The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-08-06
THE WEEKLY JOURNAL,
ISSUED Thursday, One Dollar year
THE srAxDARD OIL FINE.

THE STANDARD OIL FINE.
1t is recorded that when Judge Lam
dis Of the United States District court
announced that he would fine the Stan
dard OIL company the neat sum of $780,
100000, the extreme limit of the penal
ty fixed for the acceptance of illegal re-
bates, the lawyers for the defense lost
their breath. From the GREATNESS
manner in which the public has learn
ed Of this punishment it is easy to be-
lieve that shortening Of respiration is
o natural consequence Of infections Of
this character. No one appears yet to
have recovered from the sensational
finding except the Judge with the
mountainous name, Judge Kenesaw
Mountain lands, He stands steady
and erect, giving no sign of having
labored and brought forth a lion.
From one point Of view very little
sympathy will either be melted out to
or expected by this colossal corpora
ton. For some time the hands of all
have been against it. Books have been
written in which its commercial prac-
tices have been held up to popular
scorn. Other books have been written
In which the service 1t has rendered In
lowering the price Of oil has been re-
corded. But back Of everything that
has been written or spoken there has
worked to its disadvantage the grow
ing and not altogether reasonable pre-
JUDGE against the immense fortunes
which have been accumulated in this
country by what are known as the cap
tains Of industry. For while they
We're regarded as the representatives Of
that indomitable commercial will and
skill which was forcing this nation to
the front rank among the producing
nations Of the earth. 1t is not such
a very long time ago that they were
referred to in the speech Of national
pride. Now, owing to the bitterness
which has been engendered as conse-
quence Of wholesale denunciation Of
wealth, men and corporations have
been made to suffer, not SO much be-
cause Of the possession of a fortune as
because Of the size of the fortune they
possess. 1t has been a curious growth
in prejudicer and while we hate as
much as another the unfair and dishon-
est accumulation Of wealth, and In
particular the conscienceless use of IL
to control houses Of legislation, 1t is
evident that the time has come. as a
direct result Of this spectacular court
decision, when sober and thinking men
must measure corporate action with
clearer understanding of all Of the In
fiuences which have worked to make It
powerful.
We are forced to admit that the
commercial tactics which have steadi-
~ worked to make the Standard Oh
company powerful are no longer posi-
BILE Of lega1srecognition, but it is alto
gether a different thing to admit
that the men who resorted to those
tactics were knowingly maliciously
and Willingly wicked in their
intentions, which is the significance
Judge Lands attaches to their conduct.
1t is true that companies were COM
bired, that the strength of the new
combinations was used to obtain unus-
uaI rates and that special shipping ia
vors werereceived. The behehciaries un-
questionably exaggerated their new
found power in many ways which are
now recognized as morally indefenslble
and legally not to be tolerated, and
yet the fact ought not to be overlook
ed that 1t is conceivable that these
men no more realized their unsteadi-
ness of commercial vision than did the
great insurance leaders, who, finding
immense power, thought themselves
possessed Of the rightful physical pow
er of the giant. Judge Lands contem-
plates them as men who wound soci-
ETY. more deeply than he who counter
feits coin or steals letters from the
mail" Can it possibly be true that men
who have shown the genius to build
up such an enormous institution in
the benefits of which the consumer
has benefited are no better morally
than counterfeiters and common
thieves? This question, asked in all
soberness, must be soberly answered
before the judgment of Judge Lands
can be accepted as sound because he
has formed it. Men who have millions
to lose personally and millions more
to take from their employees, do not as