The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-11-16
SLIPPERY OH.

SLIPPERY OIL
81 Standard Oil has feline tenacity on life, Its
sMccideut policies carry themselves. Always IN
sposil always 1t energes unseathed, or Al most
scratched on the nose Nc legal
g1aesh seems nne enough TO guard against the
ssfnuous quality OF its escape. Cornercd. tied
s1own. stakea OF. the average total Of results
AZ that the Standard breaking the law il may
Always back-inmps the jaws of the steel trap
s1lne lives of law immunity to this corporation
##Nnly commence the tally of its rcsurreetons;
me thing is cenupede OF virihty. II comes
#Aack'ad iaaaitam!
b The bromide character Of these oft repeated
Syenarks is justified by the news of the latest
Sn6destepping OF the consequences of OH mtsde-
Sxaeanors In Tennessee. Confidently. as always,
80 Government mad run the Rockefeller organ
s1naticn into the rebate corner In the yoiuplln-
- bill Of indictment II laid. in specific dates
ind amounts. no less than l.a24 separate OF.
Er1msea Under the reading OF the Elk!ns Law each
pense of this character Is punishable by q fine OF
ok more than $4,000 and not less than si4Gn.
*rnpposiag that the proof sufficient the
3osernment could look forward to the imposi-
fs1on ~ q minimum line OF si,524.000 and max
Gm one of 3o.4soooo The Government con
&0Od for the payment of tile larger amount. Tn
such threat the Standard called up its best
vyars. When they through whiting at
lAw, the cat none tie worse for its
sYienres In fact II nurred the door-mat
4hough 1t had never been away from home.
NJ slaughter of the Governments
- characteristic and illuminating The OIL
WYexn drove first OF all al the very heart OF
o law. and cut i, out. Under the ruling Of Judge
EoCAli the ofrense denounced not ship
mt At an unfair rate but settlement accord
Sx 10 the discrimination. II the railroad gave
|Fxedit, the misdeneanor happened only at the
prnent when the shipper paid the freight. Al
~ one point the Government lost prospective
- amounting to see. $4,000. since, while Il
mi shipments had been made daily, settle
Sonts at the unfair rates had been made onis
mcnthly.
This was enough to iar the Government, but IL
Sna mot sufficient to satisfy the lawyers. Hay-
1x emasculated the penalizng statute, they
IRned their attention to the indictment Each
amt having been directed at the shipment II
21pilowed that If the shipment were punishable
1&8ly upon its payment. the counts In the indiet-
ESnent were faulty II they charged the time Of
~ oi7enxe to time previous ia It's commission.
d From time to time various prosecutions al
EmAandArd Oil have different but practical
nv similar course so far the end is concerned.
III Hrs been than once dissolved" only 10
EE1me together again with suave confluence of
kNnnponent elements. II has been variousiy ex.
He'd from different States. only to edge back
xOugh door not perceptiblv ajar until its
Inenee filled the room. Judge kennesaw
fsnntain Lands attempted 10 mulct II in fines
I npunting 10 twenty-nine millions Standard
IMPOSED OF this effort as unreasonable aud abor~
11tSe. The Sherman Law. and the EiAns law,
nd Ill the sundry other laws never seem 70
f1rn hair OF its glossy ensemble The rteen5
eco il but In line with its history. We DO not
71<1nck the Judge or question his decision Only.
xSd this il ut the erux OF the matter, Standard
EoQ By accommodating deductions must be III at
E4a birth OF the laws which II kills off with such
sSeility. II the opinion Of the latest Judge holds
Do9. the crime OF Relating may be as easily
~ ignored There is no why settle
&eu1s instead OF being made bmonthly. should
l9Sok In the case Of good customer b made
anuniall And that d twenty thousand dollar
ponxe for two years II Il small consideration
~ legai immunity from the operation Of a trou
ooome statute is fact 10 which Standard OIL
~ b. counted upon 10 be aiertly adyertent