The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-11-20
standard Oil Grease Sticks.

ey from the Standard Oil Company
and other predatory corporations.
which, viewed from its standpoint,
is quite strong, and, as the Anderson
Mail says, at would be convincing
if the Manufacturers Record had
confined it's activities to industrial
and financial lines purely: But it
has from time to time advised the
people of the South in political mat
ters, and has endeavored to lead
them along eel tain lines. This being
the case, Manufacturers Records al
liances and Affiliations are matters
of public concern.
The Manufacturers Record has
done great deal of good for the
South in exploiting the resources of
this section, and that the people of
the South fully realize this good
work and have shown their apprecla-
ton Of it. But, as the Mail says,
these things should be advocated
from disinterested motives to have
weight. When the people come to
realize that the newspapers or mag
'azines advocating them has been sub
sidized, directly. or indirectly, that
newspapers or pagazines will lose
it's influence, and there will be reac-
ton against the policies advocated,
however sound they may be.
"The Manufacturers Record ad-
mits that. it has received large sums
of money from the Illinois Central
and other railroad systems. Some
years ago the. railroads were guilty
of many wrong practices, such as
giving rebates to favored shippers
determinations against certain cit
les and localities, and failure to pro-
vide safety equipments for the pro-
lection of employees and passengers,
The various State legislatures and
the Federal congress undertook to
regulate these wrong doings.
"The railroads, and their agents.
protested against this class of leg
islation. If we mistake not, the
Manufacturers Record was very ac-
tive against what it termed anti
railroad legislation.' Many people
believed the Manufacturers Record
was disinterested. We cheerfully
concede that in some instances the
'anti-railroad legislation was carried
too far, and it is rather humiliatiny
to some us who took this view =
have to admit that we quote utter
ances of the Manufacturers Record
to sustain our position. The attor-
ney OF the railroads should always
be known to be such, in order that
his arguments may be taken at their
real value.
"Taka the specific case of the
Standard Oil Company. The Stand
ard Oil Company is a monopoly, if
there ever was one. 1t has driven
out competition, wherever it could,
and it has always been unscrupulous
in it's methods. We remember very
distinctly when that company was
selling kerosene on to jobbers in
Augusta, Ca, at such low price
that they sold it at retail at 9 cents
a gallon, while in Columbia, S. c.,
less than 100 miles away, the price
to jobbers was II and 13 cents +.
gallon. There. was competition in
Augusta; there was none in Co.
lumbia. AS soon as competition in
Augusta was driven out the price
Of oil was made the same as in Co.
lumbia.
This is one specific instance of
the Standards methods. The public
is familiar with the Standards meth
ods of corrupting congressman and
senators and legislatures and courts
And here We have the Manufacturers
Record, accepting the money of the
Standard Oil Company, and at the
same time urging the legislatures Of
Southern States not to enact legisla-
tion that would be Objectionable 20
the Standard Oil Company and other
corporations. Many have quoted the
Manufacturers Records arguments
to our law makers in advocating COLI
servative policies, in protesting
against legislation that would dis
turb business or frighten away cap
ital.'
More than that, those who may
hereafter advocate these policies
from honest convictions will be great
ly handicapped. Those who honestly
believe certain policies to be right
and for the best interest of the
country must be slow to advocate
them when they stop to remember
that those interests which benefit bv
those policies have been paying 9th
ers for the advocacy of them. It
is calculated to make all of us lose
faith in the things I'VE have been
advocating"
The Mail states the case fairly,
and it is no use for the Manufac-
turers' Record to squirm;. 1t will
find that Standard Oil grease sticks,
and that it will have to do long years
of pennance before the people will
restore it to their confidence again.