The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-10-02
MCLAURIN PRAISES
THE STANDARD OIL
ARCHBOLD HIMSELF ISSUES A
SIGNED STATEMENT.
The Former Senator Declares that
South Cardinals Natural Pro-
gress is Throttled Today by
an Oligarchy.

phrase Of the discussion of the so-call-
ed "Standard Oil correspondence"
made public recently by VIM. r..
Hearst, was entered upon late today,
when John D. Arohbold, vice presi-
dent Of the STANDARD Oil Company,
made a statement to the Associated
Press setting forth details Of the al
legged theft of correspondence from
his files. Former United States Sena-
tor John Lowndes McLaurin, of
South Carolina, also entered the field
with signed statement, declaring his
attitude i'll the matter Of The corrcs-
pondence between himself and Mr..
Archbold.
Mr.. Arehbold said:
In response to many inquiries as
to the theft Of letters from my files,
the following may be made known:
cover three years ago a report
reached me that certain of my letters
had been offered for sale to newspa-
pers of this city, ostensibly stolen
letters. Examination showed that
some letters were missing and that
they could only have been taken by
some ore not only familiar with the
office details, but highly trusted. The
party on whom suspicion fell stoutly
denied all guilt. A little later, how
ever "a man who represented himself
as acting between the thief and those
to whom the letters had been sold pro-
posed to return some of the letters for
consideration. His story was that
the idea Of the theft had been con-
ceived by his brother, who had at one
time been in the company's employ,
and that this brother had induced the
employee already suspected to accom-
plish the theft. According to the 60
be-twccn's story, he had disposed of
the letters, or some Of them, to two
men who purchased them on behalf Of
Mr.. Hcarst's newspaper, the Journal.
Not only had stolen letters been thus
traded for, but the thief was induced
to carry one or more letter copying
books, many Of whose pages he claims
were photographed, other pages being
removed altogether. The books in
question were, the @o-bctwccn said,
returned after forty eight hours. It
is impossible to say how many we're
stolen and sold in This way. The
thieves worked at their leisure Tt is
not thought necessary to say more at
present Or mention names Corrobor-
alton of the go-bctwccn s story of
three years ago lay i'm his return of
some Of the correspondence at the
time. The production Of stolen let
ters by Mr.. Hearst is further corro-
borated now. Obviously. among the
cotcric, authenticity Of their output is
not to be lightly accepted. The op-
portnnities for Justification. sup
pressing Of context and distortions, of
passages are many
Mr.. McLaurin Statement.
Mr.. McUaurin, who has Just return
ed to New York, gave ont a signed
statement as follows:
CAN effort has been made to create
a political sensation by the publca-
tion of certain correspondence be-
tween Mr.. John d. Archbold, vice
president Of the Standard Oil Com
pany, and myself For that cores
pondencc I have no apologies to
make. At the time the letters were
q written 7 had thc honor to enjoy, and
am proud still to possess the friend-
\ ship of Mr.. Archbold. for whom T
have the highest regard AT the time
the letters were written ! was cngag-
ed in a bitter struggle, in which was
involved not only my own political
future. but the economic and pnliti-
cal principles for which T stood and
which, stated briefly. meant the
emancipation Of the South from the
ignorant prejudice Of Bo,ubonism
and the 'bloody shirt into the free
dom Of an enlightened >elf-in!crcst
and the progress Of an Intelligent in
dnstrialism.
"Tn the support Of these principles,
and the hope Of this progress. ! saw
shcn no Improperly in cnliSting, if
practicable, the assistance Of the most
progressively administered and the
mos: ntclligcntly ofliccrcd corpora
tion that human intelligence has yet
produced. Nor has the enormous
body of statutory crime since created
on the hypocritical affcctation Of
morality assumed bv some of our leg