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Show JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER. All tho Information tho court got out of John I). Rockefeller wouldn't fill a thimble. John simply said he didn't know anything about the details de-tails of hi gTcat businesses he only clipped tho coupons. The Standard Oil king probably told the truth, but that doesn't excuse him from responsibility. respon-sibility. It Is Inconceivable that lie Bhould know the multitudinous details de-tails of tho Standard Oil business but as tho head of such an extraordinary force in tho Industrial and commercial world, John D. owed It to himself, to his fellow-man and to his country to see that that force was not used to the disadvantage of tho public. It Is not right to assume that all of the Rockefeller Rocke-feller wealth has been secured Illegitimatelymuch Illegiti-matelymuch of It Is the natural unearned un-earned Increment of Interest but It pan not be doubted that watered stocks, rebating, monopoly prices and the crushing of competition by any available meant has contributed many millions to the Rockefeller coffers and taken Just that many from the public at large. Mr. Rockefeller can hardly deny that he Is, In a general way, familiar with certain facta along these lines, and he probably would not claim that all Standard Oil holdings are turned In to the assessor for legitimate legiti-mate taxation. In so far as ho knew of these things and refused or neglected to set matters straight, John D. Rockefeller is responsible, and it Is to be regretted that law doesn't touch this and other like cases. To withhold with-hold taxables from tho assessor Is thieving the public needs object lessons. les-sons. Watered stock is a menace to society and should be treated as such. The rebating system Is pernicious, and abettors of tho system should bo treated as other criminals before the law. The lineage or wealth of any man should not be permitted to divert the legitimate process of law. |