Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-11-25
Outside Point of View

| campaign and considering the source
of the publication of the now notorious
Archbod letters to Senator Foraker,
Governor Haskell and others, there is
great danger that the public Will lose
| sight of the important fact of the
whole business. And that is, that the
Standard Oil company for the past
twenty years in addition to other ne
farious practices, has deliberat ely
bought and sold public officials. both
| state and national Says the SPRING
| field Republican:
'"rhese are sckening disclosures and
| in line with, what have before come
out affecting other public officials. The
| Standard Oil monopoly is here re-
vealed as in practical control of the
government of Pennsylvania, naming
the judges to be appointed and the
bills to be enacted or killed, and hav
ing apparently in it's employ the chief
law officer of the state. Other letters
In this published Archbold correspond
ence have shown the company as
| reaching out with the broad and
greasy hand of Doodle to control news
papers, the law making bodies of states
and the nation. the Judiciary and the
executive authority mighty engine
for governmental corruption to the end
Of placing the people OF the United
States under still greater tribute than
that which was being eXacted to make
John D. Rockefeller three hundred and
four hundred times millionaire and
his associates proportionately rich be-
yond the dreams of avarice. and pow
erful beyond the fancies of the most
vaulting ambition. Is it possible that
such work as this shall escape a day
of reckoning at the hands of an out
ragged and plundered nation?"
Because in the near future. possibly
in the coming legislature, we shall have
a public utilities law, it Is we'll for us
here in Iowa to know what other states
are doing along this line. New York
has such commission and it has been
an unqualified success from the begin
ming. Connecticut will consider in
january such law. Here is the sub
stance of it, It's we'll worth reading:
"This bill includes all the steam,
trolley. electric light and power. gas
and water companies of the state with
in It's provisions. The provisions made
us 10 llIe Ietlulleu IudiIlICtDiOHo VI
those who serve on the proposed COM
mission are such that men of the high
est character both as to ability and IN
tegrity are likely to be chosen. For
dereliction to duty or any other good
cause the judges of the superior court
can remove member.
",rhe commission will have general
supervision of all the acts of existing
corporations that affect the public,
and ample power to enforce their man.
dates. 1t will pass upon proposed new
interpretations. 1t will be a constant
source Of prompt information for the
public 1t will hear complaints from
any citizen.
"rhe bill provides for the opportun-
ity Of complaint by any employe
(whose name cannot be divulged, by
municipal authorities, by stockhold-
ers, or by the general public. 1t gives
the commission the right to examine
books of any public service corpora
ton to get at facts. 1t makes explicit
provision for the protection of the
rights Of employees, of all property
owners, of stockholders, of city and
town authorities, of the farmers, of
all passengers and shippers Of the
public at large who are perforce buy
ers Of the commodities sold by these
companies.
ut gives the commission power to
see that railroad rates are fair and
equitable, to establish standards of
gas and electric service and insist on
the maintenance of those standards.
cit prohibits any further crossing Of
steam and electric roads at grade and
provides for the gradual elimination
of grade crossings in the state. 1t
places limit on the stocks and bonds