Cherokee scout. [volume] (Murphy, N.C.) 188?-1961, 1908-02-04

Mr. pert Knox Smith, whose zeal in the
cause a &aomie reform has been in no wise
abAte 9h6 nhnics which he and his kind
800 M ~ go ring on, is out with
#ee &rns1e@k Moffett, of the Standard
che Mw of indiana. The publication of
this anSV sc is oficially given out, was de-
layed seq weeks. "for business reasons,
because K was not deemed advisable to
further excite the public mind which was
profoundly disturbed by the crisis Now that
the storniclouds have rolled by, however, the
Commisskner rushes again into the fray.
Our readers remember that the chief
points in the defence of the Standard Oil
Company, as presented by President Mofett,
were, III that the rate of six cents on oil
from Whiting to East st. Louis has been is
sued to Ne Standard Oil Company as the
lawful rate by employees of the Alton, Cd
that the 18-cent rate on file with the Inter
state Commerce Commission was class and
not commodity rate, never being intended
to apply tn oil, CD thSt oil was shipped In
large quantities between Whiting and East
st. Louis over the Chicago and Eastern
Illinois saeix and one-fourth cents per hum
dred poH6Ks, which has been filed with the
Interstate Commerce Commission as the law
full rate, and (4) that the 18-cent rate on oil
was EMIT - out of proportion to lawful rates
on 70enef &pHkp odities between these points
of similar chaSecter, and OF greater value,
such, for example, as linseed oil, the lawful
rate on which was eight cents. President
Moffett also stated that thousands of tons of
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
was widely quoted and has undoubtedly ex-
erted pSRerful influence upon the public
mind. N4kTally the Administration, which
has stakVle the success of its campaign
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 his re-
buttaI argument is extremely weak, although
as strong, no doubt, as the circumstances
would warrant He answers the points made
by President Moffett substantially as follows:
Cd The Standard Oil Company had traffic
department, and should have known that the
six-cent rate had not been filed, Cd no an
swer, (3) the Chicago and Eastern Illinois
: rate was secret rate because it read, not
from Whiting, but nom BOLTON, which is
described as "a village Of about 1000 popu-
lation just outside of Chicago. Its only
claim to note is that it has been for many
years the point of origin for this and similar
secret rates." The Commissioner admits in
describing this rate that there was note
attached stating that the rate could also BIZ
used from Whiting.
The press has quite generally hailed this
statement of the Commissioner Of Corpora
lions as a conclusive refutation of what il
evidently recognized as the strongest rebutta
argument advanced by the Standard.
In fact, it is as weak and inconclusive a:
the remainder of his argument. The lines Of
the Chicago and Eastern Illinois do not ruI