Evening journal., 1908-01-18

ritory had been guilty Considering the fact
that these shippers included the packers and
elevator men Of Chicago the action OF the grand
jury in calling upon President Moffett 10 furnish
evidence OF their wrong-doing may be inter-
preted as a demand for an elaboration of the
obvious but the fact that rate-book contain-
ing these freight rates for other shippers was
offered in evidence during the trial and ruled
out by Judge Lands was kept out of sight.
President Moffctt would not, Of course, accept
the invitation Of the grand Jury although he
might have been pardoned IL he had referred
them to various official Investigations by the
Interstate Commerce Commission and other de-
partments Of the Government.
We come back, therefore. 10 the conclusion Of
the whole matter. which is that the Standard
Oil Company Of Indiana was fined an amount
equal 10 seven or eight times the value of its
entire property, because is traffic departments
did not verify the statement Of the Alton rate
clerk. that the six-cent commodity rate on OH
had been properly filed with the Interstate Com-
merce Commission. There is no evidence ana
none was introduced at the trial, that any ship-
per Of oil from Chicago territory had been inter I
fered with by the eiRhteen-cent rate nor thad
the failure Of the Alton to file its sx-cent ratel
had resulted in any discrimination against anyl
Independent shipper--we must take this on the
word Of the Commissioner Of Corporations and
of Judge Lands Neither is il denied even by
Mr.. Smith that the independent" shipper Of oil,
whom he pictures as being driven out Of business
by this discrimination of the Alton, could have
shipped all the oil he desired to ship from Whit
ing via Dolton over the lines Of the Chicago and
Eastern Illinois to East ST. Louis. In short,
President Moffett's defence is still good and We
predict will be so declared BY the higher court
The Standard Oil Company has been charged
with all manner Of crimes and msdemeanors.
Beginning with the famous Rice of Marietta,
passing down 10 that apostle Of popular liberties,
Henry Demarest Lloyd, with his Wealth Against
the Commonwealth, descending by easy stages to
Miss Tarbels offensive personalities, we finally
reach the neither depths of unfair and bascless
Misrepresentation in the report OF the Commits
sioner of Corporations. The Standard has been
charged with every form OF commercial piracy
and with most Of the crimes on the corporation
calendar. After long years Of strenuous attack.
under the leadership Of the President of the
United States, the corporation is at last dragged
20 the bar of justice to answer for its misdc-
ings The whole strength Of the Government is
directed against IT, and at last, we are told, the
Standard Oil Company is to pay the penalty Of
its crimes, and it is finally convicted of having
failed to verify the statement Of a rate clerk
and is forthwith fined prodigious sum. meas
ured by the car. Under the old criminal law.
the theft Of property worth more than a,shilling
was punishable by DEATH Under the interpreta-
ton Of the Interstate Commerce law by Theo-
dore Roosevelt and Judge Kenesaw lands, q
technical error Of a traffic Official is made the
excuse for the conhscation Of vast amount Of
property.