The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-05-01

from any president of purpose to es
tablish the commerce court.
II remember l was greatly surprised
when President Roosevelt forced tbs
rate bill through congress, restoring
the interstate commerce commission t.
power in the enforcement of its rulings
tremendous efforts were made by
Messrs. Aldrich. Gallinger and the rest
Of the reactionaries to include In the
law a provision for a court review OF
the commissions decisions. The pro
gressive tendency Of the time was dis
tinctly against any court review, fol-
It was the courts which had emasculat
ed 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
Oil company had used the common car
riers to collect rebates on their own
business and on that of their competi
tors Mt the same time. The reaction
aries succeeded in getting a 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 Oil company. II
was charged that the letters were
stolen. but their authenticity was ac
knowledged. They were genuine let
tiers. however procured. In reading
them as they appeared m the papers
l was one day not much surprised to
learn that the idea OF separate court
of review for interstate commerce com
mission decisions had emanated from
the Standard OIL company. They were
the first people to invent the idea Of a
commerce court The proof Of it was
found in letter written by Joseph Sib
ley Of Pennsylvania, member Of the
house and confessed congressional lob
byist for the Standard Oil 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. 20. 1908, to Mr.
John D. Archbold of the STANDARD Oil
company and read from the platform
by Mr. Hearst at Memphis, Tenn, on
Sept. 10. 1908, is found the following
parag graph relative to a certain 'Sena
tor B. who is described as wholly and
unalterably opposed to President
Roosevelt's policy regarding corpora
tons:
"In re power to AK railroad rates Mr.. b
Is for giving power to make rates, but will
fight the idea OF separate court.
WAS SORRY NOT TO BE ABLE TIC
CHANGE HIS VIEWS ON THAT TOPIC
Lobbying In the Senate.
Here is documentary proof that the
Standard Oil company had conceived
the idea of a commerce court as lonl
ago as before February, 1905, and thai
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, 1905 only q
week before the election that was tC
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 tC
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 world? What could it have been
l myself do not know, but | do know
that very shortly after his election Mr.
Taft gave notice that he had the com
merce court idea in his mind: | dc
know that before MI. Taft had beer
long in the White House he caused {
bill to be drawn providing for such 6
court, and he used the power OF his
administration to enact that bill into
law. Mr.. Rockefeller evidently wanted
to give him one as soon as he was safe
ly elected. The plain inference mus
he that the sugar trust was not the
only one of the great combinations thai
found way to get at Mr.. Taft car
only believe that the Standard Oil com
pany had Its friend who could slip into
Mr.. Taft's presence and get what II
wanted.
A working Arrangement"
But, more than that, the selection
of Mr. Taft's cabinet and the genera
attitude of the Taft administration IL
the tariff session and later convinced
me that the administration had some
sort of a working arrangement with
Big Business I am certain Bis
Business thought It had such a rela
tionship. The presidents complete
change Of front In regard to the tariff
the commerce court legislation. The
speech giving clean bill of health t.
Senator Aldrich, the administration
conduct of the Ballinger case, the Wi
mona speech extolling the payne-Al
drich law and many other things con
vinced me that such an understanding
existed The country had honoret
Colonel Roosevelt for the enemies hi
made, yet those enemies became Mr.
Taft's most ardent supporters from the