The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-08-21
OCTUPUS FORCED
TO STRIKE
BACK.
Standard Declares Great Fine
Is Unjust.
CALLS CONVICTION UNFAIR.
Says vindiotlve Politics Was Behind
Governments Suit and Vital Evl.
denoe Was Ruled Out

NEW lOhht aug 81 ohhIhhk uhf
der the 500. 10000 line Imposed on II
by Judge lands. the Standard oil
company issued 10 It's employees and
stockholders pamphlet which says:
'The directors OF the Standard OIL
company Ia printing this pamphlet de-
sire 10 emphasize for the half million
Of people directly interested In il wei.
fare the assurance OF the compahy's
absolute innocence Of wrongdoing In
any Of the prosecutions lately insti.
tuted against II In the federal courts
Particularly Is this so IN the recent
Chicago and Alton railroad case, made
notorious by the sensational fine Of
s2g.24OUOO Imposed on the Standard
OIL Company Of Indiana.
1t should BE- known as widely as
possible that this Il no case Of rebate
OF discrimination. but simply OF the
legality o. freight rate II should b.
known that the verdict was obtained
BY the government upon the most hair
splitting technlcality. aided by the rig
orous exclusion Of evidence that would
have removed all presumption Of guilt
III the judgment IN question 10 al.
lowed 20 stand the company VIII b.
forced 60 pay S2O0oo-that IL. nfty
times the value Of the oll-for every
carload carried over tho Alton road
during two years az an open six cent
rate. a rate used over three competing
railroads for from ten 20 fourtssn
years rhe trial Judge refused 10 Al
low proof that the six cent rate had
been fled by the Chicago aud Eastern
Illinois aud was therefore a legal
rate lie refused 10 allow proof that
linsccd oil. Tor instance. was carried
NJ s cents aud other bulk commodities
rs low as 5 cents. He insisted that u
cents was the only legal rate for oil
when no one had ever paid II and
when Il was authorltatlvely sworn
that II did not apply 90 oil
The case has been taken on appeal
10 the higher courts. 90 which we must
look for that calm judgment which
vii rescue the rights Of the citizen
from the hcld Of public clamor and
from the domain Of vindlctlvs politics
so persistent aud sdrolt has been
the warfare wased with all the over.
towering authority u the federal al
mlnisiration against the Standard Oh
company" the company says. that Il
has heen manifcstly difficult 20 get a
fair hearing before the public or In a
large portion OF the press. tho latter
20 lts great harm. swaysd alike by
sociallstlc outcry from below aud 20
litlcal pressure from above"
The statement continues:
As proof Of the latter Il may b.
noted that In the presidents messsg,
OF May 4. 1904. attack was made on
the Standard on company for the puT
pose u forcing the passage Of the bill
remItting the duty on denatured slco
boil. a measure In which the company
was not interested.
ION May II. 1901. the issue " Com
missioner Garheld's report ON petro
leum transportation. tissue Of old
Misrepresentation. was timed 10 inhu
encc the Hepburn rate bin then before
congress ON May ~. 1907. while
Judge lands had still undor cOnsid
GRAFTON the judgment IN the Chicago
and Alton case. Commissioner Smiths
Illogical and partisan report on pipc
lines was made public.
The commissioners second report on
petroleum prices aud profits. n wholly
false deduction from incomplete facts
was sent In advance 20 the press Tor
publication on Aug. . In the knowl
edge that Judge lands would pro
nouncc Judgment ON Aug 3.
Here surely II evidence u n comb
nation influencing all sources u public
opinion. disturbing the orderly di-pcn
satlon OF justice. sanctlonlng In ad
vance aud supporting when made the
most sensational opinions and judg
ments hostile 10 the company.
what motive underlics the cam.
palgn of defamation need MOI here b.
discussed. but Tor NIL. friends and foes,
Il IL reiterated that the standard on
company IA carrying on widespread
business N great moment 70 the pros
perlty ~ the American people In abso.
lutte obedience 10 the sOundest prlncl.
pies Of business aud 90 the spirit AMI
letter Of the law Attacks upon n OF
the kind described are aimed az the
nations Industrial aud mercantile life. T"