St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-03-24
ould be found in the Minnesota re-

writs of mandamus, but the chubby
senator. equal to the occasion, replied:
"They are more likely to be taken out
on writs of mandamus. Why, l can i'm
agine Chris O'Brien at the gates of
heaven insisting that the lawyers got in
there by mistake"
This by-play was greeted with storm
of applause, and Mr.. Donnelly, continu-
ing, said he believed Senators
Sanborn, Stevens and Tawney were
actuated by honest and conscientious
motives in opposing this plan. He paid
high tribute to Mr.. Walsh, whom he
termed the wheelhorSe of the investiga-
tiOn, and whom he said he wanted to
see sent to the state senate two years
hence. He also spoke in complimentary
tones to MeSSrS. Winston, BiOrge, BOggS
and Lockwood, of the committee, stating
that but for the muscle and bravery of
the last-named gentleman the famous
letter book would have been recovered
from the committee by the cOnspirators.
Ihe house of representatives, he said,
had done itself proud in the passage of
every motion and resolution which had
come before it tor the advancement of
the investigation. Then continuing, he
said:
Now, my friends, the question comes
before uS-what is the extent of the
robbery, and what is the remedy for it?
There are received al the docks in Du-
luth every year 100000 tons of coal,
100000 tons of which are bituminous
and the balance anthracite. l have here
in my hand a letter which shows that
anthracite coal can be delivered at the
docks in Duluth at $3.50 per ton and
pay a living profit to every interest
concerned"
Here he read letter. Withholding the
name of the writer. This letter stated
that coal could be landed in the chutes
at Buffalo at a cost OF 81 per ton trans
pOrtatiOn from either the Reading or
Lehigh mines. The average lake freight
for last year was stated as 30 cents
per ton, making the Total cost
from the mines to Duluth S1.5U, includ-
ing 20 cents per ton for unloading at the
docks. The cost at the mines mouth,
including the breaking process, was
given as 81 cents, which, figuring at
$3.50 per ton, would leave the mine
owner Sl.25 profit.
What is the remedy for all this?" he
continued. The people are never
without remedy; they have the right
to depart from all precedent; the right
to recaSt'ths entire form of government.
This right is to be found in the
the United States, which makes
the welfare of the people the first and
greatest consideration. | am sorry to
hear it suggested, as it has been in one
af our evening papers, that the people
can do nothing, that there will be
great uprOar, and, after all,
the rogues will escape. The peO-
pie will do something as they
have before. Look at the riots in Gin
cinnati when the courts became so cor
rupt that justice could not be secured,
and at New Orleans when the Malta
succeeded in cOrrupting a jury. l tell
you, my friends, it is not safe to trifle
with the people. They will never
SerfdOm. They will take radical action
first and it is to avoid such results that
action such as we have been discussing
here this evening must be taken. The
people demand the enforcement of the
Tvs and the punishment of the guilty.
We will have John Rhodes in the hands
of the sheriff within twenty-tour hours
We will teach him that he cannot be-
come an instrument 10 plunder the
people for the benefit of resident or non
resident robbers. and that he cannot
perjure himself without danger of pun
ishment. But after all, he is only the
leader in this iniquitous scheme
of robbery. We &. are about to
inaugurate proceedings to prosecute
the entire combine. We will place
the hand of the law upon the
shoulders of E. n. Saunders who
IS the head and front of the
entire conspiracy and who has, L am in
formed, in private letter which | re-
ceived today, made S13,O00,00O in thir-
teen years. And to enable him to amass
this enormous pile of wealth every fire
side has suffered.
AS remedy for the evils of the coal
combine he suggested national con-
ference to be held at st. Paul to en-
courage local prosecution of local Of
tenders and eventually the government
ownership of coal mines. This, he
said, might, by some, lie called pa
ternallSm, but all government was
paternal, or If 1t was not was unworthy
to be called government. He also ad-
vOcated government ownership of rail-
roads In strong terms.
The people had still another remedy,
he SAID, which was the passage of law
providing that should it appear in any
prosecution for larceny that the prop
erty taken was owned by combine or
trust 1t should be the duty of the judge
to dismiss the case.
He would not advocate the immediate
passage of law of this kind, but if the
people showed that they were in earnest
1t would not be necessary. He expressed
regret that the courts of this city had
been foolish enough to interfere with
the house and senate, and that anything
harsh had been said, although he had
perhaps said as much as any one. ife
was glad the investigation had bt en-
started, and hoped the people would
realize that it was only part Of great
whole and all do their part.
Representative Rodger was called
upon and said: Il was born under a
deSpOtlc form of government, although
probably one of the best of that class.
When came to this country it was be-
cause | believed that the people ruled
themselves. But here also L find that
they are ruled by tyrantS and despots
in the form of trusts" Representative
John Ives said:
| came not here to praise the legiSla-
ture or TO boast of its power. The legs-
lature is composed of the representa-
tiVeS OF the people, the servants of this
great commonwealth, and as such they
are simply trying to do their duty.
l am sure they will feel strength.
ened by this evidence of
the uprising of the people
in support of their action. For all
complete reforms must rest in the senti-
ment of the people, and be furthered by
the action of the people. f. l.. McGhee,
the colored attorney, was called upon,
and launched into an eloquent
and dramatic eulogy of Igna-
thus Donnelly from political
standpoint, winding up with the
statement that he hoped the legislature
would smash the combine, or that two
years hence the people would smash
the legislature.
The meeting closed with the adoption
of the resolutions and three rOuSing
cheers for the investigating committee
and itS nuhlp nurnnCn