The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1889-02-14
THE RRRF mRNOPOLlSTa.

THE BEEF al0NOPOLIsTs.
The Atchison Champion has the fol-
lowing strong and pointed editorial on
the beef monopoly. We commend
careful reading:
Ex-Governor George w. Click, as is
well known. has been. for twenty years
past, largely interested in cattle rails
ing in Kansas, aud Is as well Informed
concerning the condition and interests
of the farmers and cattle faisers or the
state as any man within its limits. he
had been watching, with intense sollc-
itude, the action of the legislature con,
corning the dressed beef monopoly, and /
informed the Champion yesterday, |
that in his Judgment, unless the farm
ers and stock raisers OF Kansas are |
aroused, the money and influence OF
the monopolists may defeat any leg1sla-
ton on this subject.
Concerning the results already
wrought in Kansas by this monopoly,
MIR. Click says it has done more injury
to Kansas farmers and stock raiSerS
than all the grasshopper invaslons ana
drouths that have ever devastated the
state. A few years ago, he states,
Kansas farmer, when he shipped car
| load of cattle to Chicago, found there
| from five hundred to a thousand buy
4 ers. They came from New York, from
| Philadelphia, from Pittsburg, from
Boston, from all over the eastern
states Competition was sharp and
vigorous, sales were easy and prices
were good. Now if the Kansas farmer
takes a car load OF cattle to Kansas
City he finds not to exceed half doz-
en- buyers, who have perfect under
standing. expressed or implied, among
themselves. When Armour's buyers
90 into the stock yards to inspect
bunch of cattle the rest keep out,
and vice versa. If the stock rals-
er don't like the prices offered,
aid takes his cattle to Chicago, a
telegram passes him en- route, and on
his arrival there he is offered precisely
the same price he was offered in Kan
sas City. The old army Of buyers
have ali disappeared. There are not a
dozen in the yards, and they represent
the same houses. The dressed beef
monopoly has crushed and driven out
the butchers IN New YORK, fnliadel-
, phia, and other eastern points; mas
practically destroyed all competition;
and holds the field alone, supreme die
tator of prices for live stock. as well as
for dressed meats. Armour admitted,
Gov. Click saws, that he had put beef
into the Philadelphia market at q
cents per pound, in order to drive out
other DuCcnerS.
Kansas, said Gov. Click, is a corn
> wealthy few years ago, raising and
feeding cattle. The dressed beef
mOnopolists put CRASHED and corn-fed
cattle OH the same level; cattle from
the plains on the same grade as the
/ three-year-old cattle raised by the
farmers of Kansas. We uSohto feed
in Atchison county alone, from five tC
six Thousand head of cattle, and tbs
feeders bought and consumed all the
corn produced in the neighborhoOds
for five or six miles around them
L We don't feed to-day a thousand head
5 in the county; corn is drug as arC
cattle; and grain producers and cattle
raisers are alike suffering. In thu
great corn belt of Kansas, embracinG
half the area of the state; the cattle
and grain interests are alike depressed
, and almost destroyed, and every far
3 mer and stock raiser Is feeling the
stress OF hard times-the direct, I'M
questioned result of the dressed bee
monopoly.
Governor Click says the proposed in
vestigation by the legislature is hum
bug. The committee will not find on
D anything about the Combination.
r They will go to Kansas City, the com
= bination will parade its lmmens
p defend it. Its real effects and result
can be seen, not in the vast packing
i houses, stock yards and palaces of Kan
y sas City, but in the homes of thou
b sands of farmers and stock raiser
> scattered all over the state, who hav
been ruined by the rapacity and gree
of these destroying monopolists. Tn
committee will hear a loud and ago
! nizing howl about destroying a grea
l. Kansas City industry, but they Wi
= hear nothing there about deStroyin
the industry of and reducing to povert
The investigation should be conducted
10 if any is needed, among the RUNE
farmers of Kansas, and not among th
great packing houses of Kansas Cit
y Four years ago Jewell county we
IS represented in the legislature by sta
= wart, Industrious, intelligent farmer
who was worth at least $50, GOO. h
n was a stock raiser and feeder. Let tt
re committee Investigate" his case, an
ascertain what he thinks of the dresse
beef monopoly.
NJ We present summary of GoVernt
. Clicks talk. and endorse it fully an
o' heartily. The most destructive, odiOT
N and dangerous monopoly ever orgal
~ lied in this or any other country is tt
l. dressed beef industry. 1t has RUNE
-. thousands of Kansas farmers alread
20 it will ruin all of them, if iG is not d
stroyed. There should be no half-wS
measur es in dealing with it.