Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-02-11

the bride givers ~ being the most dan
gerous men in the community. They
could not exist Il minute without So
cial. political. and financial backing Of
such men as formed the Union League.
They were good husbands. good faith.
crs. and good neighbors. but felt justi-
fled in bribery. 10 protect overfiowing
bank accounts He thanked the club
for its refusal to discuss the franchises
until the Allen bill was of the statute
books.
~6A
Chicago Is one Of the greatest grain
centers Of the world. and conditions
here frequently affect prices every.
where. We have here large number
Of grain elevators, with a storage ca.
pacity Of about 100000 bushels Of
wheat. They are chartered by law. and
the owners act as trustees or custodians
Of other peoples grain. The grain Is in.
spected BY an officer Of the State. and
Is graded No. I, No. 2. No. 3, as the case
may be, and generally Is sold by this
grading, and all grain Of the second
grade II then poured together, the ware.
house man giving receipt for 80 many
bushels Of that particular grade. And
when this receipt IL again presented, he
docs not give back the same grain, but
simply 90 many bushels Of that grade.
It was soon found that all grain Of the
same grade Is not equally good-there
will be No. 9 wheat almost equal to No.
1. and there will be No. wheat falling
close to No. 3. And in all those cases
where wheat is sold. not by the grading.
but rather by sample-as for milling
purposes-the best quality sometimes
brings several cents bushcl more than
the poorer quality, though Of the same
grade. The warehouse men saw that
they could sell by sample the best quail.
ity Of q particular grade ana supply Its
place by a lower quality Of the same
grade and pocket the difference. This
would reduce the average quality Of the
whole pile, and In case the owners Of
any Of the pile should wish to sell by
sample they would suffer in cOnse.
quencc. The elevator owners went into
the business of buying and selling grain
and mixing It with that Of their custom.
ers. A suit was brought to enjOin them
from doing this, Much evidence was
taken, aud after full hearing Judge
Tuley, the Nestor Of the bench Of Chi.
cago, granted the injunction ON the
grounds, among others, that the elcva.
tor owners were trustees or custodians
Of other peoples property, that the In.
terests OF the public demanded that
these custodlans should be disinterest.
ed, and that 1t would be contrary to
public morals to permit them to stand
in q position where there would be a
constant temptation for them to change
the character Of the property they thus
held In trust; and, second, that II the
elevator men were permitted to act in
the dual capacity OF trustees and deal.
ers In grain they would possess such
advantages as would enable them to
soon drive all other buyers out Of the
market and thus give to themselves
monopoly Of the grain trade Of Chicago,
and enable them, to certain extent, to
az the price OF grain In the Chicago
market; for they could then, by combi'
nation. agree on the price, and by req
son OF their enormous storage capacity
they could withhold or throw on to the
market ut any time vast quantities OF
wheat. and thus depress or raise the
market at pleasure, which would not
be so II there We're many owners. The
case was appealed 10 the Supreme
Court, and that court sustained Judge
Tuley, and, in long and able opinion
expressly held that it would be against
public morals and against public pol
icy TO permit the public warehouse men
of this State 10 carry on a grain busl
ness In the same warehouse in which
they keep their customers grain.
But In the meantime the warehouse
men secured the passage Of law
which permits them 10 do the very
things which rhc courts had held to be
against public morals and against pub
Tic policy. The elevator people stand
together. They have an agreement moi
10 Interfere with each others business
The moment a bushcl Of wheat goes
into their warehouses they are entitled
10 two cents storage. When an outside
buyer offers 30 cents a bushel it viii
cost him ~ cents. The warehouse men
by giving up a little of their storage
charge, can offer Il cents, and thus
drive the outside buyers out of the
market. This done. the market Is a
the mercy Of the warehouse men. The
effect Of this legislation, therefore, Is tc
create a monopoly and place all thai
section Of country which in grain mat
tiers Is tributary 10 this city at the mer
cy OF a combination Of elevator owners
IN Chicago. This combination can cas-
lly combine with others elsewhere, 81
that this legislation lays the founda
zion for grain trust that viii draw
blood from every farmer in America
The question now Is, members OF the
Illinois Legislature, Does Il meet YOU
approval? VIII you vote TO sustain 1t
or will yOu vote for It's repeal?'
4 leading and prominent member OF
the F0rticth General Assembly, who
made good record, and is known t6
he an honest man, said recently: II
the next Legislature decides 10 inyesti
gate the rumors relative 10 the Gle
vAor bill, It will probably summon
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