The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1900-10-26
Lesson for the People in the Pratt
cal Methods of the Coal
Trust.
MEANING OF R'EISLtY'S REELECTION.
hHana's Hand In the Settlement Of
the Coal Miners strIke-Enorts
OF republicans 10 NisIrad voters
some Facts Regarding Trust
Legislation.

az wages oUtfed TO the coal miners was
republican campaign scheme. with
his usual Grass stupidity. he assumed
that the starving miners would jump
az the bait and fail 10 see the tran
which IL concealed. Hanna FASTENED
10 take the credit Of the offer 10 him
self before he knew the result Of the
employees conference.
How disaps. inted he must have been
when he foue that the miners had de-
tached the cheese from the hook and
refused to walk into the trap. II the
strike b. prolonged until IL causes sui.
fcring To poor people unable TO pay
advanced prices. the responsibility of
such expense and inconvenience 10 the
public rests solely with the coal com
bine.
The miners waived recognition Of
their union. and merely asked that
the ten per ctnt. advance be- guaranteed
60 them for siN months. until April l..
1901. They offered 10 leave the other
grievances 10 arbitration and abide by
the decision. Nothing could be fairer
than that. A. a matter Of fact. the op-
orators could afford 20 guarantee the
siN months advance In wages purely as
campaign investment n they had any
idea of the popular resentment that II
growing against their piratical proceed
ure and the protection and encourage
mint which IL receives from the Nc
kinley administration.
There are various reasons why the
coal combine has not been too anxious
10 end the strike al 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 its
aRgrsssions.
While the coal operators and the rail-
road combine have reaped profit OF
more than 100000 while the strike
has been In progress this II not be-
cause there has byn any scarcity OF
coal. On the contrary. there was more
than a million tons piled mp at various
points In New Jersey In anticipation OF
this strike. u gave a splendid eNcuse
10 reap an extra profit from the help
lees consuming public.
Mark Hanna may persuade the oper-
ators 20 accede 90 the very moderate
demands Of the miners. aud settle the
strike. but the country has had iis les
son. 10 has seen how unlimited h trust
dominion I'm the coal fields. and how
the trusts Cypress and degrade the
workmen on one hand and rob the con-
Stunning public on the other. The voi-
crs have already made up their minds
that this pira1ical method OF doing
business Is dangerous TO the liberties
Of the people. The reelection OF No
Kinley means the extension 81 coal
trust methods TO every industry in the
country controlled by trusts-and they
already number 400 and over.
Restraint Of Trusts.
The republicans are taking much
pains To confuse aud mislead the vot-
en- on the trust issue. Bryan IL held
mp a. the buga boo 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 20
the result 81 trust restraint. I'm indi-
,idnal eases the arresting and punish
neni of thief means more security
for an honest men.
In the business world the same prin-
ciple applies The arrest and punish
meni az lawless trusts and combina-
lions mrans NOR, security and better
opportunities for all sorts OF honest
nri legitimate business.
TO permit the trusts 10 go unpun-
i,hed and unrestrained. as they are do
ing now. Is 20 Introduce a condition OF
anarchy and disregard Of law wherein
no citiyen wi. feel sure Of employment
or Of being al 10 east free vote.
Republican Trust LeRIsIRtion.
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 totrusts he made several
untrue and misleading statements.
one was to this effect:
1T was the democrats who refused
20 vote for the constitutional amend
ment proposed by our party during
the last session. thus they made il inn
possible for the republican majority TO
apply an effective remedy"
n is true that the democrats refused
20 Join with the republicans and give
the necessary iwo-thirds' vote TO pass
the amendment Ia The house. But
why?
Here Is the real status Of the case:
The proposed amendment would never
have restrained trusts nor interfered
with them in any way, even II il had
passed and received the sanction Of the
necessary number OF states. II was
not intended 20 apply TO trusts. " was
intended 10 crush ont all organiza-
lions among farmers and laborers. II
proposed 60 prosecute them out Of eN-
ivence under the general head of"com-
binations."
No less an authority on practical I
economics than President Samuel |
Gor.pers. Of the American Federation |
OF Labor. declares that the amendment /
proposed by the republicans was the /
most dangerous 70 organized labor or