The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-02-19

Mr.. Herbert Knox Smith, whose zeal 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 Win an an
swer to President Moffett, OF the STANDARD
Oil Company of Indiana. The publlcatlon OF
this answer, it Is officially given out, was ae,
layed several weeks, for business reasons,
because it was not deemed advisable to
further excite the public mind, which was
nrofoundly disturbed by the crisis. Now that
the storm clouds have rolled by, however, the
Commissioner rushes again into the fray.
Our readers remember that the chief
points in the defence of the STANDARD oii
Company, as presented by president Monett;
were. (1) that the rate Of six cents on OIL
from Whiting to East st. Louis has been Is
sued to the Standard Oil Company as the
lawful rate by employees OF the Alton, w
that the 1S-cent rate on file with the Inter,
state Commerce Commission was class anu
not commodity rate, never oelng intenaeu ~
to apply to oil, CD that oil was sh1ppea IN
large quantities between Whiting and East
ST. Louis over the Chicago and Eastern
Illinois at six and one-fourth cents per nun
dred pounds, which has been filed with the
Interstate Commerce Commission as the law,
full rate, and (4) that the 1S-cent rate on on
vas entirely out of proportion to lawful rates
ON other commodities between these points
of q similar character, and Of greater value,
such. for example, as linseed oil, the law1ui
rate on which was eight cents. Pres1denC
Moffett also stated that thousands or tons CT
freight had been sent by other shippers be-
tween these points under substantially the
same conditions as governed the shipments
of the Standard Oil Company.
This defence Of the Standard OIL Company
waa widely quoted and has undoubtedly ex-
erted q powerful influence upon the puDlic
mind. Naturally the Administrator, Wnicn
has staked the success of It's campaign Ip 81
against the trusts" upon the result OF Its at
tack upon this company, endeavors to Offset
this influence, and hence the new deliverance
of Commissioner Smith.
We need hardly to point out that MS re-
buttal argument is extremely weak, although
as strong, no doubt, as the circumstances
would warrant He answers the points mace
by President Moffett substantially as follows:
~ The Standard on Company had tramc
department, and should have known that the
sIx-cent rate had not been filed, (2) no an
swer. 90 the Chicago and Eastern Illinois
rate was a secret rate because 1t reao, not
from Whiting, but from Dolton, which Is
described as "a village of about l,o0o popu-
lation just outside of Chicago. lts Only
claim to note Is that it has been for many
wears the point of origin for this and similar
secret rates" The Commissioner admits IN
describing this rate that there was g. note
attached stating that the rate could also be
used from Whiting.
The press has quite generally hailed this
statement Of the Commissioner or Corpora
tions as a conclusive refutation OF what Is
evidently recognized as the strongest rebutta
argument advanced by the Standard
In fact. it is as weak and 1nconclusiVe az
tho remain inder of his argument. The lines OF
the Chicago and Eastern ILLINOIS 90 not rul