The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-04-06

Fer the past few years the deplor-
able methods Of The Standard Oil trust
ana its auxiliary companies have been
50 banefal and detrimental TO the body
polltic that it has become popular TO
larrnp the octopus whenever and
wherever opportunity offers.
Because OF these conditions the
public aud the press have demanded
81 their legislative bodies strict and
extremely drastic laws against the
great combine And wherever the
leeislators aave been swept from The
moorings Ss reason by the popular
demand, wrecks. ruined hopes and
bIasted enterprises Of the Independent
concerns have marked the trail OF the
enort 20 secure vengeance on the
standard
Tie drastic legislation against the
Standard IN Texas made a graveyard
oi the great independent OH fields at
Beaumont and Sour Lake. Left with
nd market foi their great production,
Texas Oh was cheaper than water. and
millions upon millions of wealth
wassed Ia tanks and other storage
holses
In the very height of the production
in Kansas, lhe legislature and the
governor responded TO the clamor OF
4 maddoned public and the Kansas
oil felds mark the resting place Of
some OF the best and hrayest produc-
ors ct Oh listed in the last decade.
The general public knows as little
0l The oil industry as il does of min
ing diamonds There is a delusion
with those never engaged in the en-
terprise that when a man reaches the
OH sands and gets to pumping that
an Oh his earthly woes are ended, and
she bright. diamond eyes OF prosperity
abide with him nntn ready Co take
his last voyage.
Bur the facts are that the Standard
ls the only market for OH and -
ereaf roiineries alone can prepare the
refined oils and the by.products for
the consumers. To illustrate, u re-
otires $2500.O00 worth Of oil In tran
st all OF the time In the pipe line
from Oklahoma 10 the refinery az
whiting, Indiana. This sum Is SUM-
cient 10 send into bankruptcy any in
dependent company now doing a res
fnery business In the world. sixty
setem millions OF dollars would not
replace ths machinery required in the
rcfneries OF this great concern; and
all the combined wealth OF the inde-
pendent producers, n given an sorts
of fayorltism by state or federal legis
ia.nfes. would not start rival mach
inery In motion 10 compete with the
Standard rs ships sail the seas; its
railroads hasten from inland city 10
the ports tle products OF the many
great Institutions where the products
of the raw materials are prepared for
The trade ID, therefore, Us to the
producer what the elevator IS to the
aPricclurist, and the driving OF II or
iis subsidiary companies from q state
ol field means that the field evacuated
has ceased TO have an actual com
mercial value
That The great octopus has levied
terrible Toll for this great market
n not ouestionei by a sensible man.
That II takes the lions share OF the
profits IS SO patent that even The most
ignorant can see. but these truths do
not dissipate the fact that without IL
and the market anorded. the OH in.
dusfry would be siagnant, and mil
lions upOn millions would be lost TO
& can be regulated, and laws made
that wlll enable the producer 20 save
himself IN time OF duress And do
not igbof under the haRncinaiion that
when this monster Is maddoned u
does not wreak terrible vengeance on
whose ee,s Ia rs way With two OK
ceptions 81 Is the owner or Ia control
~ tiie snp9iy houses FOR al OH mach
inery. and II viii sell any producer an
oulnt u he can pay as much as one.
Attn cash. Times there are when 4
W0id sAem the octopus Was demand
ipe that you 40 not pay the bill-~it
apparently would as liei have the in.
tefeEt ae the principal Bui let the
purchase 81 on stop iof TWO months
aud your income be shut on. aud then
the mortgage As closed, your little
commercial story written. and the
octppus viii eRn yolr field for less
than II wonld cost 70 even Inspect the
seine few months before
The Leader trusts iae people or
oklahoma WIN DOT hasen oil leslsla.