“A Horrible Monster”, published in Daily Graphic, July 19th, 1880, New York.

(This has been on Vulgar Army previously; this is a clearer, more detailed from Super I.T.C.H.)

Cartoon criticising ‘the pollution of New York’s air by the Standard Oil plant at Hunters Point, New York. The caption reads “A Horrible Monster, whose tentacles spread poverty, disease, death, and which is the primal cause of nuisances at Hunters Point”.

• “Beautiful Villas on The East River Rendered Uninhabitable” (showing buildings by river with “To Let” signs)
• “Interrupted Pleasures” (Family & brass band holding cloths to nose & mouth)
• “Offensive to the Last” (“Hunters Point Ladies Cabin”, smoke stacks in background)
• “Disease and Death” (Mother grieving over dead child)
• “A Whiff From Hunters Point” (Diners holding handkerchiefs to mouths)

Original Image source: Kovarik, W. ”Industrial Revolution: 1810 – 1890″ Environmental History Timeline

“The Standard Oil Octopus”, Daily Graphic, Tues 4th Feb 1879, New York. Vol LXVIII, No.1.

Octopus constructed of pipes and barrels, and capitalist harpies in a wasteland. Very early (1879) octopus political cartoon. “$10,000,000 Profits in 4 Months.”

“Railroad monopolist & stock market manipulator William Vanderbilt is the top right vulture flying overhead. The other two vultures, are brothers William (left) and John ( lower right) Rockefeller, who owned the Standard Oil refinery. ” (SuperITCH)

Source: Super I.T.C.H. May 26 2010 (Accessed: 19th Sept 2010)

The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) January 06, 1918, FINAL EDITION

Don’t Allow This Octopus To Get a Strangle Hold Upon the Public Domain. Kill the “Relief” Provisions of Senate Bill No. 2812

“A Bill To Encourage and Promote the Mining of Coal and
Phosphate, Oil, Gas, Potassium and Sodium on the Public Domain.”

The “Relief” Provisions of this bill, in so far as they affect the
oil situation, would block any chance for real competition and confirm in the Standard Oil Company and its subsidiaries from ten to twenty thousand acres of producing lands, and in the Standard and other persons, whose rights are questionable, unlimited unproven acreage. It prevents any one but those granted “relief” from acquiring directly or indirectly, not only in the State of Wyoming, but in the entire United States, and from the Canadian Line to the Mexican Border, any larger area of the many millions of acres of public lands than 2,560 acres. No chance is given for an oil operator to grow to sufficient size to be considered a competitor. In short, monopoly is intrenched, fortified and insured against competition and when you sweep away the chance of competition, the public’s purse is at the mercy of monopoly. It is unnecessary to point out here the result from the consumer’s standpoint the public’s standpoint and it is because of the public’s knowledge as to the effect of such a bill, if enacted into law, that we depend upon the bill being defeated by an overwhelming vote unless suitable amendments are made that will eliminate “relief” and permit competition.

“The Great Oil Trust Master In The Act Of Telling Ministers The Virtues Of His Methods, While The Octopus Listens in Glee”; The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) May 22, 1904, p.31

The introduction to the newspaper article:

Spurred into action by repeated attacks in the public prints, the Standard Oil Trust at last has come out of the shadows and invaded the field of literature, evidently proposing to try the effect of a little publicity all its own.

This, at least, is the conclusion which must be drawn from the study of a new phenomenon in the publishing world. About a year ago a book by Gilbert Holland Montague, bearing the title “The Rise and Progress of the Standard Oil Company,” made an appearance. It was published by Harper & Brothers, and that house, with unique generosity, has undertaken to give the little volume a wide circulation.

The Octopus Speaks

The following is from: Los Angeles herald. (Los Angeles [Calif.]) October 27, 1910, p. 6

I am afraid there is no cartoon with this one. But, I thought it important for giving more context to who Standard Oil is, or was seen as, and why it was considered an octopus.

Can’t you just hear the indignation in the writer’s tone? Also, I think the title, and subtitle must have been written by the editor, or someone else at the paper, and not the author. 

—-

UNPOPULAR OCTOPUS RECEIVES APPLAUSE

Newly Organized Weekly in Los Angeles Tells of “Good” Done by the Standard Oil 

—-

In these days of muckraking and general revolt against monopoly, says, the Oil and Mining Digest, it may be well to suggest mildly that there is something to say for large aggregations of capital such as Standard Oil. That corporations seems to stand in the eye of a large section of the public as the typical octopus in the ocean of national activities.

It is true that Standard Oil has, by the exercise of certain business methods, managed to acquire an amount of capital that gives it a tremendous advantage in any field of development. Yet it must be remembered that Standard Oil is a natural evolution of our national growth.

Twenty years ago the newspapers and magazines of the land joined in one unceasing and overwhelming chorus of laudation of Rockefeller and others of his kind who were occupied in the development of natural resources. No praise was too great to be bestowed on them. They were typical Americans— of whom the country had every reason to be proud and men whom other countries, trailing along in the wake of this country’s marvelous progress, looked on with awe and envy.

Schoolboys were taught about the wonderful things Rockefeller was doing with the added admonition, “Go thou and do likewise.” It did not occur to anyone at that period to condemn Standard Oil, although its Juggernaut car was crushing even then all who could not grapple to its wheels. The shouting and the tumult did not cease until certain of the wiser sort pointed out that under cover of all this praise and national self-gratulation the octopus had managed to get a strangle hold on much of the nation’s wealth.

As far as any national conscience existed on the matter in the early days of Standard Oil perhaps the majority of the people of the United States held that the attainment of wealth was the chief end of existence and admitted that placed in a similar position and given similar opportunities they would act in a similar manner. The man who got the coin was and is still to a great extent the one individual who merited the term “smart,” and deserved the united commendation of the nation.

TIMES CHANGE CONDITION

In changing times with changing ideals; in an age of increased population and with natural resources tied up, the point of view seems to have altered and Standard Oil and its confreres now come in for as great a measure of execration and condemnation as they formerly received approval. Is this just?

Standard Oil is an evolution. Not even Rockefeller himself when he set out on his wonderful career had any conception of the extent to which his wealth would grow. It is not in the least degree possible that he contemplated the development of the full grown company which now holds so large a portion of the commercial field in the United States. The thing grew;could not help growing and cannot help growing still further. It is a Frankenstein - a monster called into existence by the hand of a master hand that conceived it; but grown now out of all its original proportions and master of its master.

Even at the worst Standard Oil has not done anything more than other corporations have done and are still doing. The very men who cry out most against it are actuated mainly by the fact that its gigantic power renders abortive their own attempts to follow out similar purposes.

SOME GOOD TRAITS

The much condemned company has, too some good traits about it. It is well known that it treats its employes courteously and liberally. In cases where the sternest justice would be meted out to offending, negligent or foolish employes it has been lenient. It has never forgotten to reward faithful service and its servants have found certainty of tenure of office and generous consideration of their interests when superannuated. All that Is a great deal more than can be said for many of the interests and individuals who condemn the company and its methods.

In California Standard Oil has done nothing more than all the interests have been doing. It brought hither capital and at a time when capital was needed it struck out into the field of development.

If the company has enjoyed rebates so have other companies that self righteously accuse, the Standard. It engaged in legitimate business, under the laws of the United States and in California under the laws of the state. (Both of which are now questioned.—Ed.) It is giving employment to thousands, It has often gone into virgin fields and spent money there to no result; but has given the benefit of its experience in that way to other holders of similar property.

DID ITS PART

To the Standard Oil company is due in great part the development of the oil industry in California. It has erected huge reservoirs and bought and stored oil. (It has refined oil chiefly, leaving the development to others.— Ed.) In so far as its methods have been in accordance with the laws of the United States and of this state it has been acting in good faith and entirely within its rights.

If the people of the west are only now awaking to the sense of opportunities lost in the line of conservation of natural resources that is in every way their own fault and cannot be blamed on large aggregations of capital like standard Oil. The nation was in a hurry to grow and it is certain that without the aid of capital which pioneered the way and built the railroads and developed natural resources the west would not be today in its advanced stage of progress. Whatever changes may nome in the way of curbing the predatory instincts of corporations and of regulating the staking and acquirement of valuable natural resources ii should be remembered that in many ways companies like Standard by their early and skillful activities contributed much to the betterment of the nation. In conclusion it may be well to remember that caution conveyed in the old proverb and render, even to a certain personage not named in circles polite, that which is his due.

The Eye of the Octopus.

Through a System of “Peeping Toms” the Standard Oil Company Sees the Operations of Its Competitors.

By Merwin Worcester.

WHAT do you think of the Standard Oil company and its methods?

It may be a revelation to you to learn that the Standard Oil company already knows exactly what your position is with reference to the octopus, its methods, and its directorate, provided you are a personage of mark enough, to make that knowledge, worth while to the Standard Oil company, materially or suggestively.

For of all the great trusts of the time, the Standard Oil Is virtually alone In the operation of a system of spying, inquisition, and small tittle-tattling, covering not only the business of competitors, but prying into the smallest of individual and community opinions, gauging, measuring, and in the great final office of recapitulation and deduction striking its trial balances in public opinion with all the accuracy and concern involved in the distribution of one of the company’s enormous dividends.

How does the company accomplish all this tabulated information of the state of mind of Tom, Dick, and Harry of the world of business?

One might ask in half answer, “How does it know where every barrel of oil produced by an independent shipper goes and where every barrel sold by every corner grocer from Maine to California comes from?” By the interminable, unsleeping, never-faltering system of espionage based upon the philosophy of the company’s founder, “Nothing is too small and inconsiderable to neglect and nothing too formidable to undertake”; this is the system through which nothing under the sun is new to the Standard Oil company.

Peeping Tom Type in Demand.

There is a type of man well recognized in all civilizations as of the Peeping Tom disposition and temperament. The full measure of the type is attracted to the law, partly as a profession, but largely because of the opportunity it offers to become a type of dead beat presenting at least a sort of visible means of support. This means, however, is not visible, and for a good reason, to the shyster and his clients alike.

To this Peeping Tom type in the law the Standard Oil company looks for much of its espionage, personal, political, executive, legislative, and Judicial. Certainly this particular means of support of the shyster is peculiarly invisible, and from the company’s analyses and deductions and test of community temper, quite as much as from the detail of the businesses of its competitors, the methods of the Standard are relaxed, tightened, or otherwise altered to meet and suit conditions.

Only a few years ago one of the greatest virtuous acts of the Standard, self-exploited, concerned some of the Standard’s rebates, drawbacks, and other like details of a great business so complicated and so distributed in its vastnesses that somewhere now and then somebody would some time almost necessarily fall into petty infractions of law which the head of the Standard Oil company itself could not for a moment sanction where it finally was brought to his attention up the long lines of servants, agents, officials, and the like. 

Yes, a few years ago down in Ohio, the president of the Standard Oil company, concerning these small discrepancies in the conduct of the company business, pointed out that the company had refunded these certain illegal charges long before the suit asking the refunding had been filed! 

How did he know when to do it? Through Peeping Toms, who more than any other agency - mental, moral, spiritual, or supernatural - have been the prompters of the omniscence with which Rockefeller and the lights of the Standard company have been so generally credited.

Spy System Reaches Everything.

These Toms have peeped at times because they were afraid not to peep. They have peeped because they hoped to gain favors by peeping. And they have peeped for the reason that they have been paid to peep - paid a salary or commission or other fee in full of all demands, after peeping without regard to anything but the ends required of the Standard Oil company.

“There is probably not an independent oil company in the country today which does not believe that the Standard Oil company secures regular reports of its business by underhand means,” is part of the testimony of a witness in one of the many attempts legally to hold the Standard Oil company to an account of its stewardship.

Before one of the recent Investigations by the industrial commission witnesses came and testified to the belief that at all times they and their men and the details of their business were constantly under the espionage of the octopus of Standard Oil. Here and there reports were made, that tank cars in the railroad yards of the various cities showed evidences of having been opened by Standard spies in order that the contents of these independent tanks could be determined and reported upon by Standard spies.

Admit All Agents Are Spies.

“Yes,” admitted the Standard mouthpiece on one occasion under the stress of investigation, “we ask our salesmen and our agents to keep their eyes open and keep us informed of conditions in their respective fields.” And on that particular occasion before the industrial commission in 1898 It was discovered that the way in which agents were required to open their eyes in order to keep the company sufficiently informed, as indicated in the blanks furnished for these reports to the Standard, was enough to bring about almost any disease known to the oculist!

Rockefeller, the Mysterious! Standard Oil, the Impenetrable and Omniscient! These have been the posings of the octopus and of the wizard which brought the creature into life.

But behind all of this lies the intolerable spy system of the corporation, which, if business were all that business is cracked up to be, should stand in the open, impregnable. With a capital stock valued at market prices close to $900,000,000 and paying a dividend of $45,000,000 a year - 5 per cent upon $900,000,000 - the Standard Oil monopoly still must know whether It can retail oil at 11 cents in one town while charging 14 in another, or whether public sentiment is so distributed that the 14 cents would better to charged in the one town and the 11 cents in the other.

But there are times, of course, when the Standard Is compelled to take the Vanderbilt attitude toward the public and its opinions, as when at Danville, two years ago, it boycotted the town, refusing to sell inside its city limits any of the Standard’s products from crude petroleum simple because the town’s public spirit was raised to protest over the dilapidated condition of the Standard’s oil depot and its environment.

In all the range of the Standard’s selfish interests there is not a field that Is not covered by the spies and inquisitors of the system, charged with reporting to the headquarters of the Standard’s control these sociological phenomena as they have developed in individual and community.

Bribes Employees of Competitors

Twenty years ago or more the Standard had the system of espionage working in a business way as affecting the material transactions ot competitors. In 1883 John Teagle was a refiner In Cleveland in competition with the Standard. He had a bookkeeper who was loyal to the extent of reporting to him the advances made by the Standard in order to get a full and accurate account of the Teagle business.

In this case, according to the testimony of the bookkeeper, he was approached by John D. Rockefeller’s brother and offered $25 in cash and a fee thereafter, yearly, if he would keep the Standard company posted In the details of the Teagle business. In these reports upon the Teagle transactions, however, the Standard, was not to figure in the slightest possible publicity, all such communications to be addressed, to an impersonal “Postoffice Box 164, Cleveland, O.”

In this beginning of the operations of the Standard octopus, as It has come to be recognized everywhere, the necessity seemed to be largely to keep in touch with every material transaction in oil and petroleum products. Later, as a public sentiment developed and found voice In many ways, occasionally taking active form in active deeds, the sociological side of competition had to be considered, and in the last few years the eye of the octopus has been as much to be dreaded as have Its tentacles.

Recent developments In Kansas Indicate that the Standard Oil company’s spies have been asleep, or that the Standard has been taking an unduly light view of the revolutionary spirit of William Estley Connelley of Chanute, leader of the Kansas crusades against the greatest corporation in the world. If these conditions arose from the incompetency of its spies, southern Kansas agents of the octopus arc promised a shaking up that shall be lasting. 

Source: The times dispatch. (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, March 12, 1905, MAGAZINE SECTION, Image 30

Image and text provided by Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85038615/1905-03-12/ed-1/seq-30/