The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1888-03-10

placed on the witness stand fatty refused |
TO answer questions. One of the directors
Of the trust refused to produce the written
agreement between the sugar refners.
These tactics have been closely initiated by
the milk combination. The secretary of
this concern was accidentally in Florida
when he was wanted to testify and he had
all the books and papers with him that
might throw any light upon the scheme by
which farmers are compelled TO sell milk
cheap and the people of New York city are
made to buy it dear. The president of the
Standard Oil trust was also in some other
State when he was wanted to testify con-
cerning the cotton seed trust. It was as
certained however that the agreement on
which the cotton seed trust is based was
conveniently absent in Cincinnati, and no
one, it seems, was wise enough to devise
any way in which it could be got to New
York before the committee. All of this
seems TO indicate that the committee like
many of its predecessors will fail to elicit
the information which the people so much
desire, but such failure will not prove
that the proceeding has been of no public
benefit. 1t shows that the most scrutiniz-
ing investigation must sooR be made. You
will remember that this was about the same
way that the Congressional Committee was
treated when it came to this State TO in
Yestigate the causes of the coal strike.
When the committee pressed some of the
big fellows for answers to fair questions,
such as the items of cost to mine ton Of
coal, the methods of combinations to raise
the price of coal, the salaries that the ofiic-
ials of the Reading system pay themselves
for managing concern that has two hun.
dred millions of debt through mismanage.
ment, SO as to furnish data to make com.
parison with the wages of the suffering
miners and laborers and business men oi
the coal regions. they refuse to answer, and
say It is none of your business; and the
newspapers that feed on corporation par
endorse it and poke fun, in their insidiou'
ways, at the committee for meddling witt
other peoples business. And some people
are apt to forget that every thief that il
tried and convicted in court of justice
must have his business interfered with
Agreements TO control vast industries, al
details of which are thus sedulously con
cealed, must be of such character tha
those concerned in them dare not allow tht
facts to pass into the possession of the pub
lie and its grand jurors and prosecuting of
ficers. The inevitable inference is tina
there must be something behind all thi
concealment and preyarication, even wors
than the public had suspected.
These big conspirators think it is no
, body's business to inquire into their squeez
ing combinations. They are determined t.
do as they please in this free country
They are bible studerts and expect th
people to be as submissive as in olde
times; and why rotP They are only king
of another sort. Why should not the pee
pie say and do as they did in 2 Kings, char
ter 1915: "We are thy servants, and ri
do all that thou shalt bid US; pe wiU no
make any King; do that which is good /
. thine eyes,"
/, This was also substantially the doctrin
of the celebrated Tweed Ring in Ne,
; York city not many years ago. Vim. N
Tweed in the plentitude of his power sale
= What are you going to do. about it?"
believe that the people of this country wi
at no distant day give the same decisive an
crushing answer to all improper combin;
tions and "trusts" of power asd capiti
:. that they gave to Mr.. Tweed and his assoc
n ates, Very Respectfully,
n w. M RAPsHER.