Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-01-20

rtory had been guilty. Considering the fact
that these shippers included the packers and
elevator men OF Chicago The action Of the grand
ii;ry in calling upon President Mo{fett to furnish
evidence OF their wrong doing may be inter
priced as demand for al elaboration OF the
obvious; but thr iaci that /: ratc-b book contains,
ing these freight rates for other shippers was
offered ~ evidence daring tlIc trial and ruled
ont hv Judge I.nndis WAS kept out OF sight
PreSiden, MoGctt would not o. course accept
the invitation of the grand Jury although he
might lave been par,lnn;d II he had referred
them to various official Investigations ly th,,
Interstate Commerce Commission aud other de
parnents Of The Government
We come back therefore To the conclusion Of
The whole matter, which IS that the Standard
Oil Company OF Indiana was fined al amount
equal TO seven or eight times the valne of It's
entire PROPERTY. because its traffic department
did not verify the statement Of the Alton rate
clerk, that the SIX cent commodity rate on oil
had been properly filed with the Interstate Com
mcrce Commission There is 10 evidence, and
none was introduced 1t the trial that any ship
per Of oil from Chicago territory had been inter
fcrcd with b the eighteen cent rate nor that
the failure OF the Alton to file its six-ccnt rate
had resulted in any discrimination against any
independent sllipper.-we must take this on TIL.
word OF the Commissioner Of Corporations and
OF Judge Lands. Neither is it denied even BY
Mr.. Smith that the independent" shipper of oil
whom he pictures rs being driven out of business
by this discrimination of the Alton could have
shipped all the oil he desired to ship from Whit
ing via BOLTON over the lines Of the Chicago and
Eastern Illinois to East St Louis I'm short.
President Moffett's defence is still good. and we
predict will be SO declared By The higher court.
The Standard Oil Company has been charged
with all manner OF crimes and inisdeneanors
Beginning with the famous Rice OF Marietta.
passing down to that apostle OF popular liberties,
Henry Demarest Lloyd, with his Wealth Against
the commonwealth descending by easy stages to
Miss TarbellS offensive personalities, we finally
reach the neither depths of unfair and baseless
Misrepresentation in the report of the Commits
sooner OF Corporations The Standard has been
charged with every form of commercial piracy
ana with most OF the crimes the corporation
calendar After long years of strenuous attack
under the leadership of the President of the
Cnited States. the corporation is at last dragged
TO the bar of justice to answer for its misdo-
ingS The whole strength of the Government is
directed against it. and at last, we are told the
Standard Oil Company is to pay the penalty Of
ITS crimes, and it is finally convicted OF having
tailed TO verify the statement of rate clerk
and Is forthwith fined prodigious sum, meas
urcd by the car Under the old criminal law.
the THEFT OF property worth more than shilling
was punishable by death. Under the interpreta-
ton OF the Interstate Commerce law BY Theo-
dorc Roosevelt and Judge Kenesaw Lands, a
technical error of traffic official is made the
excuse for the confscation OF a vast amo1nt of
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