Willmar tribune., 1900-10-31
Lesson for the People in the Pirati-
cal Methods of the Coal
Trust.
MEANING OF M'KINLEY's REELECTION.
Hanna's Hand In the Settlement of
the Coal Miners Strike-EnOrts
of Republicans to Mislead Voters
Some Facts Regarding Trust
LcxiSlatiOn.
Especial Correspondence.1

tentiOn that the ten per cent. advance
in wages offered to the coal miners was
a republican campaign scheme. With
his usual Grass stupidity, he assumed
that the starving miners would jump
at the bait and fail to see the trap
which it concealed. Hanna fastened
to take the credit of the offer to. him.
self before he knew the result of the
employees conference.
How disappointed he must have been
when he found that the miners had de-
tached the cheese from the hook and
refused to walk into the trap. If the
strike is prolonged until it causes suf
fering to poor people unable to pay
advanced prices, the responsibility of
such expense and inconvenience to the
public rests solely with the coal COM
bine.
The miners waived recognition of
their union, and merely asked that
the ten per cent. advance be guaranteed
to them for six months, until April I,
1901. They offered to leave the other
grievances to arbitration and abide by
the decision. Nothing could be fairer
than that. AS matter of fact, theop-
orators could afford to guarantee the
six months advance in wages purely as
a campaign investment if they had any
idea Of the popular resentment that is
growing against their piratical proceed
ure and the protection and encoura ge-
nent which it receives from the Nc
Kinley administration.
There are various reasons why the
to end the strike at once. They are
purely business considerations, and
these weigh more heavily with the
trust than any political advantage,
even of the party which stands for it's
aggressions.
While the coal operators and the rail-
road combine have reaped a profit of
more than $4,000, 600 while the strike
has been in progress, this is not be-
cause there has been any scarcity of
coal. On the contrary, there was more
than a million tons piled up at various
points in New Jersey in anticipation of
this strike. 1t gave a splendid excuse
~ cap dA CAl1d 1lOW uC4p-
less consuming public.
Mark Hanna may persuade the oper-
ators to accede to the very moderate
demands of the miners, and settle the
strike, but the country has had its les-
son. It has seen how unlimited is trust
dominion in the coal fields, and how
the trusts oppress and degrade the
workmen on one hand and rob the con-
suming public on the other. The vot-
ers have already made up their minds
that this piratical method of doing
business is dangerous to the liberties
of the people. The reelection of Nc
Kinley means the extension of coal
trust methods to every industry in the
country controlled by ytrusts-and they
already number 400 and over.
Restraint Of Trusts.
The republicans are taking much
pains to confuse and mislead the vot-
ers on the trust issue. Bryan is held
up as the bugaboo who will interfere
with legitimate business when he
brings the guerrilla trusts under the
operation of legal remedies.
No person should be in doubt as to
the result of trust restraint. In indi-
vidual cases the arresting and punish
ment of thief means more security
for all honest men.
In the business world the same prin-
ciple applies. The arrest and punish
ment of lawless trusts and combina-
tions means more security and better
opportunities for all sorts of honest
and legitimate business.
To permit the trusts to go unpun-
ished and unrestrained, as they are do
ing now, is to introduce condition of
anarchy and disregard of law wherein
no citizen will feel sure of employment
or of being able to cast free vote.
Republican Trust Legislation.
Roosevelt grows more quiet as he
progresses eastward. BY the time he
struck Illinois he had exchanged vi
tuperation of the democrats for bare
faced Misrepresentation.
In relation to trusts he made several
untrue and misleading statements.
One was to this effect:
lC was the uemOCraIS VINO refused
to vote, for the constitutional amend
ment proposed by our party during
the last session., thus they made it, i'm
possible for the republican majority to
apply an effective remedy"
" tits true that the democrats refused
to join with the republicans and give
the necessary two-thirds' vote to pass,
the. amendment in the house. But
why? =. Es e.. L. *<:,
q Here is the real status Of the case:
The proposed amendment would never
have restrained trusts nor interfered
with them in any way, even if it had,
passed and received the sanction of the
necessary number Of states. It was
not ntended to apply to trusts. It was
Intended to crush out all organiza-
tions among farmers and aborers. It.
proposed to prosecute them out Of ex-.
sistence under the general head Of ''com-
binat ions. s. .s$ Ess
. No less an authority on practical
economics than President Samuel
Gompers, Of the American Federation
of la bor, declares that the amendment
proposed by the republicans was the
most dangerous to organized labor Of