Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-11-16
FORAKER GIVES OUT HIS RELA-
T|0NS With STANDARD OIL.
Publishes Correspondence to Show His
Connection With Company Was Simply
To Defend Suits Before Ohio Courts.

Cincinnati Nov Ex-senator Joseph
t. Foraker today made public the fol-
lowing statement and correspondence:
Now that the election is over and
the people have read and studied the
returns, | deem it an oppOrtune time
and my duty to my constituents as we'll
as to myself, to publish the following
correspondence:
Cincinnati, oct. . 1908.
Virgil +. Kline, Esq, Cleveland, ONO.
Dear :;ir-In view Of the charges
Of Mr.. Hearst ard the discussion now
going on in the newspapers as |" the
character Of my employment by tn"
Standard Oil Go. and the services
rendered under such employment |
would be glad if you would write me IN
regard thereto and give me PERMISSION
to use your letter ii occasion should
seem to require it. ! make this request
because l was employed by you per-
sonally and because you are entirely
familiar with the scope of t!tat employ
ment, the services rendered. and III
short the whole subject. and because
under the circumstances, | prefer that
you rather than myself should speak
on these points.
With assurances of continued regard
remain,
Very truly yours,
j. B. FORAKER.
Cleveland Ohio, Oct. 8, 1908.
Hon Joseph Il. Foraker, Cincinnati:
My Dear Sir-I am just in receipt OF
yours OF the 9TH instant, asking nlc to
write you in regard to your employ
;.t, -
ter, if occasion should seem to require.
With that request | am glad to COM
ply.
In December, 1903, at the time you
were employed by me, there was pend
ing against the Standard Oil Co. i'll tho
supreme court of the state of Giio
very serious and difficult litigation A
proceeding in contempt had been in
stituted by the attorney general,
charging that company with having
wlfully violated the order of the su-
premc court. directing it to withdraw
from the trust agreement. The com
pany had anSWe red. issues been made
up. and Il considerab bic volume of tes-
timony taken. There was also pending
against the Buckeye Pipe Line Co. Il
proceeding in quo Warranto charging
ii with being a member of Il trust in
violation of the antitrust laws OF the
state, also Il like proceeding against
the OHIO Oil Co. and the Solar Refining
Co. and one of Il like character at that
time ! think threatened against the
Standard Oil 60. of Ohio, and Which
was brought in January, 1899. These
were so-Called constituent companies
of tho Standard Oil Trust,
These bills in quo warranto were
all filed in the supreme court and
asked fer the revocation of the char
tors OF the said several corporations,
the appointment of receivers to take
possession of the properties and tho
dissolution of the various companies.
Many million, of dollars of property y
were thus involved in the litigation i'll
ready pending, ana much Imperfect in
addition To the other litigation threat
cned.
1t WAS in the midst of these difficult
cases, with the very serious Cnnse-
nuenceS IN, itlent to any adverse dori%-
ION. that with the approval of my
client | turned to you for assistance
and advice
The STANDARD oil of Ohio had on
dcavortd III good faith To comply with
the order of the supreme court I'll,
trust rcrtihCatr holders had by res
olution passed at a meeting held in
New York in March, 1892, determined
not only that the standard oil Co ot
ohio should withdraw from the So
called trust agreement. but that the
trust Itself Should be dissolved, and
the trustees had entered in good faith
upon the policy of Il dissolution and a
winding up of the entire trust
Many practical difficulties presented
themselves, as the trust certificates
OF "A par value Of more than @'.ooo,oDo
were held everywhere throughout the
country. had been invested in by say
ings banks and trust companies. had
passed from hand to hard in the mar
kct for ~ years. were held in large and
small amounts. and the effort to give
the trust certificate holders legal in
t.rest in the stock of the various COM
panicS that had formerly been III the
trust, was one of great difficulty.
had. | remember. a prolonged in
terview with you when first met YOU
III connection with business. Copies oi
the rlcadings in the contempt case
were shown you and the substance OF
the evidence already taken narrated
together with the action Of the certiti-
cate holders taken at the meeting and
the course of proceeding of the trus-
tees carrying ont the purpose of the
resolution to dissolve the trust. and d
little later certified copies of the rou-
minous pleadings in the four eases
above named. and the intcrrogat"rtcs
annexed thereto directed to the Off