The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-04-08
THE GRINDING MEAT TRUST.

So long as present conditions exis
there must be constant discussions o
high protective tariff and its hardy of
springs, the giant trusts. There mus
also be no holdup in the least OF Wig
orous, pertinacious, determined war b!
the greatly wronged and oppressed PEG
pie OF this country. These two combi
nations are the ceaseless robbers anc
the deadly enemies Of the people. Ane
strange to say, there are men in anc
out of the congress-, and newspapers al
around the land that favor these mon
sters of iniquity unblushingIy, ana ever
attack those who attack their daIInSs
Bat let the people unite the more and
push the assault with more resolved
VIII.
ON the Ist inst. the steel trust re-
r,orted an enormous profit for just one
years work-s111, 067, 195. That is some
$50. 900. 900 more than the total expendi-
lures of the American government
prior to the great wal for one year.
The Messenger recently told of the
advance in meats in the great west
some o u cents a pound. 1t is now
definitely known that there is a gen
uirc Beef Trust. huge and lusty. The
NetF York Herald has given conclusive
proof of such a deadly trust with a
most comprehensive machinery for ma
nipuIating the trade in meats so as to
screw the last penny out of the busi-
ness. According to a summary OF the
HeraId's proofs, as we find it in the
Philadelphia Record, n OF the very
best in his country, with
an average daily circulation of 1858,
lin the West there is joint action for
the purpose of breaking down the
prices of cattle. In the East there is an
organized effort to put up the price OF
meat to butchers. And the power or the
combination is likewise brought to bear
East n West to browbeat the carry
ing companies in order to secure I'M
fair reduction in freight rates and to
avoid the payment of taxes by collu-
sive Arrangement with tax-gathering
officials. The Herald is doing a fine
public service in the fearless particu-
larity of it's exposure of one of the most
arrogant and remorseless of our tariff
bred monopolies."
Think of a Meat Trust TO rob the
stomachs of the people, to bring dis
tress and hunger to ten OF thousands,
to awaken discomfort and breed disturb
ance. 1t is the enemy of the human
race in these United States. 1t Is IN
the power of this devourer to fix the
prices to be paid to the farmers and
others for their cattle &c. They then
put the price to suit itself. The power
of this awful trust is such h a 1T con-
trolls production and transportation. The
Record says that should a dealer un-
dertake to buy cattle. sheep and hogs
independently Of the Trust he would
~ncounte a railroad rebate in favor OF
the combination and would be driven
from business. Should a butcher buy
cattle or carcasses OF beef from an in
dependent dealer or directly from a
Western farmer he would be subjected
to a boycott. The removal of every OBJ
~struction to trade, whether legal or
natural, would inevitably tend to re-
duce the prices of commodities. How
g%rievous are the artificial
to trade in meats is seen by the
schemes of the Dingley tariff act"
That robber tariff is an intolerable
outrage upon all sorts and conditions
of men," 1t Expresses and plucks in a
most shameful and dctestah le a 1t
il stated as a fact tina under that vile
tax for the rich manufacturers and
plethoric corporations there must be
paid two cents a pound 90 the Beef
Trust for every pound Of beef, amb
or pork that shall be consumed in this
country. The Record says tina this
tax must be paid to the Trust: for as
the duty o nmeats is practically pro-
hibitory no revenue from IL flows into
the public treasury, and it serves mere
ly to enhance the profits extracted by
the Trust from American
There is, besides. a tax Of 1915 on every
head of cattle, $50 on every hog and
20 cents on every sheep that IS brought
across the border from Canada and
New Mexico"
THINK or tnat- study lhe ASuiSS anu
behold the most devilish, Unsuitable
enemy OF the American people-the
tariff and its children, the remorseless,
greedy trusts. The Record pursuing the
most important subject states that on
every head OF oxen and other cattle
in the United States the Trust will levy
from first to last the tax OF 1915. and
after that as much more as the traffic