The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-14
WISCONSIN SENATOR SAYS HIS
SYMPATHY is WITH THE COAL
STRIKERS
lNCiSIVE REMARKS ON
THE COAL MONOPOLY
He. Declares That When Combination
of Capital Like the Coal Trust Re-
fuses to Recognize Combination of
Labor 1t Reaches the Dizzy Height
of Impudence.

MILWAUKEE,, Wis, Oct. 13.-United
States Senator John c. Spooner made
his first speech of the Republican cam
paign in Wisconsin at Schlitz park, IN
this city, tonight, speaking under the
auspices of the National Republican
Congressional committee. A crowd of
5000 people turned out in drenching
rain to hear him. He received a tre-
mendous ovation. He paid magn1f-
ceflt tribute to President Roosevelt.
Touching upon the coal strike, the
Speaker said:
The coal strike is an element which
disturbs the people of this whole coun-
try. 1t is a menace which fr<htens
almost every one. Does any man at
tribute it to the Republican policies?
Who does? 1t is a quarrel between
the operators, the coal mining COM
panies and their men, in which 1 SYM
pathize with the men. The coal cop-
bination is one, gentlemen, which ex-
lists in violation of the constitution of
Pennsylvania, which prohibits any rail-
road company from owning or operat-
ing coal mines.
'. The Fault of Pennsylvania.
eff the constitutional provision has
not been enforced it is not the fault OF
the Republican party in the United
States. 1t is the fault of the common
wealth of Pennsylvania. No man can
attribute the founding and continuance
of the so-called coal trust to national
legislation. 1t cannot be attributed to
the tariff, for until a duty, small du-
ty, on anthracite coal found its way
somehow have yet to find the man
who knows how-into the Dingley
law, there had been no tariff on anthra-
cite coal.
THE government of the United
States cannot enforce the constitution
of state in the state. You do not
need to be told that. 1t is obvious to
s. any man of intelligence. The coal ope-
gators had no right to stand out upon
a difference of that sort with their
men till the verge of winter, and UNI
til there was forced upon the appre-
hension of our people a coal famine
which would affect detrimentally not
simply industries but men and women
and children, their health and life.
Would Have Paid Gladly.
eff they had accorded the increase
of wages which the men demanded,
you and I would have been obliged to
pay it, for they would have added it
to the price of coal and we would
have gladly paid it to avert this trou-
s{e. So it was not that; but when
combination of capital like the coal
trust refuses to recognize q combl-
nation of labor it reaches the dizzy
height of impudence. Labor has as
much right to combine as capital.
Both must be kept within the law.
+ SC will
There are some men who can Iettle
it-and they must settle it. And L may
say one thing here tonight, that never
before within my recollection has
president of the United States, not
speaking for the employe, not speak
ing for the operators--he had no right
) to do either-but speaking for the peo-
pie of the United States, done as much
to compose difference and protect
the people"
Trusts in General.
Speaking of trusts in general, Sen
ator Spooner said:
TRUSTS are, the inevitable out
s growth of modern progress.
They are evolution. and men
may talk about them as they please
they are here. They are here to con-
serve the public interest, if they will.
They are servants of the law and of
the people. AS servants tneyN are IN
eXpressibly useful AS masters in any
field of industry they are not to be
tolerated for the American people will
have no masters, either in politics or
in business. They do not always come
about in an unnatural way or to stifie
competition. They come about to en-
able competitor to meet competition.
'Now, gentlemen, do you think these
so-called trusts, with their enormous
70 tn 10 aIajff
Our Democratic friends tell you so.
We have had tariff now for over
sixty years, and these combinations in
the main, have only come within the
l9st ten years in protected industries.
A great many of them have come since
1897 They followed the overproduc-
ton and strife for business which fol-
lowed the panic and the paralysis of
trade from 1893 to 1897"
The senator thought that the trusts
would yet be conquered by the laws
of competition.