That the spirit of the past is still at work was shown by the recent act
of the legislature of New Jersey legalizing the consolidation of the
coal roads. The coal barons found the legislature as servile as the
managers of the Camden and Amboy Railroad Company had found them of
yore, and their well-planned scheme would probably have been successful
had it not been for Governor Abbot's courageous veto of the disgraceful
act, and it is more than probable that they will yet succeed. They have,
in fact, during the last year advanced the price of coal about one
dollar per ton.

THE STANDARD OIL MONOPOLY.

The Standard Oil monopoly may be said to be the crowning monument of
corporation conspiracy. It is, indeed, doubtful whether the combined
brotherhoods of mediaeval knights ever were guilty of such acts of
plunder and oppression as the Standard Oil Company and its railroad
allies stand convicted of before the American people. The facts that
have been unearthed by official investigations show a frightful
prevalence of corporate lawlessness and official corruption, and there
can be no doubt that, could certain high railroad dignitaries have been
compelled to testify, and could the truth have been fathomed, it would
have been found that not only the public, but railroad stockholders as
well, were victimized by those transactions.

The founder of the Standard Oil monopoly was some twenty years ago part
owner of a petroleum refinery at Cleveland, Ohio. His fertile brain
conceived the thought that with the cooperation of the railroad
companies a few men of means could control the petroleum business of the
United States. With this end in view he approached the managers of the
New York Central, the Erie and the Pennsylvania Central railroad
companies, and on January 18, 1872, entered with them into a secret
compact by which they agreed to cooperate with the South Improvement
Company (an organization formed by that gentleman to aid in the
accomplishment of his designs) to grant to said companies certain
rebates and to secure it against loss or injury by competition. The
South Improvement Company, in consideration of these favors, guaranteed
to the railroad companies a fair division of its freights. The existence
of this contract soon became known and caused a violent protest among
the oil-producers. An indignation meeting was held and a committee was
appointed to wait on the railroad managers and demand fair treatment for
all