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The Commoner.
FEBRUARY 20, 1903.
HSBWW?J?'!PIW,1B,P
IP The
Rockefeller Mystery
A Commotion is on at
Wasliington Because of the
Charge That Mr. liooscvclt
Made Public the Uockefcllcr
Telegram.
Ono of the greatest mysteries of recent origin
relates to the charge that John D. Rockefeller
sent telegrams to at least nine senators protest
ing against any anti-trust legislation. The pub
lic generally and many newspapers were loth to
believe that Mr. Rockefeller adopted that method
of communicating with the senators. It has been
well understood that Rockefeller and other trust
magnates have used their influence to prevent leg
islation on former occasions, but it has always
been done in a covert way and many people
have doubted that Mr. Rockefeller would under
take to improve on his old-time and very emi
nently successful methods.
But the various opinions entertained by news
papers on this subject may bo better understood
by reference to certain criticisms. i
The Chicago Record-Herald appears to take
the matter seriously and intimates that the prds
pects of legislation which Mr. Rockefeller does
not like "brightened suddenly after a long period
of gloom" and Mr. Rockefeller evidently deemed
it necessary to enter quick protest
The Chicago Chronicle quotes Mr. Hanna as
saying that "Mr. Rockefeller does not do busi
ness that way." The Chronicle thinks that' it is
possible that some over-zealous member of Mr.
Rockefeller's circle knowing that man's great
influence with well-known senators thought he
was in the habit of communicating his instructions
to them as he. would issue orders to the kerosene
corporations and that "in this way the telegrams
may have been dispatched by one of the Standard
Oil attorneys without the direct knowledge or ap
proval of Mr. Rockefeller."
The Louisville Courier-Journal, of which
Henry Watterson is the editor, says that the al
leged Rockefeller telegrams is "a pretense of op
position." Tho Courier-Journal says it is "a pret
ty trick though not a new one," and that tho
Rockefeller incident seems to have been planned
"to surround with a spectacular eclat of capital's
opposition a very innocent piece of legislation."
The Brooklyn Citizen refers to it as "the
Rockefeller hoax." The Citizen says that while
there is no doubt as to the interference of the
Standard Oil company In national legislation "the
American people are not willing to believe that
Mr. Rockefeller suddenly lost his senses to the ex
tPTit fTiot be would send telegrams to senators."
The -Citizen says:
"Such orders as he has to convey are
gladly and willingly executed by Senator,
Aldrlch, of Rhode Island, who is the ackriowl-1
edged legislative agent of the protected inter-'
ests and who. moreover, has oloso family con
nections with the Rockefellers. It was a
daughter of this Rhode Island senator who re
cently married the eldest son and heir of John
D. Rockefeller."
The Citizen adds that "Anyway, there Is
nothing in' the so-called 'trust busting entered) in
to by republican senators and congressmen to
cause the Standard Oil company or any other
trust the slightest unpasiness." And the Brook
lyn paper adds, "All that President Roosevelt and
trust busters of his type are aiming at is to pre
vent the real trust busters, the democrats, from
attaining power. They are simply engaged in fool
ing the pnople and pretending to be at war with
the trusts."
The Washington correspondent of the San
Franciso Examiner, referring to this incident,
says: "The administration and administration
senators appear to have been caught red-handed
in the act of pulling the wool over the eyes of
the public." This correspondent says that "ev
erybody in Washington is laughing at the boom
erang." Tho Washington correspondent of tho New
York World, however, insists that ho has good
authority for saying that Rockefeller did send
telegrams to at least nine senators. He says that
every ono of the men implicated donies that ho
received such a telegram with the exception of
Senator Halo who declines to bo questioned on
the subject This correspondent says that these
telegrams were signed by John D. Rockefeller, J.
D. Rockefeller, jr., W. H. Rogers, Walter Jennings,
William Rockefeller and C. R. Archibald. The
purport of these telegrams is said to be a gen
oral protest against all anti-trust legislation, and
a protest against the Nelson amendment It is
bluntly stated by tho World correspondent, as well
as by other correspondents, that the story relating
to tho Rockefeller telegrams emanated from the
White house; and tho attitude of hostility sud-
denly assumed toward Mr. Roosevelt by republi
can leaders would Indicate that this statement is
generally believed in Washington. The World
correspondent says that "almost every item of
distinctivo information connected with these tele
grams has boen traced through various channels
back to some confidential conversation with the
president" It is pointed out by tho World cor
respondent that in those telegrams it was an
nounced that an attorney for the Standard Oil
company would follow with a substitute for the
Nelson amendments. It is shown that an attorney
did come and that the fact remains that a sub
stitute for the Nelson amendment was tendered to
Senator Nelson by an unnamed senator, which
substitute was refused.
As a matter of fact, few people are surprised
to learn that Mr. Rockefeller has communicated
with senators on the subject of anti-trust legisla
tion. The only surprise relates to tho manner
which Mr. Rockefeller is alleged to have adopted.
The New York World says that this charge affects
not only the Integrity of tho Individual senators to
whom the telegrams were said to have boen,-sent,
but the integrity of the senato as a body, and it
calls upon the senate for an imme'diate and thor
ough investigation of the truth, of the charge. Tho
World says that the people would liko to know
who sent the telegrams, who received them and
exactly what those telegrams said about pending
anti-trust bills.
It is pointed out by a number of correspon
dents 'that while the senate could not bo ex
pected to investigate every charge made the
fact that it has been generally and repeatedly
stated that this charge omanated from the White
house" makes it necessary that the senate call for
an. investigation as to the truth of the story.
There are, however, a great many people who
iwill be inclined to think that considerable noise
has been made over tho fact that the Standard
Oil magnate sent telegrams to several senators
when it is remembered that it has been gen
erally understood that for several years republican
leaders in both branches -of congress have been
doing the bidding of Rockefeller and other trust
magnates with respect to every bit of "proposed leg
islation wherein the people could find the least
promise of relief. -Repeatedly it has been charged
that Senator Aldrlch is tho spokesman of the trust
magnates on tho floor of the senate arid that all
proposed legislation by the republican leaders with
respect to the trusts was framed in accordance
with the wishes of tho trust magnates. These
charges, so long and so generally made and so
thoroughly believed by tho American people, have
never been investigated and no ono has ever
seriously proposed an investigation.
A Big Navy League.
The most un-American movement recently
started under the guise of patriotism is the "Navy
League of the United States," organized with ex
Sacretary of the Navy Tracy at its head. An offi
cial statement of the purposes and plans of tho
league will be found on another page. It will bo
noticed that similar leagues have been formed In
England, Germany, France, Italy, and Belgium,
and the activity of the other leagues is glvn as a
reason for the formation of this league. The ob
ject of this league is "to aid in strengthening our
sea power," and the members are "to learn what-,
the navy means, what is, and what should be Its
actual efficiency and what is its relative standing
with other navies." These, leagues are mutually
helpful; as soon as the leagues In England, Ger
many, France,- Italy and Belgium secure an in
crease in the navies of those countries the In
crease thus secured will bo uspd as an argument
in favor of an increase here and tho increase hero,
when secured, can be used bv tho leagups abroad
as an excufe for further increases, and so on ad
Infinitum. There is no limit to such increases ex
cept the burden-carrying power of tho taxpayer
and the object of these Ipagnes Is to convince him
(or those who act for him) tht It is hfq patriotic
duty to carry a big navy on his back be-ause tho
deluded citizens of other countries ar carrying
big navies. This Is another outgrowth of im
perialism and the league's growth will be in pro
portion to tho Imperialistic sentiment dovoloped.
Tho league's vwork may bo illustrated by a par
able: A, B, C, and D have farms surrounding a lake.
Mr. Navy League calls on A and explain t to him
that lie is In constant danger of being attae od
by his neighbors and that as a matter of precau
tion ho should kcop an armed boat anchored in
front of his houso (Mr. Navy League probably
knows of somo competent boat builders who aro
willing to build tho boat and ho cm also furnish
men to take chargo of it). Having convinced! A
that ho needs a boat, Mr. Navy League finds
it easy to convince B that ho needs two boats. C
that ho ncods thrco boats and 1) that ho needs
four boats. By this timo A is in po'lion to bo
convinced of his need of sovoral moro boats to
put him upon an equal footing with his neigh
bors, and Mr. Navy Leaguo is thus kept busy
stimulating patriotism, recommonding ship build
ers and furnishing men to bp given life commis
sions in the navy. Question: How long boforo
A, B, 0, and D would find out that boat building
was absorbing too large a share of tho incomo
from their farms? How long before they would
find out that it was better to have fewer boats
rotting in tho water, waiting for war, and moro
wealth producing assets convertible into war ves
sels on demand? There is, in tho nature of tho
case, no limit to tho compilation in navy building
for each nation tries to overstep tho others and
each stimulates tho others to now enlargements.
Wo need fewer "navy leagues" and moro associa
tions for the cultivation of sentiment In favor of
the justice and fair dealing which make for peace.
A Perpetual Debt.
Secretary Shaw Is the first socrotary of tho
treasury to suggest the advisability of a perma
nent national debt. To bo suro, he puts it in tho
altornativo and uses It to scaro congress Into an
asset currency, but tho fact that ho considers it
at all shows the length to which ho has gone, in
surrendering to tho dictation of Wall street Ho
says:
"The frequent purchase and retirement of
bonds -renders tho amount available for cir
culation gradually less, while a rapidly grow
ing population, additional banking facilities,
and expanding trade suggest the need of an
over Increasing-circulation. I therefore be
lieve the time haB arrived when it will bo
necessary to adopt ono of two policies: either .
tho government debt must bo perpetuated as a
basis for national bank circulation, and addi
tional bonds issued' as occasion may require, '
or somo other system must be provided."
What is that othor system? Tho asset cur
rency that does not require a bond basis.
During tho war national banlcs wore estab
lished to give a market for bonds, now bonds must
bo issued to give a basis for banking. And If tho
people do not like a perpetual debt, let them ac
cept an asset currency as tho least of tho two
evils. That is tho same logic that was applied
to tho treasury notes and greenbacks. The ad
ministration first announced that they would be
redeemed in gold on demand and then the people
wore told they must choose between an endless
chain and the retirement of government paper.
Tho financiers refused to consider tho wisdom of
exercising tho government's right to choose the
coin of payment a plan which would have
stopped the endless chain without retiring the pa
per a plan the mere mention of which by Secre
tary Manning stopped a run on the treasury gold.
And so now it never occurs to Secretary Shaw and
his tutors in finance that the substitution of green
backs for bank notes would render a perpetual
debt unnecessary and at the same timo remove
the excuse for an asset currency. Tho green
back is better than a bank note, for It Is as se
cure as a bank note with a government bond be
hind it and has the advantage of being a legal
tender.
But no. Tho greenback Is not a part of Mr.
Shaw's plan, for tho bankers get no profit out of
its Issue and cannot control the volume In their
own interests.
Here Is the money question again an import
ant phase of it and yet tho reorganizes aro as
silent about it as tho republican leaders aro. The
republicans seem to think they can do anything
now, but the test of a system comes in the storm
rather than in the calm, and when tho storm
comes neither a perpetual debt nor an asset cur
rency will prove acceptable.
But Secretary Shaw is certainly earning a po
sition at tho head of some big Now York bank
the reward that usually comes to the treasury offi
cial who turns the treasury department over to
tho New York financiers.
iVm JT
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