Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-10-02
His Connection With
Standard Oil Co. Of Ohio.
Sees Nothing Wrong in Il
And Defends His Position.
Says He Represented Other Cor.
porations With Perfect Right.


should be envoked against him if he
has done any wrong is the conclusion
of a statement given by United States
Senator Foraker to The Associated
Press today. Before making this state
ment he sums UP the various charges
that have been made and discusses
briefly the legal ethics as to service
for various clients. The statement f,l-
lows:
The question in this whole matter
in which the public is concerned are:
Whether l was employed, which was
never concealed, or denied, and. 1.-The
character of that employment, who ther
it had any relation to my duties as
senator or influenced me in any man
ner in regard thereto.
On all these points I have an an
swer fully in my former published
statements.
Il have not until now spoken of tine
compensation 1 received, because ii
the employment was improper it would
be no defense to show that it was
small sum but if on the other hand,
the employment was proper, the COM
pensation concerned only the comran-
and myself, nobody else.
IF my former statements are true,
as l know them to be, the employlnen:
was entirely proper and legitimate and
therefore the question of compensation
is one dc not feel called upon to dis
cuss with Mr.. Hearst
In view, however Of the important
character of these services rendered,
the ability of the company to pay
9 Io
unforeseen, the disagreeable experience
to which l am subjected, l think it
would be difficult for Mr. Hearst to
show that l was overpaid, but if he
should that would be a matter for the
company to complain about and not
Mr.. Hearst.
For the benefit of those who nav
not have read my former statements
| repeat that my employment was con
fined to tbs affairs of the company In
Ohio including its reorganization af-
ter the decision Of our supreme court
dlSsolVlng the trust. and that it was
ended long before the company had
become in any way the object of leg
lSlatlon by Congress or the subject or
attacks of any kind in the courts or
otherwise by the United States govern
ment and before any such legislation
Dy Congress or any proceeding by the
United States government against the
company was proposed or foreseen and
that such employment has never been
reneWcd, although as heretofore shown
again rendered and declined in 1906
If | did not have a right to accept
that employment, 1 should have prob
ably have been criticized for having
been for years employed by the Ohio
Traction Co., on the ground that while
such employment has no relation to nv
duties in Congress, yet in some way
now unforeseen the company NAV be
scubjectcd hereafter to legislation by
Congress or to federal procedure
against it; or perhaps / should be con-
denned for once representing the Cen
eral Electric Co, although that was
before 1 was elected to the Senate or
the Cincinnati Telephone Co.. by
which I was employed for many years
before and for some time after I was
elected to the Senate, because it is q
branch of the Bell Telephone Co., and
these companies-The General Electric
and the Bell Telephone-have now been
charged, according to the newspapers.
"AeAi c. NAoid|ioll VI lIle tUll- laws,
and are to be civilly and criminally
prosecuted by the attorney general of
the United States.
When 1 was employed by the Stan
dard Oil Co there was no more knowl-
edge or probability of that company's
being legislated about by Congress or
proceeded against in the federal courts
so far as anybody was then aware,
than there was and has been as to the
other companies named at the time
when | respectively represented them
If such mere possibilities are to bar
employment then no member of Con-
gress can safely act as attorney in
any case and every one should immedi-
ately close his law office
"No such rule has ever heretofore
applied and there is no reason why
any such rule should obtain. All law
yers at least fully understand that
when professional service has been
rendered and has been paid for all OBJ
legation ceases on both sides and that
| no lawyer is bound by reason of a
previous employment to show any fa-
| vor at any subsequent time as attor-
| ney, as public official or otherwise to
anyone who may have been his client.
| Finally, if l committed any offence
against the law let somebody specfi-
cally point out and proceed against me-
The courts are open and although they
have been severely criticized. yet the
poopl" have confidence in them and will
accept and be satisfied with their judg-
| ments. If there be any just basis for
this reckless, wholesale defamation and
attempted assassination of character
let II take some tangible. open and fair
form OF procedure where all interested
can be fully heard