The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1903-06-19
TRUST PARTNERSHIP.

Mr.. Baer-who claims divine guild
ance and partnership with God in the
management of his trust interests but
does not sustantiste it with any
creditable proof-does. in his testi-
mopy ON the witness stand, substan-
tiate his partnership relations with
the Republican party. Referring to
the miners strike IN 1900, he says;
.'Shortly after this strike was
inaugurated, Senator Hanna met q
number of gentlemen and insisted
that If the strike was not settled IL
would extend 10 Ohio. Indiana and
Illinois, and the election of Mr.. NC
Kinley ana Mr.. Roosevelt would Do
endangered. He insisted that he was
authorized to settle the strike. through
Mr.. Mitchell. IL the operators wouid
agree to ten 10 per cent advance In
wages. After great deal OF pressure
had been brought to bear upon the
presidents of the coal companies ana
positiye assurances were given THAT
the situation was really dangerous,
President Mckinley sending to me
personally gentleman to assure me
that Ohio and Indiana were In danger
unless some adjustment was made, we
agreed to put up a notice which was
prepared, we understood, at Indian
apolis and furnished oy the Unitsd
Mine Workers The private operators
absolutely refused 70 join in this ad-
vance, and instead OF the strike being
ended as promised, IT continued on FOR
some time, and ut became necessary,
II c-es- 10. relieve the situation. 70
call q meeting Of the private operators
with the presidents Of the coal COM
uanies and to agree with them that II
they would put up notices to pay ~
per cent increase we would meet Q
committee which should appoint and
endeavor to increase. II possible, the
price Of coal. They agreed to this,
a committee was appointed by the
private operators. and we sat two OF
three DAYS a month for three months
to reach an agreement with them.
That agreement involved heavy COM
pensat,on to tue private operators from
the coal companies. The coal COM
panies had agreed to change tue basis
Of coal purchased from the private
operators from y basis OF 40 per cent
and go per cent to a basis OF 30 per
cent and IS per cent In other words,
we had to decrease per cent ana
they increased per cent.
Commenting on the above, the Com
moner says:
ssIt seems from Mr.. Baer's testimony
that the republican candidate for the
presidency personally sent word to Mr.
Baer to assure him that Ohio and
indiana were in danger unless the
strike could be settled, and Mr.. Baer
ana his associates, desiring to help the
republican ticket, agreed to settle
rnent by which the operators were to
have 10 per cent increase in wages
and the coal trust. in order to sec1re
this, had to compensate the private
operators Here we have 1.-THE re-
publican candidate appealing to the
trusts to help him at heavy loss to
themselves, and now the administra-
ton that came into power by the aid
OF the trusts puts through bill that
relieves Mr. Baer, among others, from
the possibility Of imprisonment for
the violation of the law.
ssDoes thus not prove that the demo-
cratic charges against the republican
party were well sustainedf Does II
not prove that the republican party Is
In close utilization with the trusts aud
obligated to theml 1t will be remem-
bered that Mr.. Baer is the president
of railroad, besides the president
of the trust. How long will the re-
publican farmers, laboring men and
business men be blind to their party
subserviency to the trustss How long
will the rank and file of the democrat
10 party be blind to the fact that
the reorganizers would, II possible,
put the democratic party IN
exactly the same position that tue
republican party now occupies In
regard to the trusts. T"