The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1893-04-19
THE COAL COMBINE.

In another column will be found
a report of the investigations Of
the joint committee of the two
houses on the coal combine. Every
one should read it. The committee
collected vast mass of testimony,
showing conclusively the existence
of the ring to plumber the people.
John j. Rhodes, manager of the
combine, has been indicted for
perjury, committed before the COM
mittee, in swearing that he had
no books relating to the
combine, and he stands
lively chance of going to the peni-
Tertiary for five years unless he can
pack the jury in the usual fashion.
At the same time the millionaire
Saunders of ST. Paul, the head devil
of the ring, may get dose of the
same medicine A committee of
fifty active and earnest citizens of
st. Paul, with Col. j. Ham Davidson
at their head. has been organized to
press the suits, in the name of the
state, in the United States court,
under the congressional act against
combines, the penalty being impris-
onment and forfeiture of the COM
bine property. Besides these meas
ures, the legislature has passed an act
directing the governor to invite all
the governors Of the states in the
Union, to send ten delegates each
to national conference, to be held,
IN the beginning of June at St. Paul,
or some other point, to counsel to-
gether and suggest congressional
and state action. 1t is hoped that
in this way public opinion may be
so aroused and concentrated that
the great Pennsylvania coal COM
bine may be broken up.
In view of the valuable services
of Hon, r. A. Walsh of St. Paul,
who was chairman of the house
branch of the committee, the rest of
the committee united in written
request to the governor that he be
appointed to assist the attorney
general in all the suits arising out
of the investiga ton. Rhodes sued
the committee for $4,000 for seiz-
ing his Comb letter-book, which
he had sworn did not exist; and the
Legislature, by practically unani-
nous vote, of both houses, passed a
bill to appropriate $4,000 to paw
any damages that may be assessed
against the committee. The court
has since vacated the suit against
all the parties but Mr. Bjorge, of the
house, Mr.. Basil Smout, sergeant
alarms of the house,
and his plucky assistant, W.
Wells, and Mr.. Schafer, assistants
sergeant-atarms of the senate. The
case will be tried in Otter Tail
county; and if Rhodes appears there
the only damages he is likely to get
will be damages to his own person,
in the shape of a coat of tar and
feathers; for the suit shows the
villainous corruption Of an age
when the agent of a Combine that
has robbed the people Of millions of
dollars should have the impudence
to sue members of the Legislature
for damages, for selling a book
which he had sworn does not exist |!
If this state of things continues
they will yet imprison a man if it
can be shown he is honest.
The Legislature deserves great
praise for standing by the commit
tee as they did. They were so
tickled over the courage of the dep
uty sergeant alarms of the house,
Ca colored mani, in selling Rhodes
books and marching off with them,
in spite of the bowls and struggles
of Rhodes clerk, that they voted
him $50 as present. He should be
elected assistant sergeant-at-arms
of one branch or the other as long as
he lives l. d.