The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1908-01-31

Mr.. Herbert Knox Smith, whose seal In the
cause Of economic reform has been in no wise
abated by the panic which he and his kind did
so much to bring on, is out with an answer TO
President Mofctt. of the Standard Oil Company
OF Indiana. The publication OF this answer, /, Is
officially given out, vas DELAYED several weeks.
for business reasons" because il was not
deemed advisable to further excite the public
mind, which was profoundly disturbed by the
crisis. Now that the storm clouds have rolled
by. however, the Commissioners rushes again
into the fray,
Our readers remember that the chief points in
the defence of the Standard Oil Company. As
presented by President Moffett, were. tIl that
the rate OF six cents on oil from Whiting to
East 81. LOUIS has been issued TO the Standard
Oil Company, as the lawful rate by employees Of
the Alton, ca that the iS-cen, rate on file with
the Interstate Commerce Commission was a
class and not a commodity rate, never being in
tended TO apply TO oil, Cd that oil was shipped ia
large quantities between Whiting ana rast 81.
Louis over the Chicago and Eastern Illinois at
six and one-fourih cents per hundred pounds.
which has been filed with the Interstate Com
nerce Commission a the lawful rate, and Cd
that the IS-cent rate on oil was entirely out Of
proportion TO law ful rates on other commodities
between these points OF a similar character, and
OF greater value. such, for example. as linserd
oil, the lawful rate on which was eight cents.
President Moffett also stated that thousands OF
tons of freight had been sent BY other shippers
between these points under substantially the
same conditions as governed the shipments OF
the Standard Oil Company.
This defence OF the Standard Oil Company
was widely quoted and has undoubtedly exerted
a powerful influence upon the public mind. Nat
rrally tho administration which has staked the
success OF IFS campaign against the trusts up
on the result Of its attack upo:l this company,
cndeayors to Offset this influence, and hcrcc the
new deliverance of commissioned Smith.
We need hardly to point out that his rebu,tal
argument ~ extremely weak, although as strong,
no doubt. rs the circumstances would warrant
lie answers the points made By President Mot
felt substantially as follows: CD The Standard
Oil Company had d traffic department.. and
should have known that the six-cent rate had
not been fled, f2) no answer. CD the Chicago
and Eastern Illinois rate was a secret rate be-
cause ii read. not from Whiting, bT from Dol
ton, which is described as "a village OF about
1900 population just outside OF Chicago. Its
only claim TO note is that ii has been for many
years the point Of origin for this and similar
secret rates The Commissioned admits in de-
scribing this rate that there was q note attached
stating that the rate could also be used from
Whiting.
The press has quite generally hailed this
statement OF the Commissioner Of Corporations
as a conclusive REPUTATION Of what is evidently
recognized as the strongest rebuttal argument
advanced by the Standard.
In fact. il is as weak and inconciusive A. the
remainder of his argument. The lines OF the
Chicago and Eastern illinois Do ne run into