The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-21
PLEAD INNOCENCE
Standard Oil Directors Issue a
Pamphlet to Employees.
Say There Is a Government Plot
to Ruin Them.
BETWEEN TWO FIRES.
SOcialistic Cutlery From Below
and Pressure From Above.
Garfield's Report Called Tissue
of Misrepresentation.

of Misrepresentation.
New York. Aug. 21.-President
Roosevelt's message of May 4, 1906,
| attacking the Standard Oil company
for the purpose of forcing through the
denatured alcohol bill; Commissioner
Garfield's report, on petroleum trans
portation, issued on. May II, 1906,
to influence consideration of the Hep
burn bill; Commissioner Smiths re-
port on pipe lines, given out May 20,
1907, while Judge Lands was consid-
ering the Chicago & Alton rebating
case; and the commissioner second
report on petroleum prices and profits,
sent to the press for publication
August with the knowledge that
Judge Lands would fine the Standard
on August 8, are cited in pamphlet
issued by the directors of the Standard
Oil company to its employees and
stockholders relative to the fine Of
$29, 240,OO0 imposed on the Standard
Oil comany of Indiana, as evidence or
an administration combine to influ-
ence all sources of public opinion
against the Standard, and to influence
the press by "socialistic cutlery from
below and political pressure from
above"
The pamphlet contains a statement
from President Moffat, president of
the Standard Oil company of Indiana,
and a number of editorial articles IA
vorab BILE to the company, taken from
various American newspapers.
No Chance to Clear Itself.
The noteworthy feature of the PAM
phlet is it's Introductory statement,
which follows:
1.-THE directors of the Standard Oil
company desire to emphasize the as
surance of the company's absolute in
nocence of wrong doing in any of the
Lot I'M OF
it in the federal courts. Particularly
is this so in the Chicago & Alton rail-
road case, made notorious by the sem
SationaI fine of $29,2 100000
'It should be known as widely as
possible that this is no case of rebate
or discrimination, but simply OF the
legality of a freight rate. 1t should
be known that that verdict was OBJ
most hair-splitting technicality, aided
by the rigorous exclusion of evidence
that would have removed all pre-
sumption of guilt.
IF the judgment be allowed to stand
the company will be forced to pay fifty
times the value Of the oil for every car
load carried over the Alton road during
two years at an open 65-cent rate-a
rate used over three competing railroads
for from ten to fourteen years. The trial
judge refused to allow proof that the
Scent rate was a legal rate. He insisted
that Is cents was the only legal rate
for oil, when no one had ever paid 1t,
and when 1T was authoritatively sworn
that it did not apply to oil ,9- 4 s
Proof of Concerted Attack. Il.
ITO the higher courts we must look
for that calm judgment which will res
cue the rights of the citizen from the
field Of public clamor, and from the
domain of vindictive politics.
80 persistent and adroit has been the
warfare waged with all the oyerpower-
ing authority of the federal administra-
ton against the Standard Oil company
that it has been manifestly difficult to
get a fair hearing before the public
or in a large portion of the press the
latter, to it's great harm, swayed alike
by socialistic outcry from below and
political pressure from above.
LAS proof of the latter, it may be not
ed that in the presidents message of
May 4, 1906, attack was made on the
Standard Oil company for the purpose
of forcing the passage of the bill re-
hitting the duty on denatured alcohol
a measure in which the company was
not interested. On May II. 1906. the is
sue of Commissioner Garf1eld's report on
petroleum transportation, tissue of old
Misrepresentation, was timed to in
fluence the Hepburn rate bill then be-
fore congress. On May 20, 1907, while
Judge Lands had still under considera-
ton the judgment in the Chicago and
Alton case, Commissioner Smiths illogi-
cal and partisan report on pipe lines
was made public.
Worked on Public Opinion.
THE commissioners second report on
petroleum prices and profits-a wholly
false deduction from incomplete facts
was sent in advance to the press for
publication on August 5, in the knowl-
edge that Judge Lands would pro-
nounce judgment August 3.
Here surely is evidence of COM
binatfon influencing all sources of public
opinion. disturbing the orderly DISPOSE
ton of justice, sanctioning in advance
and supporting when made, the most
sensational opinions and judgments
hostile to the company
What motive underlies the campaign
of defamation need not here be discussed
but for all, friends and foes, it is re-
iterated that the Standard Oil company
is carrying on a widespread business of
great moment to the prosperity of the
American people in absolute obedience
to the soundest principles of business,
and to the spirit and letter of the law.
Attacks upon it of the kind described
are aimed at the nations industrial and
mercantile life