St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-03-17
COURTS CALLED IN.
& Flank Movement by Rhodes
in the Coal Combine
Case.
Committee officers Cited to
Disclose the Location OF
the Books.
The Legislature Stands by the
Committee in It's
Methods.
Said to Be Enough Evidence
to Show a Combina-
tiOn.

The excitement that was created by
the summary course of the legislative
committee that is sengaged in investigat-
ing into tie affairs of coal combine
bv the seizure of the books of John j.
Rhodes, who has charge of the coal
bureau in the Northwest, has not sub
sided one whit. As was announced in
these columns yesterday, the committee
reported a concurrent resolution to the
legislature asking for full powers. This
course was taken to circumvent the
technical objections that had been
raised by the attorney general in his
opinion submitted to the committee on
the previous day. The resolution first
went into the house, where it was
passed, and then it was transmitted to
the senate.
Mr.. Walsh, chairman of the house
committee acting with senate COM
mittee, introduced the following:
Whereas, \ joint committee OF the
house and senate was appointed in an
uary last TO inquire into the high prices
of coal IN this State and the causes that
led to it, and,
Whereas, The committee in the
course of its investigation issued its
subpoena duceS lecum to one John j.
Rhodes to produce all the books and pa
pers IN his possession relating to an al
legged coal combine; and,
Whereas, The said John j. Rhodes
appeared before the committee and tes-
hr,t Nf IA n i'm f1O or
papers, except the blank form of a re
eeipt; and,
Whereas, The said committee being
informed that such books and papers
did exist and could be found in the En-
dicOlt building, st. Paul, and acting un-
der the authority given them by the two
houses to send for persons and papers,
and believing that it was their duty to
use all reasonable means within their
power to obtain said books and papers,
directed the Sergeant-at-arms of the
house to 20 to the Ofnce of the said
Rhodes and take possession of all the
books and papers referred to in said
subpoena dUceS lecum which related to
the said coal combine: and,
Whereas, The said sergeant-at-arms
thereupOn, without violence. took pos
session of certain books and papers
which, upon curSOry examination by
him, satisfied HIM were books and pa
perS proper to be taken under the com
manG contained in the order SO delivered
to him and held by him at the time;
now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the house. the SEN
ate concurring, That we entirely ap-
prove Of the action of said committee in
SelZing upon the said books and papers
and declare such search and seizure to
be reasonable and proper and not i'll
violation of the constitution of this state,
and we hereby authorize and empower
the SeTgent-at-aTmS of this house. in
whose custody said books and papers
now are, TO retain possession of the
same and permit said joint committee to
fully examine the same and to make
such extracts therefrOm as they may see
fit or think proper, and TO hold such
books and papers until the said Joint
committee snail determine whether the
same shall be returned to the said
Rhodes or turned over to the proper au-
thorites to be used in the prosecution
of the members of said alleged unlaw-
ful combination under chapter 10 of the
General Laws of 1891. for a criminal con-
spiracy, and said joint committee Is
hereby directed to make such exam
inatiOn and dispose of said books at as
And if it should Ge found upon care
ful examination that there are among
said books and papers any documents
which relate to the private business of
said Rhodes, and which are not con-
nected with said alleged unlawful com
binatiOn. then the said joint committee
Snail instruct the sergeant-at-armS of
the house to deliver over the same to
the said Rhodes forthwith.
In moving the adoption of the report.
Mr.. Walsh made an earnest speech,
setting forth the facts in the case and
expressing the hope that the house
would indorse and sustain the ac-
tiOn of the committee. If there is
combination to keep up coal prices it
should be exposed. The dignity of the
state was at stake, and it should be
maintained at ali hazards. He also
stated that there were papers in some of
the railroad offices in this city which
they would want to take possession of
later on. He reviewed the opinion of
the attorney general, received by the
committee last evening, aud stated that
it did not cover the question at issue.
The object of the committee was not to
punish Mr.. Rhodes or any one else by
merely bringing them before the bar of
the house, as the attorney general sug-
geSLeu, DuJ 10 get TO the bottom or the
combine and discharge faithfully the
duties imposed upon the committee by
the house.
The resolution was unanimously
adopted by the house, eighty-three
votes being cast for the resolution and
none against.
DOnnelly is Hot.
Upon it being reported to the senate,
Mr.. Donnelly made a strong speech
urging its passage. He reviewed all
the facts of the case, which are not pro-
duced here, for the reason that the
GLOBE has given a comprehensive re-
cital from day to day of the events as
they have occurred. Mr.. Donnelly re-
lated the denials made by Rhodes to the
committee OF the existence of book OF
paper relating to the coal bureau, and
the speaker emphasized his charges of
the previous day that Rhodes had per-
Jured himself to screen one of the most
mdeOus combines that had ever been
unearthed in the history of the state.
he insisted that the inQuisitOrial poW-
ers Of the legislature are supreme.
and that there is no court at law
that can estOp the course of the legis-
lative committee, because it is the state
itself. He believed that the committee