
session of the oil producing wells and
by diminishing the output and storing
the greater quantity of the flow, were
able to run the price up as they de-
sired.
Not content with this they devel-
oped the refining business. This with
in itself was a legitimate field had
it not been for the scandalous rail-
way determinations in the forms of
rebates which it was able to make
over its competitors. Later when the
rebate, per Sc, that is, the actual,
physical repayment of part OF the
freight rate, was substantially aban-
doned, the Standard was able, by COM
polling the cooperation of the rail-
roads, to establish in place thereof
a system of secret or open discrim-
nations in rates in its own favor,
covering almost the entire country
and of such a nature that throughout
large sections it could sell and make
a profit on oil at prices which left
no profit for competitors. This sys-
TEN of railway determinations allow
ed the Standard to control substan-
TALLY that link in the business that
lies between the refinery and the con-
sumer. BY means of its great pipe
line system it also controlled the gap
between the producer of oil and the
refinery.
Because of the conditions which it
has forced on the public, and which
are outlined above, the Standard Oil
company has been wholly without a
competitor except the very few in its
own particular line. But in denatrued
alcohol new rival appears. Every
thing for which the products of the
oil we'll can be used can be supplied
by this new product. The raw ma
terials lie on every farm and can be
converted into the finished product
by every farmer if he chooses to do
SO. It will therefore be seen at a
glance that the Standard Oil trust is
confronted by an uncomfortable op-
ponent, and that the only way it can
rid itself of this competition is by
securing the repeal of the denatured
alcohol law. This Is the reason why
the Rockefeller interests are said
to be bent on the defeat of every per-
son in any way connected with the
passage of that law.