The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1908-01-17
THE STANDARD OIL coMPANY's
FINE

.
well 70 review the circumstances Z
little. Il is claimed that although the
I Standard only paid six cents hun
dred for shipping its oil IN the cases
( before the court, its competitors ship
ped a. the same rate. The fact IS
that the open and published rate was
Is cents. and nobody but the Stand
ard shipped 90 much q Z car Of Gil
over that line during tn eleven years
the practice continued. TIE stand
ard had no competitors. Like thu can
ni5ars chief enemies. they had a.
: been killed and eaten.
. That peculiar shipmen--or the u,al-
titude Of sblpments-required the fal-
sifca-io1 Of the books a the railroad
. companies and Of cka STANDARD Oil
Every shipment was q distinct and
. separate violation q the Law, not only
+ in the essential rebate. but in the fal-
. sizcation Of the books and the attend
ant moral perjury.
. The secret rate enabled The Stand
ara g pocket for itself the twelve
cents per hundred that it charged up
. 20 the consumers. How many millions
. il took away from the stockholders OF
. the corrupted railroads may never be
known. Bur # there was ever a case
in criminal history when the penalty
should be infexibIy collected. this is
certainly enc. To allow the Standard
. 70 escape q single dollar Of il would
be a crime against humanity Tampa
. Times.
. The above item IS brought 70 our
attention by its republication II The
Ocala Evening Star from the Tampa
Times.
We have no doubt but that the edi-
. TOTS Of those newspapers believe the
statements contained in the article u
. be true, but our investigation leads Us
. TO believe that they. Ike hundreds Of
others, have been imposed upon most
shamelessly and shamefuTy.
Here is an exceptional trust Il
has not been built up by special
. privileges" granted TO il by the gov
eminent Of the United States Il has
not fattened on the spoils system. Il
has not been protected by the tariff
laws. L has been built up solely by
the genius and foresight Of is origi-
majors. In no instance has II been op-
pressive. No instance is on record
where the consumers Of its products
have cried out against the price. Il
has never been extoruonate. If II has
sinned al all il has sinned in the 9th
or direction. The peopla-rhe com
mon people" if you pIease-bave
been the benefciaries az its hands.
The head Of this concern is a de-
yout and humble worshipper az the
feet of the Man Of GalIuee." He has
led pious, transformations. Christian
life. He has worshipped God in the
beauty Of holiness" In his home he
has erected the family altar" His
children are teachers in Sunday
schools, and, Ike the father. lead IN
OstentauoUs lives. They are a good
American type, and ser a good exam
pie 70 the American youth. Mrs. Nc
Cormick. one OF Mr.. Rockefeller's
daughters. says thar her father is
tho ki1dIiest Of men" and his bene-
factions show this TO be true.
Indeed. Mr.. Rockefeller is the great
est philanthrOpist the world has ever
known. In any other age than this his
benevOlence would receive universal
homage and commentator. His gifts
have gone 10 the founding Of u7iver
sites. hospitals and churches. and he
can truly say with Logan, the Indian
chieftain: Il appeal 10 any white man
70 say if he ever entered Logan's cab
in hungry. and he gave him not meat:
If ever he came cold and naked. and
be clothed him mott"
Rockefeller has not been a uiser:
he has not bowed down and worship
ped his money as if it were his God.
But as he has prospered he has given.
His home life has been beautiful and
he has set an example worthy Of en-
ulation.
It does seem TO rs that the Ameri-
can press should seek out some other
type Of man for its abuse and execra-
ton.
The man in the Standard Oil Com
many next TO Mr.. Rockefeller is Mr..
Flagler
What has he done? Besides build
Ing churches and giving to benevo-
lence in hundred different ways. he
has converted a vast wilderness into
a fruitful orchard. He has built a
railroad from Jacksonville nearly 10
Key West, and to do which he did not
exploit the state. but did so out OF his
own resources. Along this line Of