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The Commoner.
sr is; 1900
HEN SENATORS LAUGHED AND SNEERED
L-The Now York Press is a republican paper.
Ban not be said to be 'prejudiced against the
ubiican senate. From the pen of its wasn-
ton correspondent The Press prints this dc-
iption of the manner in which Mr. Roosevelt's
jsage relating to the Standard ,on was re
ived in the American House of Lords:
'What the American people have to expect
LiHhe regulation of the trusts was disclosed to-
iy in congress when the president sent to the
fcaate and the house the report of the bureau of
rporations, showing that the Standard Oil cor-
S ration not only violates the law, but is a
iruiei W1U1 muuy ruuruuu. uuiiwiuuuub m i"-
mting competition and raising prices of all
Standard Oil products throughout the country.
he report of the bureau of corporations was ac-
mpanied by a strong message from the presl-
lent. In the house of representatives the closest
ittention was paid to the reading of the message
id the report, and there was generous applause
frhich proved that party lines were broken. The
iituation in the senate suggested plainly tnac
lere would have to be a great change in that
body before any good results can come from the
president's campaign. Not two-thirds of the sen
ators had the courtesy to listen to the message.
p-'Many of the pronounced corporation senators
'-were in their seats, and, as the reading pro
gressed, cracked jokes or sneered audibly at tlie
expression of Mr. Roosevelt.
"It may be said, moderately, that the presi
dent's message had no effect upon the men that
control the senate. Several of them regarded it
with contempt and a few of them insisted that
the president was beginning his campaign for
another term. It was clear to old observers of
the senate that the message had no special effect
and would not accomplish any practical result.
"Senator Kean of New Jersey snickered audi
bly at the announcement that the Standard Oil
trust had profited to the extent of three-quarters
of a million a year from unlawful and unfair
railroad rebates.
"When the clerk read that much of thopo
rebates had been done away with, Mr. Kean
grinned back to Mr. Aldrlch and made a laughing
comment to Mr. Drydon, his colleague.
"The reference to pooling provoked a hearty
laugh from Mr. Aldrlch, but when the recom
mendation for prompt action on the free alcohol
bill was read there was a great explosion of
mirth. Mr. Kean threw back his head in sheer
enjoyment, and Mr. Aldrlch grew red with laugh
ter. Messrs. Foraker, Lodge, Burrows, Scott and
Wetmore joined in the chorus.
"Whatever apprehension was felt at the out
set regarding the teeth in the message was quick
ly dispelled, and at the conclusion of the reading
of the document the senate was in rare good
humor.
"Senator Foraker moved that the message be
printed and laid pn the table, the parliamentary
method of shelving a measure. Noticing that
only a part of tha Garfield roport had' been sub
mitted, Senator Culberson of Texas hastily wroto
with a pencil a resolution calling for the full doc
ument. This resolution was adopted."
The president of the United States sends to
the senate a roport showing that a gigantic trust
conspiring with the railroads has repeatedly and
persistontly violated the law. Ho accompanies
that report with a messago inviting serious at
tention to this deplorable condition. And, ac
cording to this republican paper, "many sen
ators cracked jokes or sneerod audibly;" also
"several of them' regarded It with contempt;"
also "Senator Kean of New Jersey snickered aud
ibly;" also "when the recommendation for prompt
action on the free alcohol bill was read thero
was a groat explosion of mirth. Mr. Kean throw
back his head in sheer enjoyment, nnd Mr. Aid
rich grow red with laughter. Messrs. Foraker,
Lodge, Burrows, Scott and Wetmore joined in
the chorus;" also "at the conclusion of the read
ing of tho document the senate was In rare good
humor."
And these are the men who claim a monop
oly upon the Intelligence and tho patriotism of
tho country! These are conspicuous among "the
defenders of national honor!" These are the
champions of public Interests! Who will say
that they were not entitled to laugh at the sug
gestion that a great corporation bo held account
able to tho law? Who will say that they were
not justified in a sneer?
THE STANDARD OIL "ATHENE"
A Padonia, Kan., reader of The Commoner
sends to this office what he calls "a sample of
the rot that is being sent out by the Standard
Oil company." Enclosed in this letter is a book
let entitled "Standard Oil Company a Public Ben
efactor." L. A. Bone appears to be the author,
and the work is from the press of the Wichita
Star
Mr. Bone thinks the Standard Oil company
is entitled to honor-because "its .commodity has
been so raised In quality and so lowered in price;"
and because "it has added to the world's wealth
and has "developed to its utmost degree one of
the great resources of our country and has en
riched in this way the whole people."
Mr. Bone is evidently greatly impressed with
the value of the services rendered humanity by
John D. Rockefeller and Standard Oil. Following
are some extracts from his article:
"It (Standard Oil) is the friend and bene
factor not only of the public in general, but
of the laboring man in particular."
"It should be a matter of pride to an
American that the merchant prince of the
world, John D. Rockefeller, is a native-born
citizen of our own country."
"The Standard Oil 'company is a friend
of Christianity by its donations to benevolent
institutions and for charitable purposes. Mr.
, Rockefeller is the largest giver in the world.
"The Standard is the firm friend and able
' exponent of good citizenship by its conform
ity and obedience to the laws of our country,
notwithstanding what may be said to the con
trary A favorite maxim of the company is
' 'illegal methods are sure to end in disaster.' "
' 5t is the friend of both Christianity and
good citizenship, by the high moral standard
' Squired in its employes. Measured by any
standard when the truth is revealed, it will .
" be found that the Standard Oil company is a
.. public benefactor; and could the common poo
pie by some magical draught or potion be
' brought to a complete realization of their
debt of gratitude to the Standard Oil com
pany they could do no less than employ some
' modern Phidias to raise the statue of John
D. Rockefeller like that of Athene in the
1 Parthenon in ivory and gold."
' Mr. Bone's sincerity is not to be doubted.
That is attested by his earnestness. And even
many of those who will today smile at the pic
ture Mr. Bone draws of Standard Oil and the
Rockefellers were, in 1896, pointing to that in
stitution and its managers as representative of
intelligence, patriotism and bus ness Interests.
While not desiring to disturb the serenity of
Vhfi Standard Oil's Wichita champion, The Com
moner begs tlS privilege of asking: When this
statue of John D. Rockefeller is made, will it
present a stalwart man who with unflinching
eye looks his fellows in the face and with open
hand gives to the cause of education and religion?
Or will it present the bended figure of a terrified
creature skulking through the underbrush and
hurrying to cover in the effort to avoid the service
of a writ commanding the Standard Oil "Athene" .
to appear in a court of justice and tell the truth?
JJJ
'TWAS A FAMOUS VICTORY
Mr. Roosevelt does many strange things.
The haste he made in giving his approval to
Senator Aldrlch's plan known as "the Allison
amendment" and the readiness with which he
sought to defend his position has strained to
the very limit those who prefer to believe that
he enlisted in an intelligent and sincere effort
in behalf of railroad legislation.
Mr. Roosevelt ought to know that he has
nothing to gain for his own reputation, for his
party's record or for his country's welfare by
making even the smallest compromise with Sen
ator Aldrlch and his associates. Mr. Roosevelt
has given the monopolists many a bad half hour.
He has rendered distinct service to the country
by directing attention to the seriousness of many
of the evils of the day and the monopolists hold
him responsible for stirring up much of what
they call "present day discord." They will not
soon forget his accomplishments on that line, and
they will never forgive him.
The reception accorded the president's Stand
ard Oil message in the senate serves as a hint
of the feeling these .gentlemen have toward the
present occupant of the White House. They will
smilingly lure Mr. Roosevelt to a skillfully de
vised compromise, and when by this means he
has lost in prestige among the people they will
be the first to taunt him with his fall, and the
first to openly assail him.
Many people believe that Mr. Roosevelt is
such a bitter partisan that his chief anxiety now
is to save his party; but it must be plain to
every one that the republican party can not be
perpetuated without the monopolists who have
contributed to it so liberally; and it must be
evident, also, that under such circumstances the
republican party is not worthy of preservation
so. far as public interests are concerned. Within
the republican party there is not room enough
for men. who honestly believe along the lines
preached by Mr. Roosevelt with respect to, rail
road legislation, and men whose interests lie
with the Rockefellers and who believe with tho
Aldrlckes.' Harmony among such elements means
complete surrender by one side or the other.
Whatever pretense the representatives of monop
oly may make, they never surrender, Sometimes
they pretend to yield, and so skilfully do they
veil their propositions that that which amounts
to a victory for them is often palmed off as a
victory for tho people. So thoroughly disciplined
is, the republican party, so truculent is the repub
lican press, so thoughtless are the men who vote
the republican ticket simply because their fath
ers voted it, that we often find a considerable
number of people seriously applauding a triumph.
for monopoly under tho impression that it is a
triumph for popular government.
If the campaign for railroad rate legislation
is to terminate with tho Hepburn bill and tho
Allison amendment then, knowingly or unknow
ingly, Mr. Roosevelt has surrendered and the
American people who, suffering under the burdens
of corporate imposition, asked for bread, have
been given a stone.
JJJ
THE SNEER A "BACK. NUMBER'
Secretary Taft in discussing the duties of
citizenship before Yale students paid attention to
"socialists of the parlor," which is Interpreted by
tho Chicago Record-Herald to mean "young and
sentimental gentlemen who find happiness in re
flecting on tho misery which the world presents In
abundance, and who take no pains to study actual
life -tho conditions of the people they would help,
the causes of tho misery, the difficulties In iho
way of reform, and so on."
Mr. Taft will discover thai'1 the old-tlmo
method of meeting proposed reforms with sneers
will no longer be of avail. The policies of the
political organization to which Secretary Taft is
devoted have done more to advance the cause
of socialism In this country than all the literature
that has ever been written upon that subject. If
that cause lias progressed far enough for repub
lican leaders to give it serious4-attention, they
should meet the Issue with something more sub
stantial than a sneer. We have reached that
stage In American politics where the sneer Is a
back number.
JJJ
WHAT, NEVER?
Senator Perkins of California in a magazine
article said. "I think that the present senate will
stand forth in history as one which has exhibited
in the highest degree the qualities of fairness and
impartiality, a determination to arrive at tho
truth and a courage to maintain the truth as
found against the popular demand for hasty and
inconsiderate action.-"
Courage is all very well, but how does it hap
pen that the fine courage of the senate seems in
variably to be displayed in behalf of special in
terests? Can it be possible that "the popular
demand" is never a just demand?
JJJ
"IN LINE WITH BUSINESS"
TJie Kansas City Journal says: "The insur
ance officials doubtless acted illegally in giving
trust funds for political uses, but nevertheless it
was in line with sound business principles to aid
in preventing a Bryan panic."
Andrew Hamilton doubtless acted illegally
in using trust funds for the corruption of legis
latures, but nevertheless in the opinion of An
drew Hamilton and the trust magnates who em
ployed him it was in line with sound business
principles to aid in preventing a panic which,
in their view, would certainly result from any,
legislation requiring justice for the policyholders.
' $'-iitS:
