Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-11-16

| GERS IF the four companies above
named, were furnished and the history
| of each one of those companies and the
relation Of each to the Standard Oil
| co. OF Ohio, and ot the other organiza-
| tions alleged to be members Of the
trust (some 70 in number) became the
subject o: investigation at once by
you The Importance OF the litigation
coul hardly, from the standpoint of
| the standard be overrated.
The company in Ohio. which had
b, en- ordered to withdraw from the
| trust agreement. could not afford to
| permit itself to be Ont. nor could the
gentlemen who manage it permit them
| selves to be put, in the attitude Of de-
| flying the law. A heavy fine might
| have been imposed. a receiver might
| have hecn appointed, and the vast bus
| mess OF the organization lrreparably
| injured The three quo WarrantO cases
| then pending and the fourth one
threatened, as already stated, and lat
or begun, called for most drastic ac-
| ton upon the part of the supreme court
| if it's judgment should be adverse. 1t
was asked in each Of the four quo
| Warranto cases, and such was a prop
| ei. prayer that each of the four de-
| PENDANTS be adjudged to have forfeit
ed and surrendered their corporate
rights and franchises, that they be
dissolved and that the court appoint
trustees to wind up their affairs and
distribute their property.
1t was upon a realization of these Sc
rous ard disastrous consequences, well
| Iii oft
and the respect lawyers and courts had
| for you throughout the state, that
sought your service. You entered at
once actively upon the employment
making your own Investigations here
! in Ohio and in New York, holding fire.
quent consultations with myself and
other counsel for the company, in Co
| lumbus, Cincinnati, New York and
| Washington. Your judgment was
sought not only as to what had been
done hy the Standard Oil Co. of Ohio
.in It's effort to Withdraw from the
| trust, but also as To what form of fu-
turc organization of the great interests
of this company and Of the constituent
companies. should be taken that they
might not be open to any further at
| tdcl,
| For more than a year testimony was
taken at various places, full tran
scripts of that evidence furnished you
| and suggestions received from you as
| to tic lines upon which it ought to be
| met.
| The testimony having been closed
| the contempt case was finally submit
| ted to the supreme court and in Dacem-
| Der, 1900. an entry was made by the
court. finding the defendant not guilty
OF contempt and dismissing the pro-
cccdingS.
| \ little later the four custer cases
were also dismissed. the dismissal OF
court at the suggestion of the then at
tcrncy general, Judge sheets.
| Your employment extended over q
period of moro than two years. dur
ing which time | was repeatedly ir
consultation with you. and there was
| no phase of the litigation Of which YOU
were not fully abreast all the time, and
your counsel was fully appreciated by
my associate counsel and by my eli
| cnt. ana there never was a particle OF
effort upon our part to conceal youi
relation to the interests we represented
So far from the attitude of the com
panN being one of Il desire to eVad,
the law or the decree of the court i,
had faithfully cndcavored to comply
herewith. ana SO far rs the Valentino
trust law WAS concerned we were not
trying. by subterfIge or indre"tion. tC
cvadr it. Tou understand perfectly oul
desire and co-operated with it to put
these large properties ON a basis ol
| conformity to the decree of the court
and nf tho law. that they might ht
safely and securely held by their own
erS.
Your efforts greatly contributed t
the success of the litigation and the
| preservation of the property by lts
owners. At the time of your employ
mcnt and when it ceased. as 1t did ac-
cnrding to my recollection somewhere
about the first of January. 1901. there
was no intimation from any source
| Whatever of criticism or attack on the
part of the federal government. Tha
did not come for more than four year!
| afterwards and so far as | know. an6
have been intimately in touch will
the LITIGATION and troubles of the com
pany for 20 years. and am still. moth
ing has ever been asked of or accept
ed by You inconsistent with Your pub
lie duties. and so far as | know Yol
have had no relation whatever to The
company as an attorney or otherwise
for inOrc than seven years
You may mako any use of this lette
| YOU see fit.
With kindest regards. | am.
Very truly yours,
VIRGIL p. KLINE.
cincinnati, Oac 8, 1908.