Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-02-04

suvh men as FORMED the Union League.
THEY were good husbands. good faith.
crs. awi good neighbors. but felt tustl.
lied In bribery. to protect overlooking
bank accounts" He thanked the club
for its refusal tn discuss the franchises
until the Allen bill was off the statute
books.
%6
Chicago Is one Of the greatest grain
eeunrs 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
ef other peoples grain. The grain Is In.
spectcd by an officer of the State. ana
h graded No. 1. No. 2. No. 3, as the case
may he. and generally Is sold by this
grading. and all grain of the second
grade Is then poured together. the ware.
house man giving receipt for so many
bushels OF that particular grade. And
when this receipt is again presented. he
does not give back the same grain. but
simply so many bushels Of that grade.
II was soon found that all grain of the
same grade Is not equally good-there
will be No. . wheat almost equal to No.
I. and there will be No. 9 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
purpOscs-the best quality sometimes
brings several cents bushel more than
che poorer quality. though Of the same
grade. The warehouse men saw that
they could sell by sample the best quail.
ny OF a particular grade and supply its
place by 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.
Qucnce. The elevator owners went into
the business Of buying and selling grain
and mixing 1t with that of their custom.
ers. A suit was brought to enjoin them
from doing this. Much evidence was
taken. and after full hearing Judge
Tuley. the Ncstor of the bench Of Chi
eago. granted the injunction on the
grounds, among others. that the elcva.
ror owners were trustees or custodlans
OF other peoples property, that the in.
'ercsts OF the public demanded that
these custodlans should be dlslnterest.
81. ana that 1t would be contrary to
lubllc morals to permit them to stand
IN n position where there would be u
constant temptation for them to change
,'le character Of the property they thus
held In trust: and. second. that II the
elevator men Were permitted to act In
TIE dual capacity of trustees and deal
ers In grain they would possess such
y lvantages as would enable them tC
s,on drive all other buyers out of til,
n irket and thus give TO themselves q
l. Dnopoly Of the grain trade of Chicago
sd enable them. to certain extent, tt
fl the price of grain In the Chicago
market: for they could then, by comb
ration. agree on the price. and by rea
ron of their enormous storage capaclt!
they could withhold or throw on TO til,
,Iarket at any time vast quantities o.
wheat, and thus depress or raise thu
market NJ pleasure, which would no
he so II there We're many owners. Tn,
ylsc was appealed To the Suprem
court. and that court sustained Judg
Tuley, and, in a long and able opinion
expressly held that II would be aga!ns
JEDllc morals and against public pol
icy 20 permit the public warehouse mel
OF this State TO carry on grain bus
ness In the same warehouse In whic
they keep their customers grain.
But Ia the meantime the warehous
men secured the passage Of lay
which permits them TO do the yer
things which the courts had held to b
against public morals and against pull
II, policy. The elevator people stan
together They have an agreement NJ
20 Interfere with each others business
The moment bushel of wheat got
into their warehouses they are entitle
10 twn cents storage. When an outsld
bayrr offers 20 cents "A bushel II wi
cost him y cents. The warehouse me-
hy giving NJ little Of their stOraa
charge. can offer II cents, ana thu
drive the outside buyers out Of Il
market. This done, the market Is
the mercy Of the warehouse men. II
effect Of this legislation, therefore is
create a monopoly and place all IN
section NJ country which In grain ma
tcrs j. tributary 20 this city at the me
~ Of a combination Of elevator owne
in Chicago. This combination can ga
nv combine with others elsewhere
that This legislation lays the found
ton Tor grain trust that viii Ora
blood from every farmer in Amerlt
The question now Il, members OF q
illinois Legislature, docs II meet 20
approval? VIII you vote to sustain
Or win you vote for It's repealf'
4 leading and prominent member
The Fortieth General Assembly, w
made good record, and II known
he an honest man, said recently;
the next Legislature decides 10 inyes
gate the rumOrs relative TO the g
l.nl. 10 m