The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1909-04-02
KEROSENE AND CIGARS

Win UuS QSlSTSuC6 10 the COUSOD-
dated and combined wisdom of the
press of Florida, the Times desires
to remark that the relative prices of
Tampa-made cigars and quarts of kerr
osene have nothing to do with the &C
ton Of the Standard Oil Company in
violating the laws. Because people
can be made happy and comfortable
by smoking two-tor-a-quarter Tampa
cigars and do so fix themselves nu-
merously is no ground for permitting
the Standard to break the law at its
pleasure. Still less does it justify a
high federal court in such rulings as
forbid the government to prove the
guilt Of the culprit.
But desiring to keep the peace with
the leadership of the Florida press,
the Times will not attempt any dis
cussion of the matter further than to
return its thanks for the recognition
of the superior value of a Tampa CT
gar to a quart of kerosene, and to
suggest that if the aforesaid cigars
spOuted out of the ground like petro-
leum the men who tried to mOnOpo-
lie them would find determination
their immediate lot The human race
would not stand for it, and by COM
mon consent these inimitable bless
/ ings are spread broadcast over the
earth at fair and reasonable and
/ satisfactory price-free to all who
| have the fixed price, without rebates
or determinations or favOriJism of
any kind whatever. And also to sug-
gest that the average clear Havana
cigar finds itself joyously collecting
AID RENTING a higher price than a
whole gallon of kerosene 1t must
not be taken as personal when we
| say that an editor who connects cigar
values and kerosene values on the
quart-unit-basis is vitality uniformed
on the proportion of things. Tampa
| cigars and kerosene are on a whole
sale basis fairly matched in price one
cigar to one gallon.-Tampa Times.
Neither corporations nor individu-
ais should violate the laws with i'm
punity, but both individuals and cor
porations should be given a fair trial
and be pronounced guilty by compe
tent courts of jurisdiction before be-
ing pronounced as malefactors.
The case against the Standard Oil
Company failed for want of proof
In the case in question it was very
clearly established. at least to I'M
prejudiCed investigators, that the case
against it arose on account OF an
error of a rate clerk in a railway Of
fee, and the setting aside Of the SEN
sational fine which followed awaken
ed very little surprise in any quarter.
The difference between kerosene
oil and a Tampa cigar is that one in
dustry was built up by its own merit
and the other by special favoritism
of the government. The latter has
been made possible in face of the
democratic contention of "all rights
for all and special privileges for
none"
The Times says that if the Tampa
cigars spurted out of the ground like
petroleum, the men who tried to mo-
nopolize them would find extermina-
ton their immediate lot; that the hui
man race would not stand for it; that
by common consent these inimitable
blessings are spread broadcast over
the earth at a fair, reasonable and
satisfactory price, which the Times
places at a sum equal to a gallon of
kerosene oil for one cigar.
There are some of us, however.
who would like to enjoy the luxury Of
good Tampa-made cigar, burt are
not able to part with sum equal to
a gallon of kerosene oiI-made so by
special legislatiOn-fOr one of these
smokers. and a cry viii some day 60
up for the lowering of those duties TO
something like q reasonable price
But going back to the water that
sDouts out of the ground. does not
the Times know that many waters
that do spout out of the ground-wa-
ters that are good to cure all the ills
that flesh is heir to-are monopOlized.
and no mineral water that is on the
market sells for so low a price as
kerosene oil
ScOur the country from one end to
the other. and you will not find con-
sumner that has ever complained that
the price Of kerosene oil is extortion /
ate.
The cry that is made against the |
Standard Oil Company IS made by
those engaged in protected indus /
tries and is made to muddy the wa
ters so that they can hide in it them /
selves, like the scuttle fish. or the /
thief who cries stop thief"
Jacksonville has a movement on /