Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-13
OIL CASE HEARING
Standard Company Before the
U. S. Supreme Court.
DEFENSE OF ITS RECORD
Attorney Milburn Reviews History
Of Forty Years Of Business.
GOVERNMENT ATTORNEYS PLEA
Declares Equal Oppression by Cor
poration Is Not Found in Com
mercial History.
DEFENSE OF ITS RECORD
GOVERNMENT ATTORNEYS PLEA

The governments side Of the story of
the Standard Oil corporation. with all the
charges of sins laid at Its door, was
placed today in part before the Supreme
Court Of the United States. After q few
words Of summary by John u. Milburn.
for the Standard Oil, Frank B. Kellogg.
special assistant to the Attorney Gen
eral. began an address to the court to
show that the Standard Oil Company OF
New Jersey should be dissolved in &C
cordance with the decree entered by the
federal court in Missouri. He was to
speak for the rest Of the day and to con-
clude next Monday.
Mr.. Milburn's Closing Argument.
The closing words of Mr.. Milburn.
while few. were impressive.
Damned for everything, but praised
for nothing, was the way the Standard
OIL has been treated by the government"
he said I'm this record. covering forty
years Of business. everything the Standard
has ever done Is related. 1t has done
some things In. strenuous times that It
should not have done. That was human.
1t has done nothing that goes to the
issue here.
The evil Of the afIirmance Of this de-
cree. 1t IL needless for me to say, would
be monstrous. 1t Is fortunate that the
case Is left in the hands of a court that
listens to reason and meyer hears the
voice Of passion and prejudice
Address by Attorney Kellogg.
Mr.. kellogg nrst referred to the re-
bates the Standard received up to the
time this suit was begun" He took
issue with Mr.. Milburns position that
before the passage Of the interstate
commerce law in 1887 1t was legal for
big shipper to receive q lower freight
rate than q small shipper.
Il have listened with admiration"
said he. ito the charming story Of
growth and rehabilitation of this
benevolent institution. 1t was told a.
only q great advocate could tell it,
It was a story of how the standard
Oil was the result Of natural growth
guided by the master mind Of Mr..
Rockefeller.
Alleges Record Of Oppression.
But 1 mean to tell to the court the
Geld facts. And say on my oath as q
member Of this bar. and I regard that
highly, that the equal OF this record in
oppression is not to be found In the COM
mSrcial history of this country. l dis
trust my ability to present these facts"
Then he added that the Standard was
born and reared in oppression and hangs
today over the country like threatening
cloud"
Mr.. Milburn does not know this record
~ i do" he said. He did not sit for
1S7 weary days as those 2UOOU pages of
record were being written"
In the course Of his argument the
question came up as TO whether or not
John D. Rockefeller had made a slip
once upon a time.
Rockefeller Accused.
Mr.. Kellogg said that Mr.. Rockefeller
either did not tell the truth I'm an at.
hdayft he made i'm a suit in 1880 about
the alleged connection Of certain REIN
cries with the trust" or when he was
On the stand in the present suit.
Justice Holmes suggested the afiidavit
could be true, literally.
Didn't he offer any explanation Of the
amdayit when he was on the stand In
this case" inquired Justice Lurton.
mo: he couldn't responded Mr.. Kel-
loGg..