The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1912-04-25
then candidate Tor, pfesident. Yoai viii

before HIS Inauguration, Mr.. Tart spent
some little time at the Virginia Hot
Springs From that resort we received
the first intimation ever ethanating
from any president 81 a purpose to es-
tablish the commerce court.
Il remember was greatly surprised.
When President Roosevelt forced the
rate. bill through congress, restoring
the Interstate commerce commission to
power In the enforcement Of Its rulings,
tremendous, efforts We're made by
Messrs. Aldrich. Gallinger and the rest
OF the reactionarics to include IN the
law a provision for a court review Of
the commissions decisions. Tho pro-
gressive tendency Of the time was dis
tlnctly against any court review, FOR
1T was the courts which had emasculat-
cd the commission Of it's power under
the old law. The people generally
feared a repetition Of this. They want
ed to control the railroads. They want
ed to obviate forever the possibility Of
continuance Of the processes by
which such concerns as the Standard
Oh company had used the common car
rlers to collect rebates on their own
business and on that Of their competl-
tors ut the same time. The reaction
aries succeeded In getting form Of
court review into the law, but not as
free one as they desired.
Trust and Commerce Court.
"Now, you will remember that w.
r. Hearst during the campaign of 1908
read from the platform in different
portions Of the country letters that had
been procured by some means from the
files OF the Standard Oh company It
was charged that the, letters were
stolen, but their authenticity was ac-
knowledged. They were genuine let
tiers, however procured. In reading
them rs they appeared In the papers
l was one day not much surprised to
learn that the idea Of a separate court
OF review for Interstate commerce COM
mission decisions had emanated from
the Standard Oh company. They were
the first people to invent the idea Of
commerce court. The proof Of it was
found in letter written by Joseph Sib-
ley OF Pennsylvania, member Of the
byist for the Standard Oh company.
He was not the only lobbyist employ
ed by that company we may believe,
but he was one. ~-.-,-
In this letter, written by Mr.. Sibley,
at Washington, on Feb &c, 1905, to Mr.,
John D. Archbold Of the Standard Oh
company and read from the platform
by Mr.. Hearst at Memphis, Tenn, on
Sept. 10, 1908, Is found the following
paragraph relative to a certain 'Sena-
tor b. who is described as wholly and
unalterably opposed to President
Roosevelt's policy regarding corpora
tons:
I'm re power to fix railroad rates Mr. B.
Is for giving power to make rates. but will
fight tho idea Of a separate court. 1
WAS SORRY NOT TO BE- ABLE TO
CHANGE HIS VIEWS ON THAT TOPIC.
Lobbying In tho Senate.
"Here is documentary proof that the
Standard Oil company had conceived
the idea Of commerce court as long
ago as before February, 1905, and that
its lobbyists were engaged at that time
In trying to gain support in the United
States senate for the establishment Of
such court. On Oct. 80, 1908, only
week before the election that was to
decide the fate Of Mr.. Taft, John d.
Rockefeller takes most unusual pains
to serve public notice upon all friends
of his kind OF. business throughout the
country that Mr.. Taft was the man to
support for president Now, what in
formation did Mr.. Rockefeller have
that caused him to take this very unu-
sual means to place his attitude on the
presidential election before the bust
ness world2 What could it have been?
| myself do not know, but do know
that very shortly after his election Mr.
merce court idea in his mind; | do
know that before Mr.. Taft had been
long in the White House he caused a
bill to be drawn providing for such a
court, and he used the power Of his
administration to enact that bill into
law. Mr.. Rockefeller. evidently wanted
q commerce court. Mr.. Taft fastened
to give him one as soon az he was safe
ly elected. The plain inference must
be that the sugar trust was not the
only one Of the great combinations that
found way to get at Mr.. Taft l can
only believe that the Standard OH com
pany had its friend who could slip into
Mr.. Tafts presence and get what it
wanted
A "Working Arrangement"
But, more than that, the selection
Of Mr.. Taft's cabinet and the general
attitude Of the Taft administration in
the tariff session and later convinced
me that the administration had some
sort or q working arrangement with