The independent., 1903-01-29

coal trust monopoly OF the anthra-
cite supply?' IL the answer is yes,
then no amount of mendacity by the
sacrilegious head Of that trust should
make coal consumers credulous dupes
as well as victims Of the anthracite
monopoly"
1t is singular that the efforts, which
Mr.. William X. Hearst has been max
/ ing since September last to bring the
| great coal trust into court for pun
ishment, have not been noticed by the
! New York papers (other than the
American, owned by Mr.. Hears). 49,
In September last he petitioned At
torney General Davies of New York to
| commence proceedings under the New
!. York antitrust law against the great
coal combination. Mr.. Davies was a
republican,: his term of office was
about expiring; he wanted to be
| elected Judge; he was candidate;
but not elected, although the rest of
the republican ticket was elected
Perhaps he was defeated because he
found too many excuses for not pro-
ceeding against the coal trust accord
ing to the petition Of Mr.. Hearst.
sAt any rate, the defeat of Davies for
judgeship and Of the republican cam
didate for attorney general resulted in
the election of a democratic attorney
general, Mr.. Cunneen. Yesterday
tJanuary 12) the democratic attorney
general, Cunneen, made an order that
the coal railroads., constituting the
trust should file their answer to Mr..
Hearst's petition within ten days, and
that they must show cause within two
weeks why suit should not be insti-
tuted against them under the anti
monopoly law of New York.
And yet, although this suit has been
pending in the attorney generals Of
flee since last September and columns
about it have been published lin the
American and although it is a mat
ter Of public concern, not one of the
New York papers have noticed it.
Why this silence on the part of the
New York papers? Last week Mr.
Hearst published in his New York
American an open letter to the presi-
dent "a copy of which | sent YOU;
and yesterday this letter was read in
the house of representatives at Wash
lngton by the clerk and every member
of the house heard it, and nyet the pa
pers of this morning (January> 14) are
silent as to this fact. Why this ST.
lence? In October last Mr.. Hearst
commenced proceedings in the Office
OF United States Attorney General
Knox which proceedings were referred
Mil tc+1 +x,.a
ney for the southern district Of New
York, testimony was furnished and
report made to the attorney general,
and yet the newspapers have not no.
ticed the fact. Why this silence? Sem
ator Jones offered resolution in the
united States senate requesting attor-
ney General Knox to report the evil
dence FURNISHED by Mr.. Hearst) to
the senate, and yet the newspapers of
New York did not notice the fact.
Why this silence? Senator Jones res
olution was debated in the senate
several days and yet the New York
newspapers did not notice the fact.
Is this the way newspapers do? If
so. what right have they to do so?
l have refrained from noticing the
silence of the New York newspapers.
with regard to what Mr.. Hearst has
been doing since September last, part
ly because thought the papers would
soon get over their petty jealousy of
Mr.. Hearst and soon do their duty to
the public BY giving us the news as
1t comes out; and partly because |
thought Mr.. Hearst was able to defend
himself and would do so. | now look
upon the silence Of the newspapers as
caused solely by jealousy of Hearst
and OF his newspaper enterprises. At
hrst | thought that they did not wish
to encourage him in his fight with the
trusts and that they really wanted the
trusts to win.
When Mr., Hearst started in in Oc-
tober last, | made up my mind that
the trusts would not only soon be
crushed, but that some of the coal
barons would go to prison. I thought
and still think that the trust oues-
tion is not to be a political issue, but
that, on the contrary, it is to be treat
ed as a question of enforcing a stat
ute civilly and crimina1ly. I believe
1t is no more a matter of politics.
than murder is matter of politics.
Yesterday (January 13) the Ameri-
can published an editorial. in which