Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1908-12-18
Mr.. Rosssi.llsr !. cnallens.s

1'nc, ehaliseges John -. Rockefeller
as follows:
II am hoping thar before Mr. John
d. Rookie feller finishes the Reminis-
cences which he has just begun In the
Worlds Work, he will use this Forak-
CT incident as reasoa for giving ns
an unexpuryated account OF the poiiti-
cal activities of himself and his asso-
aies ia Ohio, beginning with the
time when he fur lfshei money to de
ieaf his friend, Senator Payne, for
congress a frank account OF Senator
Payne's election of his talk with
senator Hanna, aud OF course, de-
tailed story OF what Senator FORAKER
has been able to do for the standard
OH Company would be one Of the
greatest public services, Mr. Roegefel-
Ter could render, Should M 81 have
him give his real point OF visw Ia re-
gard to these activities --Iust why he
felt them necessary, just how he
squared them with his notions OF the
duties of citizenship with his ideals
OF democracy.
VI should above all like TO know
from Mr.. RoeRefellow II he really con-
| siders IL worth a mans while to svfye
aoy, corporation, however great and
prosperous aud hene,iaent, If In 50 do.
ing he must learn to defend n course of
action clearly contrary ~ our public
policy like this relation of Mr.. Foraker
and Mr., Archbold Ii he must close
his mouth aRd bis mind to the moral
quality of the service required of him
II he must perform acts which cannot
stand the light sf day--if he mast re.
fuse to remember on the witness stand
-or worse. The Individual tragedies
In the Standard OIL Company the
prosperous men smircheA with dis
honor-are appalling, don't know
that I've ever seen anything winch
gave me more terrible wrench than
Standard men of standing land posi-
ton on the witness stand mot remem-
bering' facts that every Office boy in
the great concern knew they must
know They never will forget the part
they had to play-~no more than their
fellow townsman will forget. What
Mr.. Rockefeller Is to do for us is to
state In clear terms the estimate he
evidently must have made as guide
for himself of how much trathfulness,
character. frankness, public spirit are
orth In dollars and cents.
"And while am suggesting topics
there is another department of his
great business which originated with
him and which | wish he would be
explicit about, aud that Ia ths spy
system. Certainly Mr.. Rockefeller will
net venture 10 attribute this peculiar
activity to the 'sver-zeaP Of SOME era
ployees anxious for hts own or hrs
company's advancment'--the general
explanation he gives inthe first cha D.
ter OF his "Reminiscences the criticisms
made in his coscers. | at iesst know
that far from being case Of overzeaI
the spying on com petitors has been a
weil-organized and most efficiently
managed part Of his business orgasi-
cation for many years. once had In
my hands great bundle OF the anony-
nous reports and forms wh.,h had
been used and discarded by the bu-
reau which looks after this Kind Of
thing-a division Of that great book
keeping system to which l sec Mr..
Rockefeller attributes so much Of the
success Of the Standard OH Company.
The bundle came TO me in curious
way. A boy employed by The stand
ard Oil Company to burn such papers
regularly In the furnaces, noticed FREE
quentiy on them ~ he stuffed them
into the FIRE the name OF a.as who |
b ad once been kind to him. The man
was an Independent dealer in oil. The
hey studied the papers. He saw from
them how this mans sl1lpment's,wsre
reported from the freight-ofiices by
railroad employees secretly TO the
Standard. lie found a Telegram order
ing agents to secure csunterm and
Of the orders saw reports that the or
dering had been successfully discharg
ed. So often did lac SEQ this that he be-
came alarmed for his friend and ANAL
ly, unable to endure his secret, he
gathered up complete sets Of thesdecu-
nents and carried them at night to the
mans house. IT was from thsrelthcy
came to me. The papers new are buried
In the mountain-higii pile OF testi-
meny the government is takisg ia its
suit against the company.