Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 September 1907 — WASHINGTON LETTER. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON LETTER.

Political and General Gossip ol tbe National s CapltaL Special Correapondence to The Democrat. The prosecution of tbe Standard Oil Company, the legal trial in progress in New York, serves to reveal the astounding appropriation of tbe people’s money by the illegal process of that corporation. With a capital stock amounting to $97,000,000, profits have been made in the past twenty-five years amounting to $800,000,000. In other words, for every $97 paid for capital stock, SBOO profit has been taken out and the value of the assets has greatly increased. John D. Rockefeller, tbe father of tbe Standard Oil, owns one fourth of tbe stock of the Standard Oil Company, his holdings being val* ued at $109,000,000, which gives him an income of $21.25 for every minute in the twenty-four hours. The record of tbe Standard, as ruthlessly dragged to tbe light of public scrutiny, shows a career of crime and bribery probably never before equaled, Dissolved by the courts of Ohio, the trust continued to pursue its way, wholly unconcerned over tbe mandate of the law, and with the same management, methods and officers, maintained the same control of the supply, of the means of transportation and tbe price of oil for seven years, ending in 1899.

When the Supreme Court of Texas debarred the Standard, under the name of the Waters-Pierce Oil Company, from further operations in that state, it immediately seized upon tbe market with a new company, the Corsicana Refining Company, as much a creature of the trust as was the Waters-Pierce concern. Tbe outlaws of former times were petty thieves compared with this great octopus which fixes its tentacles upon tbe consuming public and with flagrant disregard of the law and even the specific mandates of the courts proceeded to exact its tribute from tbe people. And now that a prosecution has been instituted and that there is some prospect that the great corporation may be made to disgorge some small portion of its illgotten gains, a hue and cry goes up from the self-righteous holders of stocks and bonds against this “unwarrantable, interference with business enterprise and financial stability.” And when the President, in a not remote speech, declared that some remedy for tbe “swollen fortunes”, which constitute “a menace to American institutions and to commercial freedom” must be found, the cry went up from the same sources that he was preaching anarchy. President Roosevelt has his faults, like other men, and bis administration has fallen far short of tbe perfection which he doubtless desired for it, but there seems to be little prospect that he will be condemned by tbe American people for his prosecution of tbe Standard Oil. That any individual, by the exercise of proper business enterprise or the most efficient personal service can have earned a fortune of $109,000,COOin an ordinary lifeti me is beyond the credibility of every intelligent American, while all the evidence deduced in court goes to show that only through violation of the law whenever it suited the convenience of the corporation have its vast assets been ammassed. t t t In his last message to Congress the President urged Congress to consider well the advisability of retaining for the government title to the few remaining oil and fuel lands, title to which still remains with the people, together with the system whereby these lands should be leased to private operators on a royalty basis, so that the public should share in the profits of the great stores of wealth which the !reator placed under the soil. The suggestion was pronounced chimerical, the scheme of a visionary, etc. Had the government retained title of the oil lands which it originally owned and which have passed to the ownership of tbe Standard Oil Company alone, its assets would now be swelled by $860,000,000 and during the past quarter of a century its income from this source would have amounted to nearly $800,000,000, relieving the taxpayer of a large portion of the federal expense. t t t The President has changed bis plane for his western trip. He will return to Washington before going west and will remain in tbe national capitol from September 25 to 29, on which latter date he will leave to be, away until October 23. After completing his trip with the Waterways Commission, he will leave Memphis, on October 4. and will engage in a hunt for bear, bob-cats and deer in the Louisiana canebreaks, where he will be the guest of Civil Service

Commissioner McElhinny and John M. Parker. From October 4 until October 21, the President hopes to escape the burdens of his office and tbe gaze of the public while he makes intimate acquaintance with lizards, scorpions, muskrats and snakes and mosquitoes, and possibly with an occasional bear or dear. t t t The postponement of the Prescient's permanent return to Washington will defer the opening of tbe political season for nearly a a month and great disappointment is expressed by many who have been anxiously looking forward to an opportunity to gain the Executive ear with applications for apappointment, the adoption of schemes of administration, etc. It is probable, however, that Mr. Roosevelt fully realizes that once he undertakes the winter’s work he will have many strenuous days be fore him and that there will be no let up of tbe strain until the votes are counted in November 1908. He is, therefore, delighted to find the opportunity to gain a genuine rest of three weeks duration. t t t A lively controversy is stirring tbe army and navy over the merits of the respective system of gunnery employed by these arms of military establishment. It all started with the President’s ordering a naval officer to report on the efficiency of the army gunnery and tbe things which the army promises to do to that naval officer’s report will hardly bear printing. Commander Sims, the naval officer who prepared the report, has fled from Washington to escape the storm.