Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-01-06
More Oil Intrigues
Revealed in Letters
Given by Mr. Hearst
Missives Ordered Into Records of
Congress-Archbold To Be
Called to Explain.

WASHINGTON, Jan 6.-Another
chapter in the history of the efforts of
the Standard Oil crowd to control leg
islation of congress and debauch mem
bers of the senate and house through
the liberal use Of its enormous corrup
ton fund was written when the
Clapp committee, investigating the re-
lationship of the Standard Oil Com
pany to public men, directed that
copies of all letters submitted by Will
liam Randolph Hearst be printed as
part of the records of the hearings
that have been held.
When Mr.. Hearst was before the
committee December II he submitted
letters bearing upon the subject of his
evidence, and testified at length con-
corning them Mr.. Hearst then volun-
teered the statement that he had other
letters, and at the request of the COM
mittee promised TO send them to Wash
ington. These letters subsequently
were considered in executive session
casual scrutiny of them convinced
the committee that despite the fact
some of them appeared to be vague,
they were OF sufficient Importance to
justify being given. official publicity.
Accordingly Chairman Clapp called
meeting at which all letters were laid
before the newspaper men and copies
ordered TO be inserted in the official
records.
ArchboId May Be Called
AS a result of an executive session,
it is probable that John D. Archbold
may be recalled before the committee
Some OF the letters submitted by Mr.
Hearst were those written by the vice
president of the Standard Oil Company
In few Instances, while their mean
ing is plain, the statements are couched
in language intended to be vague, and
the committee wishes to know what
the subject matter is to which they re-
fer. Copies of these letters will be
sent to Mr. Archbold, and he will be
requested to send his explanations to
the committee. II Mr.. Archbold does
not do this he will be summoned as a
witness.
With view to following every clew
that has been suggested, the commit
ltC III tNlCu lldtl a SuIlililOiIS OS lSSuCu
for Willie w. Winkler and Charles
Stump, two colored boys who Foraker
alleged distracted the letters from the
Archbold files.
Senator Clapp and his associates be-
lieve there is much behind these let
tiers that Archbold can make clear.
They will insist that he explain so that
the country may know just how far
the scheming of Standard Oil went to-
ward controlling men and public af-
fairs. If Archbold again takes the stand,
members of the committee, in the light
of information submitted today by Mr.
Hearst, will conduct him through a
cross examination that will be more
grueling than anything this STANDARD
Oil manager has yet experienced.
More Oil Letters.
The letters today made public by the
committee follow:
Feb. 10, 1900.
My Dear Sir--I am very sorry in
deed to have missed your call on
Saturday. On receipt of your favor
of the Sth. which indicated that you
might come on Monday. ! imme-
diately wrote you. telling you that
] would not be here on Monday, as
it was holiday. I do not usually
come to business on Saturday, and
as no suggestion was made of your
calling then. | did not advise. /
am very sorry.
] will. of course. be glad to see
you any day except Saturday. |
am contemplating a little absence
of ten days or two weeks. to leave
here possibly about a week from
now
Very truly yours.
JOHN ID. ARCHBOLD.
Hon. j. L. McLaurin. Washington,
ID. G.