Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1910-03-18
GOVERNMENT ATTORNEY MAKES
IMPRISONED APPEAL FOR DIS
SOLUTION OF STANDARD.
WOULD LEAD TO ANARCHY SOON
Combination Causes Socialism and Next
Step Is That to Red Flag, De-
clares Lawyer.
INDIVIDUALS MAKE GREATNESS.

WASHINGTON, d. c., March IS
They have waved the black flag over
the land as others have done over the
ocean. Do | deny they have demonstrate
ed their ability! No. They have com
peted with an ability unequalled III this
country"
In these words Frank &. Kellogg, for
the government, arraigned the Standard
Oil company before the supreme court
of the United States today in the sec
ond days argument of the case for the
dissolution of the New Jersey corpora
ton, as decreed by the United States
circuit court for the eastern district of
Missouri.
with it's ramifcations, its influence
and its money power, give it carte
blanche, let it combine, az Mr.. Watson
suggests. and let it cut prices as Mr..
Mlburn speaks about. and l predict 1t
will control every. industry in this coun-
try in ten years, yea, in live years.
What makes great country he
asked. Not great corporations. 1t IS
the individual; the independent proprle-
tor with the star of hope that has al
ways been held out to man before him.
Your h0nOrs, it is but Il step from com
bination to Socialism, and but another
from Socialism to anarchy
Mr. Milburn, representing the Stand
begun Monday.
Mr.. Milburn devoted himself to some
observations on the income Of the Stand
ard Oil. He complained that the gov
eminent unjustly computed the percent
age of permits on the original capital.
He argued that capital assets should be
the basis of this computation. They
would show the net profit to be 25 per
cent. per annum during the years 1900
1906. when there was such a great de-
velOpment OF the by-prOduCt. He also
spoke briefly of prices, claiming tables
he presented showed there was no arbi-
trary action.
This company has been under search
as no other concern has ever been, said
Mr. Milburn in closing. The power OF
the United States government as it ex-
lists has reached right INTO the yitals Of
this organization.
Here is an organization that has had
continuous life of forty years. | dOn't
say the men in it have never done any
thing wrong. Judge us, [ ask you, by
human standards. | have no doubt ii
to do. - But i has done this: 1t has
fought for the marketing Of an American
product for the delivery of an American
product ali over the inhabtable globe
1t has built it up with capital and I'M
daunted courage. We beg of this court
that if we are found to be doing wrong,
enjGin. us from doing that, but in the
name of justice do not destroy the or
ganization, which has accomplished such
results. unless there is nothing else to
do"
Stiffness as though a great life were
hanging by thread pervaded the court
chamber when Mr.. Mnburn concluded
Kellogg Begins Address.
The next moment Mr. Kellogg was fac,
ing the court to begin his argument on
behalf of the government.
IF your hOnors please" said Mr.. kel'
logg. this is the second time | have
listened TO that passionate appeal to pro
tect American foreign commerce. 1t has
always been the slogan in this case. As
q matter of fact the Standard Oil has
not increased American percentage OF
exports of this product. The percentage
exported previous to 1871 was greater
than it has been since"
He then quoted figures to support this
statement
For many years the Standard Oil
did not create a market" continued Mr..
Kellogg, "Or increase it." Those mar,
ketS were made by independents by
struggling i'll competition for the com,
merce of the world
With that as an introduction, Mr.. Ket
Iogg launched forth alto the history Of
the NJHnUdtu Oll as uISCuSScu by MI
Milburn and concluded by telling of the
purchasing and closing up of the re
tinerieS.
That was the genius of Mr. Rookie
feller,' shouted Mr.. Kellogg, turning to
Mr.. Milburn. whose words the speaker
quoted.
Justice Lurton asked whether Mr. KeI
logg would not reply to the claim that
all the Standard Oil properties had al
ways had common owners. The Stan
dard Oil attorneys claim that the prop.
erty having common owners, there was
no restraint of trade in the reorganiza
tion of the Standard Oil company OF
New Jersey.
L get the idea" said Justice Lurton,
that the body of the stockholders has
always been the same, at least the CON
trolling proportion
L think it has not" replied Mr.. kel
logg. who added: The number of stock.
holders has increased from three to many
thousands. y
Justice Lurton said he wanted to ask
Mr. Milburn just what the claim was.
1T was a body of common owners
from the beginning. The individuals
changed. A man might sell his interest
to another man, and the court 50 finds
it," Mr.. Milburn replied
Not Due to Accretion
Justice White wanted to know
whether it were true that the increasl
of the Standard Oil since 1879 was dul
to accretion and not to the purchase o
new companies.
Mr.. Kellogg replied that since tina
year the Standard has acquired forty
FIVE refneries and fifty-fve marketin
companies I'VE demanded Of the Stan
lard full list of its acquisitions, sal
Mr.. Kellogg. but they never produces
i