The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-03-17

ritory had been guilty Considering the fact
that these shippers included the packers and
elevator men OF Chicago tie action of the grand
Jury j.. calling upon President MoHct TO furnish
evidence OF their wrong doing may be inter
preted n demand for an elaboration of the
olyiols bt the fact that rate book contain,
ing these freight rates for other shippers was
offered in evidence during the trial and ruled
out by Judge Lands was kept out of sight
President Moffett would not, OF course, accept
the invitation OF the grand jury although he
might have been pardoncd If he had referred
them to various official Investigations by the
Interstate Commerce Commission and other de
partmcnts 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 an amount
equal to seven or eight times the value of its
entire property, because its traffic department
did rot verify the statement Of the Alton rate
clerk. that the SN cent commodity rate on oil
had been properly filed with the Interstate Com
mercc Commission. There is no evidence. and
none was introduced at the trial that any ship
per of oil from Chicago territory had bccn inter
fercd with by the eightccn-ccnt rate nor that
the failure OF the Alton TO file its six-ccnt rate
had resulted in any discrimination ap,nst any
indcpcndcn, shipper,-we must take this on the
word Of the Commissioner Of Corporniions and
Of Judge Lands. Neither is it denied even by
Mr.. Smith that the independent" shipper Of oil
whom ne pictures as lring driven out Of business
by this discrimination of the Alton could have
shipped all the oil he desired TO ship from Whit
ing via Dolton over the lines OF the Chrago and
Eastern Illinois TO East St Louis In short,
Prcsidcpt Noffctt'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 manBcr Of crimes and mi,lomcanors
Beginning with the famous Rice Of Marietta.
passing dfmn to that apostle OF popular liberties.
Henry DcpaTcst Lloyd, with his Wealth Against
the ComripHwealtl descending by easy stages to
Miss Tarbels offensive personalities. we finally
reach the rcihcr depths Of unfair apd basclcss
MISREPRESENTATION N the report Of the Commits
soner Of Corporations The Standard has been
charged with every form Of commercial piracy
and with most nf the crimes on the corporation
calendar After long years of strenuous attack.
under the leadership Of the President Of the
United States The corporation Is at last dragged
to the bar Of tstcc to answer for its misdo
ings The who'c 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 il is finally convicted of having
failed to verify the statement of rate clerk
and is forthwith fined a prodiSous sum, meas
ured by the car Under the old criminal law,
the theft Of property worth more than shilling
was punishable by death Under the interprcta-
ton OF the Interstate Commerce law by Theo-
dore Roosevelt and Judge Kcnesaw Lands. a
technical error of traffic official IS made the
excuse for the conhscaiior Of vast amount Of
property.