Show STANDARD OIL STRIKES BACK The rhe directors of the Standard Oil company compan have ha issued a pamphlet ostensibly to its stockholders and employees but evidently lo intended for the count country which gives the company's compans side of the case out of which grew the trial conviction and unparalleled fines upon the company compan o. o That there is plenty of ability shown in the pamphlet pamphlet pamphlet pam pam- and that it makes what lawyers would call can a strong case goes without saying ing It opens by declaring de de- daring claring to its people directly interested theas the theas as assurance urance that it is entirely innocent of any wrongdoing wrong wrong- doing in any of the recent prosecutions and in reference reference reference refer refer- ence to the Alton case says The verdict was obtained b by the government upon the most splitting hair-splitting technicality aided by the rigorous exclusion of evidence that would have nave removed all presumption of guilt 4 It calls attention to the f fact t that if the tho judgment is allowed to stand the company will have to pay or 01 fifty times the value of the oil for eve every al load of oil carried over the Alton roa road during two pears e a 13 The Tho pamphlet says sas The hc Standard Oil company company of Indiana was con con- l of receiving what the government claimed was Ivas wasa a concession from the Chicago Alton in the shipment shipment ship hip ment of oil from its refinery at nt Whiting Ind id to East Enst St. St Louis Ill In the opinion of the company there is no question of or rebate or discrimination in the case merel merely a n question on of tho ho legality of ofa n a freight ht rate The government go contends that the lawful rate was waR IS 18 cents per hundred pounds between between be he- tween these thee two points The Thc Standard claims first that the lawful rate was 6 cents an and secondly that if G 6 cents was not tho the lawful rate rale it was the rate issued issued is is- sued to the Standard by the Alton as the lawful rate and tho the St Standard was just justified it cd in believing ing upon its own investigation hull and from the information received from tho the railway compan company that it was the lawful rate Time The cent IS-cent rate was 1 n. class and not a n commodity rate and the chairman of the traffic association as as- which issued the rate test testified Hied that it was wasI I never applied and was never novel intended to he be applied j to oil The rate on oil between Chicago and Last East St. St Louis over oyer the Alton had been for fourteen years rems G ij cents per one hundred pounds This I was as the open published rn rate te and generally known For thirty years cars it has been the custom to give the little towns clustered around Chicago and which are aro a n part of Chicago the same rates as the large city and Whiting Whiting Whit Whit- hiting hit ing is one o of or these towns and as IS Chicago and ancl East Enst St. St Louis arc are both in Illinois the railroad was not bound to file the rates between these points with the interstate commission But Whiting is in Indiana so the Alton filed with the commission what is known as an application sheet applying to Whiting the Chicago rate Time The Standard offered to show by witnesses witnesses witnesses wit wit- nesses on the stand that the Alton had filed this rate and that the Standard had shipped under minder it more than 2000 carloads per annum since 1895 but hut the tho court would not permit tho the proof The Standard offered to prove pro the commodity rates charged on other articles but was not permitted to Also that it could have shipped its oil at the same me rates over o another road but this was ruled out The Standard also declares that that persistent and adroit warfare has been waged with all nIl the overpowering overpowering overpowering over over- powering authority of the federal administration against the Standard Oil company and cites some sonic instances In the presidents president's messa message c of May a 4 t 1906 was made a direct attack upon the Standard Oil company compan for fOl the purpose of forcing the time passage of the bill remitting the thc duty on denatured alcohol alcohol- a measure in which the company was not interested On May flay fa 17 1906 the issue of Commissioner Garfield's Garfield's Gar- Gar fields field's report petroleum transportation was timed to influence the Hepburn rate bill then before con can I gress On May ay 20 O 1907 while Judge Landis had I still un under er consideration the judgment in the Chicago Chicago Chicago Chi Chi- cago Alton case Commissioner Smiths Smith's illegal and partisan report on un pipe lines was wa made public Th The C commissioners commissioner's second report on petroleum prices price s and profits profits profits-a a wholly false deduction fr from m the thc complete com coal facts was facts was sent in advance to the tho press for I publication August 5 in the knowledge that Judge Landis Landi would pronounce judgment August 3 influencing influencing in in- all sources of public opinion di disturbing the orderly dispensation of justice In conclusion it claims that it is carrying on a great business and doing doing do do- ing that business on on the square an and asks a square deal The case is still before the courts we can all afford afford afford af af- af- af ford to wait the conclusion |