Rice shows that in some cases these discriminations made him pay four times as much freight, gallon for gallon, as the monopoly. The differences against him were so great that even the self-contained Interstate Commerce Commission has to call them "a vast discrepancy."[401] The power that pursued him manoeuvred against him, as if it were one track, all the railroads from Pennsylvania to Florida, from Ohio to Lake Superior and the Pacific coast. "Through its representative the oil combination was called before the Interstate Commerce Commission to explain its relation to this 'vast discrepancy.'" "Your company pays full rates?" "Pays the rates that I understand are the rates for everybody." "Pays what are known as open rates?" "Open rates; yes, sir."[402] That the increase of rates in 1886, like that of 1879, was made by the railroads against Rice, under the direction of his trade enemy, is confirmed by the unwilling testimony of the latter's representative before Congress. "I know I have been asked just informally by railroad men once or twice as to what answer they should make. They said, Here is a man--Rice, for instance--writing us that you are getting a lower rate." He was asked if he knew any reason, legal or moral, why the Louisville and Nashville Railroad should select his firm as the sole people in the United States. "No, sir," the witness replied; but then added, recovering himself, "I think they did because we were at the front."[403] The railroads bring the people they prefer "to the front," and then, because they are "at the front," make them the "sole people."