The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-02-19
Commissioner Smith VS.. The Standard Oil Go.
From the Railvay World, January g, 1908.

tory had been guilty. Considering the fact
that these shippers included the packers and
elevator men of Chicago the action OF the
grand Jury in calling upon President Monett
to furnish evidence Of their wrong-dolng may
be interpreted as demand for an elapora-
tion Of the obvious; but the fact tnat rate-
book containing these freight rates for otner
shippers was offered in evidence during the
trial and ruled out by Judge Lands, was
kept out Of sight. President Monett Woulo
not, of course, accept the invitation OF the
grand jury although he might nave Deen
pardoned If he had referred them to various
official Investigations by the Interstate Com.
merce Commission and other departments VI
the Government. ..- -.
We come back, therefore, to the conclusion
of the whole matter which Is that the stand
ard OIL Company Of Indiana was nned an
amount equal to seven or eight times tne
value Of its entire property, because It's traMc
department did not verify the statement OF
the Alton rate clerk that the six-cent COM
modify rate on oil had been properly filed
with the Interstate Commerce Commission!
There Is no evidence and none was intro
duced at the trial, that any shipper OF OIL
from Chicago territory had been interfered
with by the eighteen-cent rate nor that tne
failure of the Alton to file It's siX-cent rate
had resulted in any discrimination against
any independent shipper,-we must take this
on the word of the Commissioner OF Cor
porations and Of Judge Lands. Neither ls IL
denied even by Mr.. Smith that the 'tnde-
pendent" shipper Of oil, whom he pictures as
being driven out Of business by this dfscrlm,
ination of the Alton, could have shipped all
the oil he desired to ship from Whiting via
Dolton over the lines Of the Chicago ana
Eastern Illinois to East st. Louis. IN SNORT,
President Moffett's defence Is still good, ana
we predict will be declared so by the higher
court.
The Standard OIL Company has been
charged with all manner Of crimes and mis-
demeanors Beginning with the famous Rice
of Marietta. passing down to that apostle or
popular liberties, Henry Demarest LLOYD,
with his Wealth Against the Commonweaitn,
descending by easy stages to Miss TarDeiis 3
offensive personalities, we finally reach the
neither depths Of unfair and baseless mis-
representation in the report OF the Comm,s-
sioner Of Corporations. The STANDARD mas
. been charged with every form OF commercial
niracy and with most of the crimes on the
corporation calendar. After long years OF
strenuous attack, under the leadership OF the
President Of the United States, the corpora
ton Is at last dragged to the bar OF Justice 10
answer for its misdoings. The whole strength
of the Government is directed against 1t, ana
at last, we are told, the Standard OIL Com
many ts to pay the penalty Of It's crimes, ana
it Is finally convicted Of having failed 70
verify the statement of rate clerk and ls
forthwith fined prodigious sum, measured
by the car. Under the old criminal law, tne
theft Of property worth more than snilnne
was punishable by death. Under the inter-
pretatfon of the Interstate Commerce; law
by Theodore Roosevelt and Judge kenesaw
Lands, a technical error OF trafhc omcial
Ia made the excuse for the con1scation OF
vast amount of property. ~ .lf1trE.t .TlHttt