The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1889-09-12
nREssEp REER.

In another column will be found
sn article upon the subject Of dressed
beef. In pursuance Of the subject,
which IL . very important one 10
the people Of this state, we repro
duee from the Topeka Capital two
paragraphs which ought TO attract
attention. In this connection, also,
&c IL hInted that Coy. Humphrey
has under adVisemsnt the proPriety
OF calling . special session OF the
legislature whose duty in part Il will
be 10 devise some means 10 counter
act the work Of the dressed-beef
rubber barons Of Chicago, who are
20 heartiessly fiIchlng . large part
Of the wealth Of Kansas. IL seems
that the only way to get protection
from mOnopOlists h TO call In the
aid OF the law, and though we do not
think the calling Of q speciai session
advisable, the subject II grave
enough for earnest discussion.
The paragraphs referred TO are
these:
Take, for instance, the dressed
beef combine aud Its influence upon
the people Of this state. We can
produce the cheapest and best beef
cattle I'm the world la Kansas. Our
native aud tame grasses growing
with great luXuTiAuce, our cheap
corn, which IL the basis OF good beef,
and our short, mild winters, COM
bIpe 60 make Kansas q pre-emi-
nently profitable state for growing
t,,.ef cattle. What II true Of cattle
may also be claimed for our state In
producing, prOiitably, hogs, sheep
aud horses. Give Ia the farmers
and stock growers Of this state q fair
profit upon their live stock aud Kan
sas would soon become the richest
state In the union.
The dressed beef combine pur-
chases for the Kansas City and CHI
Cago markets about eighty per cent
Of the beef cattle grown In Kansas.
The power of this great combination
enabled it TO place its own price
upon the cattle offered for sale,
regardless OF competition Of supply
and demand, or the price of dressed
beef In the retail markets. For
more than two years the stock
growers of Kansas have produced
beef for this combine at a positive
loss. The corn fed beef Of Kansas
that has been sold In Kansas City
aud Chicago at from $3.50 10 s4.O
peT 100 pounds has not Melted the
stock growers Of Kansas 81 per day
fnr THAR laInF mr. tWRlye cents DeF
bushel for their corn. DO the cen.
suners receive the benefit Of this
great loss to the farmers. OF Kansas
Not NJ all. The retail price Of beei
remains substantially the same In
Kansas, Missouri aud Illinois, and
all over the country, In the branch
houses of these legal robbers. The
stock growers are not organized
while the beef combine ID
not only perfectly organized, but
has unlimited money with which Ia
control the cattle producing Inter
esIs Of the western states. They &c
to the legislatures rs they did last
year In this state, with their lobby
Of hired attorneys, and by bribery
aud combinations and trades defeat
all legislation that interferes will
their mOnstTous profits. The Re
publican party Of Kansas can do nc
better work for the people than tC
nut n check upon these legal robbers
and protect the interests upon which
aeyenty-five thousand farmers de
pend for profit. Every Republican
county convention I'm Kansas should
speak with no uncertain sound upon
this subject.