St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-02-05
THE COMBINATION AT WORK.

The combination between the coal
mining companies and the railroads
that carry their product to market does
not seem to care even to cover it's
tracks. Almost as quickly as it's new
iron-clad agreement for limiting the
output and dividing the spells was con-
cluded, the retail price Of coal in st.
Paul and Minneapolis was showed up
81 per ton. 1t is announced that this
price will hold good until the first of
next January, and that the coal con-
Germs propose to make the price of
anthracite $3.50. per ton laid Gown at
Duluth. Consumers can then have it,
with such sum added as is required to
cover rate and cost of handling. This
is as clear a case of steal as ever ap-
peared in the history Of this or any 9th
er country. 1t Is not a matter for
local action, except in as far as public
opinion can be brought to bear upon
those authorities within whose power il
lies to bring these brigands under the
control of the law. The retailer can
not protect himself or his customer
Any act of a state legislature would be
imperative, because the head center
of this conspiracy against the people
lies without our authority, and the
members Of it are amenable only to the
fNderal law 1t is true that the people
of Pennsylvania could break up this
monopoly if they chose, but monopoly
and Pennsylvania are synonymous
terms. The people of that state
have no other conception of gov
eminent than that Of a sys-
tenn of regulations by which the
few shall be enabled to Cypress the
many. The whole country, therefore,
must take its fuel supply on the terms
prescribed by the coal barons or go
without. We say that this is a situa-
ton as disgraceful as it is intolerable.
Now is the time to make public opin-
lon felt The bulk Of this winters
Iuel supply has already been purchased
or contracted for. There are several
months before us in which purchases
Of hard coal will be comparatively
slight. They are also months in which
there will be much political activity.
and the demands of the people will
command more respectful hearing
than when there is no election in pros
pect. 1t is therefore the best time for
those who feel the heavy hand of these
oppreSSors to strike for their remedy
before the tolls of another season are
levied and they find themselves with
out redress. Every chamber of COM
merce, board Of trade, commercial club
and political organization that meets
within the next five or six months
should adopt memorial to congress.
and to the federal authorities at Wash
1ngton, urging that the whole power
OF the government be brought to bear
instantly upon these men who are de-
Tying both common and statute law.
liking the coal output for the next
twelve months according to what their
interests require, and determining in
advance what price the people will
nave to pay in order to fill their peck
cts comfortably. This thing cannot
continue if the people rise against it.
Powerful as the coal combine is. the
people of the United States are its
superior. They have the ability to
crush it. Let, the whole authority OF
the federai government be thrown into
the scale, and the coal trust may be
either abolished or compelled to fur
nish at a reasonable price one Of the
first necessaries Of life
1t has come to the point, as it al
ways does come sooner or later, thai
the people themselves must act Their
representatives are careless, self-seek
Ing, ignorant, or so absorbed in po
Htical scheming that they have no time
to devote to the real interests Of thu
great mass of our everyday working
population. 1t Is time to bring then
to their senses. They will not, becaus,
they dare not, disregard an uprising O.
the people for smashing the great cca
combine that has the country at it,
mercy today more completely than eve
before. Let unanimous demand b,
made upon the authorities at Wash
ington, and they will refuse to act OIL.
Ct their peril.